Garth,
I suggest that when sailing, you fly the US ensign on a halyard run in a swivel at the head of the mizzenmast. When not sailing, you should fly the ensign on a staff at the transom.
Technically, you don't need spreaders for signal halyards
. As proposed by Svquest2, you could fly the courtesy flag and the Q flag from almost any convenient position (avoid flying the courtesy flag from a broom).
When approaching a foreign country, you should fly the courtesy flag on the starboard side and the Q flag on the port side, until having cleared Customs. In those countries where you don't have to clear Customs, you don't have to fly the Q flag at all. Check before entering their territorial waters.
And when returning to the US, maybe you have to fly the Q flag again, if you have to clear Customs (depending on who and what is on board).
Regarding flag etiquette, I was in a French harbor the other day. A British yacht rafted alongside me. She had only one flag halyard (from the masthead) and flew the British Red Ensign over the French Tricolor
, rather than on a proper staff at the stern. This kind of bad manners is very uncommon from our British neighbors but I preferred to keep my mouth shut.
Alain