Thread: Flag Etiquette
View Single Post
Old 24-10-2007, 09:43   #8
David M
Moderator
 
David M's Avatar
Moderator
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: San Francisco Bay
Boat: research vessel
Posts: 4,660
According to international law, the flag of the country of the port where the vessel is registered/documented is supposed to be the flag you fly. It has nothing to do with where the persons on board are from...period. It is considered a flag vessel of that country which does not change with ownership or the people on board. Vessels of course can be re-flagged to another country but a vessel itself cannot have dual citizenship, in a sense.

Vessels not documented in any country are considered pirate vessels and can legally be shot upon and sunk. That's probably the most interesting thing I got out of my international law class at Cal Maritime.
David M is offline   Reply With Quote