The Nautical Encyclopedia

Patterson’s Illustrated Nautical Encyclopedia — Howard Patterson, 1891

⚓ The Superstition Locker ⚓

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Home ⚓ Letter A ⚓ Ahoy

Ahoy

Sea Terms

The term used in hailing a vessel.

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2026 Editor's Note: 'Ahoy' nearly became how you answer the telephone — Alexander Graham Bell championed it; Edison's 'hello' won. Sailors and Wisconsin's Mackinac boaters still get it right. See ahoy. (Ed: BR 2026-06-07)

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The Nautical Encyclopedia (1891) is in the public domain; this digital edition © 2026 PhotoOpAI.