Need alternative to Pirate flag

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Shanachie

I don't object to the symbolism of the pirate flag so much as the silliness of middle-aged, overweight, suburban Americans going around imagining that they are pirates or rebels or hippies.

How horrible, ain't it.

Once you hit 28, you should end all fun in your life.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Why do you need to fly a flag.. is it a subconscious need to be part of a tribe/herd.???
If so join a Yacht Club and fly their rag..

And that can be flipped to...why are so many here offended that someone has joined a tribe?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

And that can be flipped to...why are so many here offended that someone has joined a tribe?

Who's offended, not me... I sailed through Denmark, Germany and N Holland with a large flag of Coimbra flying at my stern..
Had Loadsa people scratching their heads and reaching for laptops and phones to try and identify it..

[Joh.Ghurt]

Why Coimbra? It even isn't a coastal region.

[grube]

Concur. There are still pirates out there and they are doing real damage to shipping and to private cruising vessels. Why would anyone fly that flag in the first place. Pirates are not funny.

[SeansDadChris]

Wow. Ignorance is bliss apparently. Pirates were typically those who’d been pressed into service and abused or were sanctioned as privateers until suddenly their European masters made peace. Captains were elected and it was a more true democracy onboard ship than most any place in the world. They weren’t sheep so those in power didn’t like them and criminalized it.

Not saying they were upstanding citizens but you really need to get your historical facts straight before going off about them being murderers, rapists, slave traders (they DID take on as free me crew, slaves from slave ships they captured and rarely dealt with slaves as commodities)

I’m not a fan of the flag because it’s a cliche but if someone else wants to I’m not going to go all Karen on them for it. They’re not hurting anyone.

Read some history people.

[betwys1]

Originally Posted by Jammer

There were many flags used with variations. This etsy listing has some examples that, while cleaned up and presented more artistically, are representative.

https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/7...lags-3x5-jolly

/snip/

Sure, the meaning of symbols changes over time
/snip/ .

Oh no! the St George Cross (The prototypical "Red Cross") as a pirate symbol?

[svHarbinger]

Somebody has too much time on their hands.

[eddiestubbs]

I recommend you read the book "Republic of Pirates" and others. Pop culture has completely distorted this phase of history. An entire period in 1700 has gone unrecognized. Pirates were one of the first democratic organizations in modern times. And how they got started is a classic story of abuse by the powerful and wealthy.

in the second century of piracy around the 1800's many were privateers, which is another way of saying mercenaries. Except they weren't paid to march in an army led by others; they were independent, self governed, and shared in the spoils of war.

It would be better to focus on the modern day scum who sport the flag of a political party that is not hiding the fact that they want to overthrow the US government and rule our country at the barrel of a gun.

Study history and let people have fun with icons that don't really mean what you think. I don't like rape or pillaging, but in today's times the rape and pillage is done by dictators and large corporations that are run like dictatorships. Don't believe everything you think.

[Happ]

Originally Posted by SV__Grace

I may be getting cranky as I age but it seems to me that a good percentage of recreational boaters where I currently cruise, mostly the locals, fly a pirate flag on their boat.

Pirates were outlaws, thieves, robbers, killers and slave traders. These same people (most of them anyway) would not dream of flying a Nazi flag on their boat , so why is it so cool and popular to fly a pirate flag that represents really BAD people?

I’d love to fly a flag that represents the values and lifestyle of being a cruiser- freedom, world travel, appreciation and care for our planet, and respect and friendship with the people and cultures we encounter, etc.

We’re the GOOD guys, right?

I know we have burgees and such, but they have no meaning unless you’re in that club. I’d love to find a replacement for the boaters flying pirate flags that would be cool and make a positive statement.

Any idea what flag we might fly that represents cruisers and our values?

Let me ad a little history for you. Many “Pirates” were actually Privateers. That means they had a commission from their Crown to raid ships on behalf of their Government. Edward Teach the infamous “Black Beard” was a Privateer at one time. His ship was called Queens Anne’s Revenge. Of course it was Queen Anne who gave him his Commission. This was the way Navy’s were supplemented during war. The Commissions were rescinded after the war. Many like Black Beard continued to “ply their trade” after the Commissions were revoked. You might say they downsized!

[Scott Berg]

We sometimes fly this one when we see a lot of pirate ones; for those unfamiliar with the QUEST: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SY_Quest_incident

[skenn_ie]

Greenpeace
Rainbow

Starry plough
Palestinian


Other than the slave traders, pirates, generally, weren't as bad as some portrayals, but still not good.

[sloopdogg]

Originally Posted by C420sailor

Please excuse me while my eyes roll into the next zip code.

This flag represents evil people in the same manner that the Union Jack represents colonial imperialism—200 years ago, maybe. Its meaning has long since changed, like many symbols tend to do.

I served in a military unit, and flew with another, that used the Jolly Roger as its official insignia. Navy JAG commands run it up the flag pole on base when trial defense counsel wins a case. It is very commonly used in the submarine service, especially the Royal Navy. I could go on and on. Its meaning has long since changed from representing piracy to representing rebellion against the system and victory at sea.

Claiming that this flag is the same as the Nazi flag is beyond ridiculous.

Stop looking to be offended and go fly a dayshape, or whatever it is wet blankets do for fun.

Yep, what he said!

"oh I'm so offended but you're snowflake..." Give it a rest and go get offended by something real. The reality is that the way sailors were treated by the Navies of any "Civilized" nation was far more cruel and torturous than sailors were treated on a Pirate vessel. And what were all those Navy ships doing in the Caribbean in the first place? Bringing over Slaves and Raping and Pillaging and enslaving the indigenous populations for their own profit. Read an F'n history book or two before splooging your ill informed, ignorant opinions all over the place. Cry me an F'n river...

[sck5]

Pirates are thieves with boats. I encountered a few in my years of cruising the eastern Caribe. Everyone cruising there has to be at least a little bit aware of where they anchor, locking things up, etc.

I notice that West coast people tend not to have any real life experience like this. Sure, there are thieves in CA and the PNW but there are also cops - Not like the situation in the Caribe where the cops, if they are around at all, are cousins of the thieves. To West Coast boaters the idea of actual pirates running around without any real restraints is about as real as medieval knights in shining armor.

Poverty has a big role in this too. Not many people in the PNW are desperate enough to steal things in order to get by. It is quite different in many parts of the Caribbean.

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

It's always politics or guns with you guys.
There is more to life than that

Amen.