Jul 23, 2013 The Official Ships Bell The Official Ships Bell is used to welcome and to say farewell to visitors of the ship and those who died and are being buried at sea. The other and perhaps most important use of the Official Ships Bell and the one that surprises many is that it is still used as a signalling device in foggy weather. Nothing that modern technology has developed can match the resonating tone of a brass or copper bell for penetrating a blinding fog.