Maritime Flag P — Papa Cushion

This maritime flag represents the letter P (called "Papa") in ICS (International Code of Signals) and NATO maritime standards. It can be used with other flags to spell a message. In ICS, a single P flag has different meanings depending on context. At harbour, it means "Report on board as the vessel is about to set sail." At sea, a fishing vessel may use it to mean "My nets have gotten stuck on an obstruction." The P flag can be combined with other flags for specific shorthand messages, such as PD, which means "I cannot see your navigation lights," or KP, which means "Please tow me to the nearest port or anchorage." "P" is the 19th most commonly-used letter in English. Write your own messages with P and other maritime flags!