The courtesy flag is typically flown at the boat’s starboard spreader, whether the United States ensign is at the stern staff or from the leech. If there is more than one mast, the courtesy flag should be flown from the starboard spreader of the forward mast. Courtesy flags are hoisted under the starboard spreader of the most forward mast when in foreign waters.
Sailors are expected to fly several flags, including the national ensign, which should be made at 0800 local time and then struck Where to Fly your Courtesy Flag. Mastless boats are at the bow, boats with spreaders are from the starboard spreader, and multiple-masted boats are from the starboard.
A courtesy flag is flown as a signal, often a small replica of the national maritime flag. It is customary but not obligatory to fly it when sailing in foreign ports. If there is more than one mast, sailors often fly both the courtesy flag and the quarantine flag (Q flag) on entering a foreign port.
A nations courtesy flag should be flown by all vessels when entering a nation’s territorial waters for the first time and for the duration of their stay in the country. There is no legal requirement to fly a courtesy flag, but it is a gesture of courtesy that visiting vessels should fly the foreign nations ensign.
There are various nautical themed courtesy maritime flags available for purchase, including those from Flying Colours Flagmaker Ltd, which is handmade in the UK from premium fabrics and offers worldwide coverage.
📹 Flag etiquette with Tom Cunliffe
Ever wondered why some sailors bring in their ensigns at sunset? There’s more to it that just tradition. And what about courtesy …
What size should a courtesy flag be?
There is an old rule of thumb for courtesy flags: a half inch on the fly for every foot of overall vessel length, e.g. 18 inches = ½ yard for a 36-foot yacht.
3/4 yard Courtesy Flags are available for larger yachts or skippers who wish to ‘make a statement’.
What Size Ensign do I Need?. As a guide, your Ensign should be proportionate to the LOA and the style/design of the yacht.
Can I fly the Red Ensign on my boat?
Who is entitled to fly the Red Ensign? Any vessel registered in the UK, a Crown Dependency (CD) or an Overseas Territory (OT), is defined as a British ship and is allowed to fly the British Merchant Shipping flag the ‘Red Ensign.
The Red Ensign (or “Red Duster” as it is occasionally known) is a flag that originated in the early 17th century as a British ensign flown by the Royal Navy and was later adopted specifically by British merchantmen to be flown as the civil ensign of the British merchant fleet.
Any vessel registered in the UK, a Crown Dependency (CD) or an Overseas Territory (OT), is defined as a British ship and is allowed to fly the British Merchant Shipping flag the’Red Ensign.’
Additionally, section 3(b) of the UK Merchant Shipping Act 1995 allows the use of both the Red Ensign flag or a version of it defaced with the appropriate national colour, on vessels registered with a Crown Dependency or UK Overseas Territory provided they have either a Royal Warrant or an Order in Council.
Are courtesy flags mandatory?
A word on courtesy flags, most countries use their national flag at sea and it is therefore not uncommon to see a foreign visitor flying a Union Jack as a courtesy flag when visiting UK waters. This is wrong; the correct flag is always a Red Ensign. There is no legal requirement to fly a courtesy flag; it is a courtesy that acknowledges that the vessel will respect the laws and sovereignty of that country. However, if one is not flown or it is tatty or faded, it may cause grave offence and in some countries can lead to a fine.
The port spreaders are used for house flags. A house flag is normally but not always a small rectangular version of a burgee. It may indicate membership of an association (e.g the RYA) or society or may be to indicate membership of another club should that club have a house flag. More than one house flag may be flown on the port halyard, but with caution as too many might appear vulgar to some.
Land flags. The Union Jack, Welsh Dragon, the Crosses of St Andrew, St George and St Patrick and the EU flag are primarily land flags and must not be flown at sea as an Ensign by cruising yachtsmen. At sea the cross of St George is the flag of an Admiral and it should therefore not be flown by anyone else, without special dispensation. A vessel flying the St Andrew’s Cross could be mistaken as saying “my vessel is stopped and making no way through the water” as this is the meaning of code flag M which has the same design and the St Patrick s Cross could be misinterpreted as code flag V “I require assistance”.
What does a yellow flag on a sailboat mean?
CBI uses a color-coded flag system to communicate current conditions. These flags correspond with the rating level required for sailing, and the testing level that is available.
Yellow: Moderate wind. Restrictions on beginner sailors; on-the-water testing may be available.
Red: Strong wind. Restrictions may be in place, and testing may be available.
Check the upper-left corner of our website for the current flag color. Note that this will change as conditions do.
What is the rule for flags?
The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
What happens if a ship has no flag?
Generally, a flag State has the same exclusive right to exercise legislative and enforcement jurisdiction over its vessels on the high seas as it does over its territory. Conversely, this means that vessels without nationality – or stateless vessels – cannot claim the protection of any State.
Where is courtesy flag?
On a mast with spreaders, the courtesy flag (or Q) should be flown at the starboard spreader.
If the yacht has more than one mast, the courtesy flag should be flown from the starboard spreader of the forward mast.
On a yacht without any mast, the courtesy flag (or Q) should be flown at the bow.
N.B. Only ever your own ensign or national flag should be flown from the stern of a yacht.
Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia is the eagerly awaited landfall.
What does a black flag mean in sailing?
BLACK FLAG: This flag is all black. It means that any boat on the course side of the start line within a minute prior to the start is disqualified. Y: Diagonal red and yellow stripes. This flag means that all competitors are required to wear personal buoyancy. L: Diagonal yellow and black squares, two each.
What is the Z flag rule in sailing?
Under yacht racing rules, display of the Z flag indicates that a particular false start rule, the 20% Penalty Rule 30.2, is in effect: a boat on the course side (OCS) – that is, over the starting line – during the minute before the start will receive a 20% scoring penalty.
The Z flag has special meaning in Japan (as well as in naval history generally) due to its connection with and symbolizing of the Japanese victory at the Battle of Tsushima.
At the Battle of Tsushima on May 27, 1905, Admiral Tōgō raised a Z flag on his flagship Mikasa. By prearrangement, this flag flown alone meant, “The fate of the Empire rests on the outcome of this battle. Let each man do his utmost.” (「皇國ノ興廢此ノ一戰ニ在リ、各員一層奮勵努力セヨ」). The Battle of Tsushima was one of the most important naval battles of history and this signal is, along with Nelson’s signal “England expects that every man will do his duty” at the Battle of Trafalgar, one of the two most famous naval flag signals; the battle is of especial importance in Japanese national mythology.
What flags are needed for sailing?
What flags can you fly on a boat?. When sailing a boat, ship or yacht, knowing what flags you need to have onboard is essential. On all vessels, you should possess and fly your ensign flag, your house flag, your burgee flags and any courtesy flags that you need. We’ve explained what each one means below.
The Ensign. The ensign is the most important flag to display on your ship or boat. It is your national flag, which represents which nation you’re from and is the largest flag on your boat. This is important because the boat and the crew will follow the laws applied for their nation, and it conveys this message to others. The ensign lives on the stern (rear) of the boat, and has a correct order of positioning throughout the day. This order is: masthead, starboard spreader, and finally port spreader.
There are different types of ensign flags, such as civil, naval or yacht. Each has its own meaning, and reflects the purpose of the boat. For example, a naval ensign shows that the vessel is a warship, while the civil one indicates that it’s a merchant ship.
Where should flags be placed?
When displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, the U.S. flag should be on its own right (left to a person facing the wall) and its staff should be in front of the other flag’s staff. In a group of flags displayed from staffs, the U.S. flag should be at the center and the highest point.
How to fly courtesy flags?
The courtesy flag is flown at the boat’s starboard spreader, whether the ensign is at the stern staff, or flown from the leech. If there is more than one mast, the courtesy flag is flown from the starboard spreader of the forward mast.
It is considered disrespectful and rude to fly a courtesy flag that is old, tattered or raggy. Make sure that you replace flags that do not do justice to the country you are visiting.
Lastly, it is also a common courtesy to fly the national flag(s) of your guest(s) on board, if they have a different nationality than the ensign is showing.
📹 sailboat flag etiquette, burgees, day shapes and ensigns, a beginners guide
A short informative video explaining flags, ensigns and day shapes. What they are, where they go and what they mean. Hi-res …
Just remember when you sail over North America (Canada or US) or Caribbean we display the Q flag this way “The yellow flag Pratique is permission to enter a port after quarantine. On arrival at a foreign port the Q flag (plain yellow) should be flown. This requests customs and immigration officials to board, or the skipper goes ashore to register the boat and crew. Once pratique has been granted the Q flag is lowered and the courtesy national flag is hoisted.” This is the way we do it in Canada and in the US. I don’t think they will tell you differently if you come from let’s say Europe and you display both, but that is our proper way.
Great information to get us new sailors started. Can anyone provide some links to “cheat-sheets” ( for lack of better terminology, I’m learning… ) to the different types of flags ? I’m recently discovering my desire to sail and trying to get my hands on as much information as possible. It’s a long learning curve . Thanks
I am an American citizen. I just bought a sailboat in Panama and it has a Panamanian flag. (Meaning it’s registered in Panama) I intend to keep it there and spend the winters living on it. So I would fly the Panamanian flag off the stern, and an American flag off the starboard spreader? Is that right?
There is a lot to signalling on boats. Question; If I fly a courtesy flag, and I fly a flag to signal that I, the skipper, am of a different nationality than my boats registration; Where does the Q-Flag go? Under the “VIP Flag”? Or between VIP and Courtesy? And does anyone know why its only starboard and never port?