A non US citizen with Delaware registration flys what flag?

[Mgago]

Just wondering about a non US citizen with Delaware registration. Do they fly the stars and stripes or the Diamond of Delaware or both?

[hellosailor]

You are not entitled to fly a US ensign. Probably no one would bother you, we're very alx about displays of our flag.

You can certainly fly the Delaware state flag though.

[belizesailor]

In practice, most I know of fly a USA flag. No officials outside the USA are likely to care.

[Jim Cate]

Hmm.. I thought that you should fly the ensign of the country of registry. Many (most) merchant vessels are skippered by folks of different nationality that the ships registry, and they all fly ensigns of the registry nation.

Jim

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

You are not entitled to fly a US ensign. Probably no one would bother you, we're very alx about displays of our flag.

You can certainly fly the Delaware state flag though.

Why is a U.S. registered vessel not entitled to fly a U.S. flag? On the contrary, a U.S. registered vessel is REQUIRED to fly a U.S. flag.

The ensign has nothing to do with the citizenship of the owner or the skipper or the crew. The ship has its own citizenship, and that is the country where it is registered.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_state

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

In practice, most I know of fly a USA flag. No officials outside the USA are likely to care.

If you wear an ensign of a different country than the one the vessel is registered in, you can actually get in a lot of trouble.

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

You are not entitled to fly a US ensign. Probably no one would bother you, we're very alx about displays of our flag.



You can certainly fly the Delaware state flag though.

I am wondering where you obtained this information?

The vessel flies the flag of registry. In this example it would be aUS flag. What do you think happens when all those ships are registered in Panama, Monrovia,etc. They fly the flag of registry.

Cheers

Chuck

[JPA Cate]

In addition, if you wish, you may fly the flag of your citizenship nation, usually at the port spreader.

Ann

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Hmm.. I thought that you should fly the ensign of the country of registry. Many (most) merchant vessels are skippered by folks of different nationality that the ships registry, and they all fly ensigns of the registry nation.

Jim

Except, Delaware is a State.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Why is a U.S. registered vessel not entitled to fly a U.S. flag? On the contrary, a U.S. registered vessel is REQUIRED to fly a U.S. flag.

The ensign has nothing to do with the citizenship of the owner or the skipper or the crew. The ship has its own citizenship, and that is the country where it is registered.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_state

OP states Delaware registration, not USA.

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

OP states Delaware registration, not USA.

Last time I checked Delaware was a part of the USA..

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

If you wear an ensign of a different country than the one the vessel is registered in, you can actually get in a lot of trouble.

Lots of Delaware registered boats fly USA flags...at least its registration is in the same country as the flag. [emoji6] Plenty of them on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala for example. These are boats ultimately owned by Guatemalans via a Delaware corporation. Cant legally be USCG documented because of foreign ownership, but can be Delaware registered. All of them fly a USA flag and have Delaware registration #s on the hull.

Technically its a foreign vessel in Guatemala so they avoid import duties.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by chouliha

I am wondering where you obtained this information?

The vessel flies the flag of registry. In this example it would be aUS flag. What do you think happens when all those ships are registered in Panama, Monrovia,etc. They fly the flag of registry.

Cheers

Chuck

Except, its not USA Documented, cant be legally, but rather registered in the State of Delaware.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

OP states Delaware registration, not USA.

Delaware is not a country. That was settled in the little unpleasantness of 1861-1864. The wrong way in my opinion, but it is what it is

A boat registered in Delaware is registered in the U.S., and is obligated to wear a U.S. ensign.

There is a twist, however. Some countries require that any vessel in their waters are carried in an official registry and are able to submit documents as proof of this. Delaware registry possibly doesn't count as an official registry.

This problem existed for years between the UK and France, because France requires official registration and the UK does not. The UK Ship Registry (now called "Part 1") is a serious business intended for commercial ships, requiring a tonnage survey etc., so most British yachts were not registered at all, and the French didn't like this. The same thing is true in Sweden and a number of other countries -- yachts are mostly not registered at all.

So the British invented something called SSR -- Small Ships Registry, which is a scrap of (laminated) paper invented purely to satisfy French and other bureaucrats -- you send in £10 or whatever, and you get an official looking document, which is however legally meaningless since it is not proof of ownership or of anything else other than that you sent in £10 and have a UK address.

Delaware registry, from the point of view of foreign countries, is something like the British SSR, and might not be accepted everywhere. Coast Guard documentation is the official U.S. registry.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by TeddyDiver

Last time I checked Delaware was a part of the USA..

Part of yes, but technically it is a State registered boat, not Federally Documented. There is a loophole in Delaware law which allows foreign ownership of Delaware registered boats. A foreign owned boat cannot legally be Federally Documented. Thus the delima.