Flag Etiquette

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by shadow

Just curious to stay on theme here. We were thinking about perhaps picking up the boat in France (where it's made) and sailing it back slowly. I would want to do the shakedown cruise for at least 6 months in the MED and then perhaps head towards the US and then where ever.

Cool

In this scenario, since the boat hasn't found an official home yet or registered yet, in transit, how do the flags work then? Would the flag then fly under our passport origin??

I think you will find that a boat used in French Waters needs to be registered somewhere - certainly for crossing borders it will need to be......unless you are intending to sail from Southern France direct to the US.

On the guess you are American, then I would find out if you can register her as a US vessel whilst the boat is still abroad (I would be very surprised if you cannot - but I don't know).

As already said, all you do is fly the flag of the country the vessel is registered in - does not matter if the owner or captain is Australian or Mongolian - if the vessel is registered in the US she flies the Stars and Stripes.

If however (as an American citizen) you decided to register the vessel in France you would fly the Tricouleur........and when arriving in the USA the courtesy flag would be the Stars and Stripes.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

On the guess you are American, then I would find out if you can register her as a US vessel whilst the boat is still abroad (I would be very surprised if you cannot - but I don't know).

Yes, it is quite simple. The biggest issue is that you can't complete the documentation process without the builder's certificate and the builder is unlikely to release that to you until you have paid for the boat. After I took delivery of Auspicious in Sweden I sent the builder's certificate to family in the U.S. who were able to walk it through NVDC and overnight my documentation back (we faxed it also just in case).

[seamountie]

Most here seem to have the basics of flag etiquette down - flag of origin at the stern or superior on the starboard halyard. (A side note..in Canada, a Canadian registered vessel is not required to fly the Canadian flag while in Canadian waters). If visiting a foreign country, that country's flag to be flow on the starboard halyard, superior to all other flags EXCEPT flag of origin, if flown on that halyard.

After that the rules are: all heraldic flags are superior to burgees, pennants etc, with national flags being superior to provincial or state which are superior to town. The exception is a flag officers pennant, which would only fly inferior to a courtesy flag and the flag of origin.

Up on the BC coast, it is not uncommon to see flags of the countries of the crew flown. These should be inferior to flag of origin, courtesy flag and flag officer pennant, and should be flown in alphabetical order. Example - on our boat my wife's Scottish flag is flown superior to my Welsh flag...and don't think she doesn't like that!! :-)

Then your burgees and inferior to all else, the gimmick flags - cocktail, boat type, jolly roger etc.

The size of your flag of origin, by courtesy, is 1 inch of fly for every foot of boat. Superior flags should be no smaller than those inferior to them.

[FSMike]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

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IMO flying your 20 foot national flag on a visiting yacht means the same as a 1 fingered salute to the host nationals.

In my opinion also.

[carstenb]

The vessels home country is always flying from the stern (or starboard spreader) The national flag of the country you are visiting, always flies from the starboard spreader as the top flag.

If you have foreign visitors on board, it is appropriate to honor them by flying their national flag under the starboard spreader(if in home waters). If you then sail to a 3rd country, you must move the honors flag to the port side spreader, and then hoist the national flag of the country your are visiting under the starboard spreader.

The rules aren't really very complicated, and if you sail, you should learn them. Not doing it correctly will mean others will view you as an ignorant, impolite lout.

I once docked in Gibraltar, we hadn't finished tying up when the marina workers told us in no uncertain terms that we should get the British courtesy flag up before we did anything else - and he did mean RIGHT NOW!

Later I saw a notice posted by the Port Captain which stated that any boats entering the harbour, not showing the proper respect (flying the British courtesy flag) were to be refused docking and instructed to leave the harbour and not come back until they had learned better manners (it actually said just that).

Some take it very seriously indeed.

[Steel sails]

How do you fly your ensign from the leach of the mainsail. I do not have sufficient line on the topping lift to get the flag high enough.
Regards
Paul