yacht club flag etiquette

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• Yacht Club Flag Etiquette—Time To Get Over Ourselves

Over the years I have belonged to several “prestigious” yacht clubs and I still belong to a couple. Nothing particularly meritorious in this. When you grow up around an old and established yacht club junior sailing program and then race a bunch, both inshore and offshore, these memberships come your way as long as you have put in the required miles and have the required experience.

And, although I’m not really much of a joiner, and, as the years go by, tend to prefer small gatherings around meals more than the larger cocktail parties that clubs seem to thrive on, I do still value my membership in the two clubs remaining.

But, having said that, there is an aspect of these clubs that is really starting to annoy me. And, as regular readers know, I’m not one to suffer in silence, so here goes. The subject of today’s rant is burgee etiquette.

You see, both clubs would prefer members to fly the burgee at the top of the mast on one of those totally impractical devices that are generally referred to as “pig sticks”. And the senior (in age) of the two clubs is…well…just plain rabid about this.

To the point that one of the first interactions a friend of mine had with another member after joining was being read off publicly on VHF radio for having the nerve to fly the revered bunting at the port spreader, as has become common practice among less snooty clubs.

Luckily, said friend is a far nicer person than I am, and so quietly complied rather than telling the officious jerk to shove his pig stick you know where, as I would have.

I mean really, in this age of paraphernalia covered mastheads, flying the burgee at the top of the mast on a stick that must be run up on a halyard is about as practical as mandating that every member should, upon election, re-rig his or her boat with a gaff.

On our own boat the mast is crowded with:

• an obscenely expensive wind sensor;
• a Hawk wind indicator;
• a horrendously expensive LED array tri/anchor light;
• a VHF antenna;
• and last, but probably most important, a lightning rod.

Pray tell, how the hell am I supposed to fly a burgee in amongst all of that stuff, much of which is not only expensive but fragile and just waiting to get broken by an errant pig stick. And even if I could, I value my sleep too much to haul something up there that is inevitably going to tap against the mast all night.

Yes, I know, there are ways to get around all this. In fact, in a moment of uncharacteristic conformism I even spent a silly amount of money building a sort of sheppard’s crook device to get the burgee away from the other stuff—you can see it in the opening photo.

But this spring, when I was putting the mast back together, I looked at said device that takes a 15 minute epic struggle in a bosun’s chair to take off prior to unstepping and the same to reinstall after stepping (it will get in the way of the crane) and rebelled.

Screw it, if I can’t fly the burgee at the port spreader, like any sane sailor of the 21st century, then I won’t fly it at all.

Now all of that may seem like much ado about nothing from a curmudgeonly old bastard, but actually, I think there’s a larger point here: Both clubs are constantly bemoaning the difficulty of attracting younger members. There might be a clue to the root of that problem in the flag thing.

The next time you see a cruising boat with people under 40 on it, take a look at the port spreader. In many (maybe most) cases you will see not just one but several club burgees there and maybe a couple of state or province flags as well. Kind of like social media. Flag-Facebook if you like.

And really, isn’t that what yacht clubs are really about? A way to meet and spend time with nice people that share our interests?

Wait, let’s think a little more. Is this burgee thing the only place where our clubs project an out of touch from the last century vibe?

Want young members? Might be time to think about a lot of stuff: Do we really need to wear pink pants, blazers and club ties? Time to look at the dress code too, I would suggest.

And as for those captain’s hats that the flag officers of some clubs are wont to sport…wait John, don’t go there—one thing at a time.

Let’s at least make a  start at becoming more approachable and relevant by getting rid of the burgee at the top of the mast rule and just be grateful and welcoming when qualified—both clubs have qualification criteria that I would not dream of diluting—sailors want to join us and show our flag, no matter where they fly it.

By the way, the Commodore of the junior (in age) of the two clubs I’m still a member of said pretty much the same thing as the last paragraph in a recent letter to the membership—good on him, I say.

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Those of us who sail Freedoms don’t even have a spreader. Not having a good place to fly a burgee, I instead fly the battle flag of the nuclear carrier Harry S Truman (CVN 75). Sending photo via email.

Yes – I am a member of couple yacht clubs and a couple of sailing associations. Flying their burgee and where to fly it, is something else. Burgee etiquette brings you quickly into flag etiquette. A mind field in some part of the world.

From my yacht master theory, I remember that courtesy flag, and the Q flag must be flown on the starboard side under the speeders. The port side is for your bungee and other private flags. This keeps it simple. I would not keep flags anywhere else – except for the ensign that got its teak pool at the stern.

Keep your burgee flag under port spreader – period. I keep my RORC flag under the port spreader. Normally, I know the director of wind by heart. A quick look at the bungee quickly tells me direction and an indication of strength of the wind. To help me with the wind direction I only need one bungee.

Your snob, you might be thinking. An RORC member over 50! Terje

We have had several club burgees. We have a private signal. We have a house flag. We have found they make an annoying racket from either the pig stick whacking the mast or the halyard doing a rumba to the wind’s tempo. In forty years of cruising, one person has approached our boat (socially) because of a pennant in the wind.

We found the best solution is to not fly any of them except the national ensign and a courtesy ensign — if required. One less thing to get down in a blow.

Dear John, First of all, suffering in silence is vastly over-rated. I very much second all you said. Archaic and tradition bound practices have their place in the world, especially when their function is connecting us with our heritage through ritual, but when they undermine function (flags as communication devices) by not having members fly their flags and potentially do masthead damage, common sense should prevail. Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Call me whatever, but as a Yank, I’ve enjoyed belonging to two yacht clubs with a Royal prefix. I must say that the burgee of each one looked splendid flying from the masthead. Moreover, I always felt I was paying proper homage when I, a nonresident, sailed in and moored with the burgee flying in the proper spot. Especially when hardly any local members of “my” clubs followed tradition.

I managed this with a pig stick fashioned from the tip of a carbon fiber fishing rod. It had a dedicated halyard, and was long enough, barely, to clear the antenna array. It was a bear to set this. It had to be done in little or no wind and typically took a half dozen tries before pig stick and burgee poked through the masthead gear and flapped, triumphantly, above it all.

You’ll notice this is written in past tense. Last year, one of said handsome burgees, slightly frayed from months aloft, had a thread become tangled around an antenna. No amount of gentle pulling from various angles would dislodge it. After many tries, the attachment with the pigstick gave way and the burgee was left dangling from the antenna, no better than a piece of red rag. Shocking! Out came the bosun’s chair. Amazing how long it took to cut it away.

I think now, that each burgee will look fine tucked beneath the port spreader. If you’re OK, I’m OK.

Well that’s interesting. I expected to get a lot more push back. Given that (so far) I have not, it really does seem as if this is an idea that’s time has come.

Thanks to all for the input.

Please keep it coming, the more we opinions we get, both for and against, the better.

Morning John & Phyllis: You know we are not “joiners” either, but in this case, we have to respectfully disagree. Re-visit the book NOWHERE IS TOO FAR and tell us those adventurers and their stories aren’t inspiring? Observing proper burgee etiquette is simply a way of connecting us to a few of the powerful traditions of the past (and the achievements of past members). We do not care for officious rule enforcement…but it’s nice to see it done right. Anchor properly? Stow your lines properly? Sail off your mooring with a flourish? Then you’d probably enjoy investing in flying your burgee properly and not like some vehicle that looks agricultural . Now. Want to talk about supercilious Yachties? Let’s discuss those overfed overgrown adolescents with a drink in their hand firing off those @#$ cannons at sunset?! ?

Faithfully,

Pete & Kareen Worrell S/V PATIENCE Portsmouth, NH USA

I totally agree that if someone wishes to fly the burgee from the top of the mast they should be allowed to do so, and even applauded for their efforts.

But, on the other hand, mandating that difficult and out of date position for the burgee in the written club rules, as some clubs still do, and worse still berating a new member for non-compliance is simply silly in my view.

By the way, I’m totally with you on the cannons…might make me jump and spill my sundowner.

What about an AAC burgee to join the collection?

Crossed that bridge a decade ago. I just don’t fly anything unless I’m in foreign waters. Sailing to me is is about freedom. The prestigious yacht clubs are about status, snobbery, and exclusivity. The prime rib is great, but the social complications are mind numbing. A) the snobs are soul-sapping and B) if the vessel hasn’t marked you as Mr. Deep Pockets, the burgee surely will.

What a coincidence…yesterday, I saw an Alberg 30 with a wooden mast hoisting a club pennant (long and skinny compared to our YC’s isosceles triangle-shaped spreader burger) on a pigstick. Of course, it looked great, because there was NOTHING (no VHF, not even a Windex or a light) up there. In such cases, it does create a festive effect, and you can even hoist it in moderate breezes. But for a modern vessel requiring trilights, anchor lights, weather equipment, wind indicator equipment and one or more antennas, dissapators, and maybe a strobe? Forget it.

I organized a 2 week OCC rally this year in Southern New England and for the occasion I decided to rig a pig stick. I also bought myself a slightly bigger burgee – wanted to make a splash with the 18 attending boats!

While I thought about making my own stick, I found a local guy that actually sold them – so I went for it – $75. The new burgee arrived shortly after – $38 and with the new halyard $65, I was ready to go – since fortunately there was already a suitable block in place at the top of the mast.

I have to say, when rigged, she looked great! I do think that the effect of a good looking burgee at the top of the mast is great – really dresses the boat nicely!

Being a nice long pig stick (to clear all the masthead paraphernalia), I found that I had to keep massive tension on the halyard to ensure it kept everything vertical. We now had a slapping halyard to tie back at night! However, the stick itself would tap tap away against the mast and since the mast comes right into our berth, it was, to say the least, rather annoying. Still we persevered…

The windex was the first casualty. She got entangled and lost an arm. No big deal – the arm was never set right anyway. When we unstep this winter, we’ll put a new one up there ($47).

The VHF was the next casualty and the last straw… I noticed the antenna off to a 45 degree angle one day – the following day it was altogether gone.

So, having suffered through 2 weeks cruising with a splendid burgee atop the mast the Admiral called it! We brought the pig stick down and replaced the VHF antenna ($65).

I think you’ll agree, $290 is enough of an effort made to justify flying the flag from it’s rightful spot – the spreader!

(Anyone interested in a lightly used pig-stick, please let me know!)

Yikes, what a story…well told too!

But having said that, you are only a silver medal winner in the most-money-to-fly-burgee-competition. I claim the gold medal for what I spent on the damned shepherd’s crook in the picture.

Maybe we could make someone a bundled offer: pig-stick and shepherd’s crook.

I’m with Brian. Flags are almost as useless as neckties. I never fly one, unless I really have to – a Q flag, or the UK flag in foreign waters only, and even then, only if I’m persuaded to.

I loath them just as much as corrupt politicians that drape their offices with them. Much easier to show “patriotism” this way while lining their pockets than actually doing something meaningful for their countries.

Neither could I be bothered with silly flag rules, salutes, considering it a “living thing” (honestly now), dipping of or burning flags – be it for protest or for disposal (“The approved method of disposing of unserviceable flags has long been that they be destroyed by burning.”). The latter would be easy – if I actually owned a flag, which I currently don’t, where a I live, garbage is incinerated anyways. Never mind the carbon footprint ….

In short, if people derive happiness from such things, good for them. For myself, the less I see them, the better.

Hence my question to all of you?

While ensign, host county and Q flags must be flown, what is the bare minimum in size to remain legal? Would the size of half a sheet of paper be enough to stay out of trouble? Can it be painted on metal, permanently put on the backstay and then forgotten about it?

Many thanks

Hi all, Just to be clear: from my perspective flags are just communication devices. As such they can convey the range of information that any communication is capable. Some communication is required: courtesy flags, quarantine flags and ensigns when in foreign waters. Flying burgees are (generally) just a social invitation and I have met some wonderful people and had some great opportunities with people who recognize a flown burgee and approached Alchemy. But like all communication, it can be encumbered with dis-agreeable meaning and trappings. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

If a club of old men in silly suits wants to alienate young sailors and slowly die off, then that works for me. I wouldn’t dream of joining a club that would insist on a pig stick or a dress code.

The problem to me is that they then tarnish all of sailing with this elitist image and drive new sailors away.

I raced with the Royal Victoria Yacht Club in Canada for years and didn’t have to put up with any of that nonsense. They were a very down to earth and accepting group of people. Sounds like I just got lucky or maybe things are better in the colonies.

Perhaps it’s Freudian…the old men in silly suits who can’t “fly the burgee” anymore insist on “proper hoisting”?

John — You wanted more push back. Here you go. For the record: I am guilty of being old. I’m decidedly not guilty of being an old man in a silly suit who rues the invention of Fiberglas, thinks it’s been all downhill since the Gilded Age, and feels that no yacht without a club burgee displayed in the proper manner is worthy of hanging on a mooring anywhere near the Clubhouse. In my experience, such fussbudgets are more likely to be seen in a New Yorker cartoon then anyplace I sail.

I have, until recently (see above), chosen to fly a club burgee from the masthead. I don’t do it out of some sense of entitlement. I don’t feel it marks me as an elitist with deep pockets. One look at me and my beloved but very utilitarian sloop will dispel that thought.

I do it partly because it looks terrific. More important, I do it because, in a small way, it ties me to tradition. As a youngster, I had endless lessons in the proper way to do things on boats; rules on how to stay safe at sea. They were taught to me by my sailing mentors. I try to pass them on. And yes, something as innocuous as the proper way to display a flag is part of the mix. Without tradition, great and small, the sailing life would be shallow indeed.

Well argued, and your comment brings up an interesting point: the role of tradition in seamanship.

I guess my thoughts on that are a bit different: while I agree there is a lot to be learned from the past, I also believe that the best seaman are those that constantly evaluate the ways we have done things in the past in the light of new information, knowledge, and technology.

In fact I would go so far as to say that paying too much homage to tradition is undesirable. For example we all used wire reel winches for halyards—one of the most dangerous pieces of sailing gear ever invented—for years after they no longer made sense (if they ever did) just because the traditionalist told us that was the right way to do things. Ditto boom roller reefing and CQR anchors.

hello all. I agree a lot with Eugene. I belong to a “royal” club in Australia where there is no rule to fly the burgee from the masthead but I am one of the few who do so ( most choose the starboard spreader here) because I think it looks fantastic. It shares the masthead with tricolour, vhf antenna and TV antenna (sorry about that one) , doesn’t interfere with any of them, is a nuisance to hoist unless the wind is over the starboard bow a bit, (it’s on the port side), doesn’t rattle (much) at night because the halyard is led to the toe rail and in any case we are centre cockpit and sleep aft, and I subscribe to the view that it is up when the owner is on board, day or night. I love it.

Quick last words from me. John — Wire halyards weren’t traditional when I learned to sail, which just shows I’ve got some years on you. It was an “improvement” on tradition that eventually hit a dead end, thank the Lord. You’re right about boom roller reefing and CQRs. You could add in-mast reefing to that list.

I certainly don’t feel like a slave to the past, burgee fetish notwithstanding. I’m glad I learned celestial but it’s been a long time since I’ve taken a sextant out of the box. Boy, do I love my chart plotter. I could go on.

Let me say, BTW, how grateful I am for AAC. It’s the smartest, most informative forum I know on boating lore, old and new. A wonderful mix of common sense and new ideas. I’ve learned a ton. Thank you.

Clive — I’ll bet your Royal burgee does look fantastic. It’s worth the effort, isn’t it. Maybe I should try again, with a slightly longer pig stick.

Older than me? Wow you are old! 🙂

Thanks for the kind comments on the site, makes it all worth while.

I think a traditional daysailer looks smart with the burgee at the masthead. On our live-aboard cruising boat we (sometimes) fly our burgees at the port spreader: less windage aloft and no rattling halyards.

In many places we don’t fly burgees. When visiting a country where the average annual income is roughly the price of a new tender, it feels inappropriate to display yacht club memberships.

A very good point on the keeping a low financial profile in many places.

Thanks for the great comments and civilized discussion.

I guess the bottom line is that burgee position should be optional, and not mandated, at least if a club wants to make itself more approachable, particularly by younger people.

On the other hand, I agree with those that say that a burgee at the mast in a pig-stick looks best, and if you can figure out how to do that, well then more power to you—I should have made that more clear in my post.

I agree that people should be able to do whatever they feel is most appropriate. While I don’t have a ton of experience with the issue having never been asked to join a yacht club, I have had a few bad experiences with flags beyond silly stuff like annoying noises. One of my most memorable was having a long name pennant on a pigstick jam in the peak blocks of a 2000ft^2 main that really needed to come down in a building breeze. Climbing out on the peak halyards in a strong breeze to try to free them up is not an experience I will forget anytime soon. One time while racing in light airs, we were sailing alongside another boat who took down all of the flags that they were flying and proceeded to sail away from us. A good pigstick and short flag can do wonders for keeping birds off of your masthead though.

I have no problem with people who fly flags and actually think that they look great. However, just like wood on deck, you won’t normally find them on our boat. For that matter, when I took down the Q flag after clearing US customs on Friday night, I also took down the American flag which won’t go up again until we are back in foreign waters (hopefully this doesn’t offend anyone).

to watch people complicate their lives for small returns is an endless wonder to me

I go sailing to get away from that kind of crap! Good on you John for calling it the way it is and to all the old brigade…wake up…it is 2015.

I have sailed on biggish boats since I was 16 and often as the youngster aboard. Guess what duty I had every morning and evening (yes, we took down the burgee every evening). Now as an oldster, I wouldn’t think of sailing without a burgee at the masthead. It just looks so darn great up there. It’s like the last stroke of the brush on a beautiful painting. I must admit, after 50 or so years of pigsticking, I am pretty good at getting the darn stick by the back stay in any kind of wind. Long live the pig stick.

I can see that. That said, even for those of us that are on your side of the debate, do we want to give people on my side a hard time? I say not—live and let live.

I was away from sailing(rock climbing) through my twenties and thirties, so when I tried racing again it was torturous. An acquaintance had an etchells, and invited me to crew, so I thought it would be fun. During pre start, I suggested a trick for checking favored end of the line, and he was interested, but after lingering past the committee boat for too long he got caught barging, yelled a lot, then throughout the whole windward leg he very solemnly explained why it was my fault. After suffering through the post race social, when I was driving home, he pulled over in front of me and beckoned. I pulled over and he ran to my window with a watch he borrowed from another member. He was leaving town in the morning and wouldn’t be able to return it. I agreed to take it to the club the next morning, and so I did first thing. The next day I was unable to check my phone in the morning, and there were several messages from him that went from a friendly reminder to not so friendly. Throughout the day he kept calling and I never picked up, more curious how far he’d go than anything. By the end of the day he was very disappointed in me, and how disrespectful it is to not return the watch. I think I just picked up in the end and told him I returned it that morning, and said goodby. It’s too bad, I know I probably got unlucky, but on the other hand, most racing I’ve done has been with very unpleasant people. I know that interacting with people who are better than you is how you get better at anything, but I can’t bear it.

Hi Michael,

Wow, what a terrible story. Please don’t let one, or even several a-holes put you off racing. While I agree that racing does attract some real jerks, some of the best fun with the nicest people I have ever had occurred while racing.

One tip, it’s very often the people who are not very good at racing that behave that way, so it’s worth seeking out better sailors and being totally up front about what a rotten experience you have had to date. If you do that I’m betting that someone will make it their business to turn things around for you.

One other thought, suggesting a new technique during the high stress pre-start your first time on the boat might not have been the best approach to setting up a good relationship. When new on a boat it’s often best to just keep your head down and access the personalities until you have made your bones.

second that!

Normally, it is a seller’s market for crew, and good skippers will happily take them on and treat them very well. Don’t be discouraged by a rotten egg!

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Flag Protocol

• Nautical Traditions

Fly It Proudly

Yachts and yacht clubs are great users of flags. They are colorful, festive and informative. Every yacht owner should be familiar with the customs that apply to all the types of flags typically flown on a vessel.

Unlike buildings and houses ashore, a vessel has a limited number of places from which to fly flags, and thus the yachtsman must be selective in the flags that he or she flies afloat. A yacht will ordinarily display three flags: one announcing her nationality, one announcing her owner’s club affiliation, and one announcing her owner’s status (private signal or club officer’s flag).

National Ensign (50-Star US flag)

The familiar 50 star “stars and stripes” flag is also known as the national ensign afloat. It is the most important flag on board and identifies her national character. A vessel’s character is determined by her registration, which may differ from that of her owner. This is especially important abroad and on the high seas. 

A ship’s national ensign is immediately recognizable because it flies farthest aft (the place of honor), but not necessarily from the highest point in the rig. With the possible exception of battle flags, it should be the vessel’s largest flag.

Normally the national ensign is flown from a staff on the vessel’s stern. No other flag may be flown from this position. However, it is also permissible on a sailboat to fly it from the leech of the aft-most sail about two-thirds of the way up; or from the peak of the gaff on a gaff-rigged vessel. Sport fishing boats, which cannot fly the ensign from the stern when underway because of interference with fishing lines, fly the ensign from the aft end of the tuna tower on the centerline; and often leave it there when not underway. When not underway, the national ensign is only flown from the stern staff on all vessels.

Here are some tips for flying the American flag correctly:

Do : Choose the right size! The fly (length) should be one inch per foot of overall boat length, with the hoist two-thirds of the fly. Use closest ready-made size.

Don’t : Fly a flag that is too big! It doesn’t mean you are more patriotic, it only means you aren’t displaying the flag respectfully!

Do : Fly it during daylight hours ONLY! The American flag is properly flown ONLY from 0800 to sundown while in the harbor. Other flags (e.g. club burgee, officer’s flags, private signals, fish flags, etc.) may be flown at any time the vessel is in operation.

Don’t : Fly the American flag from the:

• Top of the mast
• Spreader flag halyard
• Fishing outriggers

US Yacht Ensign

American yachts may also fly a flag called the Yacht Ensign. This flag is similar to the U.S. Ensign except a circle of 13 stars surrounding an anchor replaces the 50 stars. It was established by Congress in 1848 to identify yachts that do not have to clear customs when entering ports; licensed yacht were required to fly it. The law has changed so that the yacht ensign is now an option for any American recreational vessel. Thus either the national ensign or yacht ensign may be flown by US yachts, but not simultaneously. When a US yacht sails in international waters, the 50-star flag must be flown and not the yacht ensign.

Club Burgee

Yacht and sailing clubs have flags to distinguish them, called a burgee. Most yacht club burgees are pennant (three sided) shaped like the HYC burgee, but a few clubs use swallow-tailed flags, while a very few use rectangular flags. Our club has a collection of burgees from many other clubs that are displayed in the bar.

Flying the burgee is an important part of belonging to a yacht club and a vessel owned by a member of HYC should fly our burgee with pride. Our burgee has appeared in its present form since 1928.

The burgee is flown from the bow staff on a powerboat, while most sailboats fly the burgee from the starboard spreader. The traditional position at the top of the mast is no longer used because of interference with wind sensors and antennas. Normally a vessel displays only one burgee at a time. Exceptions are made for opening day and other special occasions when owners will string together all burgees of clubs to which they belong, with the HYC burgee at the top of the string for HYC functions.

Officers Flags

The yacht ensign’s circle of 13 stars surrounding an anchor forms the basis for the officer flags used by HYC and many other yacht clubs for the commodore, vice commodore and rear commodore, with the background being blue, red and white respectively. Other officers, such as fleet captain, secretary, treasurer, and past commodore, etc., have their own flags. HYC Past Commodores also have a unique swallow tailed flag to fly, which is the Past Commodore’s flag from 1907. On sailboats the officer flag is flown immediately below the burgee. On powerboats, the officer flag is flown from the mast, with the club burgee keeping its place flown at the bow staff. Officer flags are flown only when the officer is aboard.

Dressing Ship

On national holidays, HYC Opening Day, boat christenings, marine parades and other special occasions yachts often “dress ship” with a rainbow of International Code of Signal flags. The sequence is based on a harmonious color scheme and has no meaning in terms of letters or numerals. Flags are flown beginning with “A” at the forward waterline, over the stem and the top of the mast(s), to the stern and finally to the waterline aft. The flags discussed above are flown in their usual places.

The recommended sequence is: AB2, UJ1, KE3, GH6, IV5, FL4, DM7, PO 3rd Repeater, RN 1st Repeater, ST Zero, CX9, WQ8, ZY 2nd Repeater.

Important: If you don’t have a set of signal flags, sets of decorative pennants are available at modest cost.

Power boats too! This is not just for sailboats.

Private Signals

One of the oldest traditions in yachting is that of the “Private Signal.” A private signal is a unique flag that communicates the presence of a specific individual or family on a boat. They are personal flags, or logos, similar to family crests. The tradition of the private pennant signal, or “house flag,” currently used dates back to the 18th and 19th century when the sailing ship lines were at their peak.

A number of Houston Yacht Club members have private signals, and they are displayed on plaques in the main dining room. This is also a part of the private signal tradition whereby the yacht club displays the private signals of their members. Traditionally, a private signal referred to the owner or his/her family; today some private signals refer to the boat.

The private signal is flown from the starboard spreader flag halyard on both power and sail boats. If a powerboat doesn't have such a halyard, the private signal may be flown at the top of an antenna on the starboard side. Boats without a mast may fly the private signal from the bow staff in place of the burgee.

If you would like to have a private signal, here are some tips for good design:

Shape – You may use any shape, but three types are used primarily for private signals: Non-tapering swallowtail, swallowtail and rectangular. Most clubs use the pennant shape (e.g., the HYC burgee) so the pennant shape is not recommended for private signals.

Keep it Simple – A design without small details is easiest to see from a distance. It is also easiest to reproduce, which is important when you have your flag reproduced on clothing, dishware, etc. Traditionally, initials are not used.

Consider Mirror Image Designs should look nice from both the front and back. Thus, words don’t usually work well since they will read backwards on one side. Double-sided flags can be made but are much more expensive.

Few Colors – flags limited to 2 or 3 colors look better. They are easier to see from a distance and easier to reproduce.

Color Choice – Basic vivid colors work best. Use contrasting colors, light and dark. Colors that are similar, such as blue and green, will be harder to distinguish from a distance.

Other Flags

Courtesy flags: When a US vessel is in the waters of a foreign country, it Is expected that she will fly the host country’s national flag from the starboard spreader on a sailboat or from the starboard spreader of a powerboat with a mast, or the bow staff of a mast- less powerboat. This is especially important for boats going to Mexican or Caribbean ports. Note that the Bahamas, The British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands and the United Kingdom each have red ensign versions of their flag that are the correct flags to be used for this purpose.

Fish or Prize Flags: Fishing boats often fly flags denoting their catch. Flags denoting marlin, wahoo, sailfish and other species are available from marine suppliers. They are flown from the port outrigger or spreader, and are flown upside down if the catch was released.

Blue Gavel Flag: Past commodores of HYC who have been inducted into the International order of the Blue Gavel may fly the IOBG flag. When flown it replaces the past commodore’s flag.

Reference: For history and more detailed information, see Yachting Customs and Courtesies by J.A. Tringali.

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Your 2024 Guide to Nautical Flag Etiquette

Ever wonder why there are so many boat flags ? How do the sailors know which flag to put first and when? Nautical flag etiquette is an essential part of sailing. The seven most common types of boat flags are Skin Diver flags , Storm Warning flags , Coast Guard boat flags , US Jack flags , Maritime flags and Pennants, Yacht Ensign & Officer flags , and most importantly the International Code Signal flags .

Code signal flags and are frequently used by boats to send messages to other boats. They are made with a sequence of twenty-six square flags that represent a letter of the nautical alphabet. Ten numbered flags, one answering pendant, and three repeaters also form part of the nautical flag sequence.

As with most yesteryear traditions, the popularity of boat flags as a common communication tool is slowly reducing with the introduction of technology. This does not mean that we should discard this sacred tradition.

The world of nautical flags is broad, and we cannot possibly cover them all in this article. Navies, yachts and fishing boats have variations in the meaning of some flags.

While the need for nautical flags might be dwindling in the boating world, they are still pleasing to the eye. Learning when to use nautical flags and how to use them is a skill every sailor and thalassophile should have. Not only is it essential for safety reasons, but boat flags can also a lot of fun. Take a gander at our fun maritime flags and pennants !

Word of the Day: A thalassophile is someone that loves the sea!

This article will teach you the hows and whens of nautical flag etiquette. We will also provide you with a glossary of terms because, let's face it, some boating terms are pretty confusing even for a seasoned sailor.

So put your best sailor's cap on and join us on this great sea signal voyage.

What is Nautical Flag Etiquette?

Glossary of flag terms, flag courtesies.

As silly as it might seem, boat flag etiquette is crucial. In a worst-case scenario, it could mean the difference between life and death. Generally speaking, the nautical flag etiquette is a combination of years of maritime tradition and laws that help boats communicate messages to each other.

Different countries have varying legal requirements that should be observed for boats that enter and leave their waters or ports. So it is helpful to be mindful of sailing the vessel’s legal obligation for various countries. No one likes to pay a fine for something as simple as forgetting or putting up the wrong flag signal.

As we have stated before, the world of boating is vast and sometimes confusing. The terminology used is pretty unique. The key to understanding nautical etiquette is to know what everyone is talking about first.

Even professional sailors don't always get it right. So to help you brush up on your boating terms, we've put together this glossary with definitions. We hope this will help you to understand the nautical phrases that we will use in this article.

ABAFT - refers to the rear end or stern of a ship

AFT – means towards stern of the boat (the back of the boat)

ASTERN – it means to go towards the back of the boat

BOW - refers to the front of the ship

BUTT DIAMETER - is the width of the bottom of the flagpole.

CANTON - the rectangular part of a flag, usually at the top hoist corner of a flag, which occupies about a quarter of the total surface area of the flag

CLOSE UP - it means that the flags are now fully hoisted

COLORS - refers to the raising and taking down of the flags at 8:00 am and at sunset, respectively

COURTESY FLAG - is the national flag of the country that a boat is entering. Ex: Boats entering the United States would display an American flag as a courtesy flag.

DIP - means to lower a flag by turning it forward from an upright position to 45° or horizontal as a sign of deference or respect

ENSIGN - means a flag showing nationality of the boat, i.e. the country where the boat is registered. Ex:

• The Red Ensign can be flown by a merchant vessel
• The White Ensign can be flown by war or naval ships
• The Blue Ensign can be flown by public or government vessels
• The Civil Ensign is flown by civilian vessels
• The Yacht Ensign is flown by yachts and is typically the largest flag on board; the flag may be flown at stern staff
• The USPS ensign is flown by the United States Power Squadrons and is flown to signal that the boat is commanded by an active member of the USPS.

FLAG STAFF AT THE STERN - a pole at the stern/ back of the ship where the ship's country of registry flags is flown

FLY - refers to the length of the flag, measured from the heading to the fly end

GAFF - is a rig that extends from the flagpole that allows for more flags to be hoisted, which usually rises at an angle and represents the mast of a ship

HALYARD - rope or stainless steel cable used to hoist and lower flags

HOIST - the raising of flags

HOIST END - the edge of the flag that is closest to the flagpole

HOUSE FLAG - refers to the emblem that shows the company or commercial house that a merchant ship belongs to and also refers to a yacht owner's personal flag

INTERCO - stands for the International Code of Signals used in the maritime system

JACK - mean the additional national flags flown by warships (and certain other vessels) at the head of the shi

MASTHEAD - is the tallest part of a ship's mast or the lower section of a mast

NAUTICAL –refers to everything associated with maritime travel

NAUTICAL FLAGPOLE --refers to a flagpole with a yardarm and or gaff

PENNANT - is a triangular-shaped flag

PRATIQUE - refers to the license or permission to use a port from the host country

STARBOARD - is the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow.

STARBOARD SPREADER - is the most forward part on the mast (if there is more than one) where the courtesy and q flags are flown

STEM – refers to the most forward part of the bow

STERN – refers to the back of the boat

STERN LINE – is the docking line that comes from the stern

TACK LINE - is the length of the halyard; it's used to separate the group of flags

UNDERWAY – means a vessel in motion

YARDARM - refers to the horizontally mounted and tapered pole attached to a flagpole to create a "t" or a cross

Now that we are familiar with some common terminology used in nautical language, let's move on to the order in which the flags must be arranged in terms of nautical flag etiquette rules.

This order is universal across the globe. We must follow the order to avoid confusing other ships. The flag with the highest honor should be flown at the highest point.

The order is as follows:

• Gaff (reserved for the national ensign/ country flag)
• Flagstaff at the stern
• Starboard yardarm (Halyard)
• Truck of mast (masthead)
• Port yardarm (Halyard)

First, we need to establish the system that governs these nautical flag rules. INTERCO is the International Code of Signals. The system is used worldwide to communicate nautical messages related to navigation, safety, and maritime.

Signal flags like the ones we are discussing in this article form part of INTERCO's signals. The other signals include radiotelegraphs or radiotelephones, ALDIS lamps, hand signals and some sound signals to name a few.

Knowing and understanding the basics of the INTERCO signaling system is extremely important for anyone interested in sailing. Whether privately or otherwise.

The National Ensign/Flag

Let's talk about nautical etiquette rules that apply for the most critical flag signal, the national ensign.

The U.S. national ensign is the preferred flag for all U.S. vessels. This ensign is also known as the “50-star of “Old Glory.” This is also the preferred ensign for yachts, especially when sailing in international or foreign waters.

Great honor is given to the national flag of the country in which the ship is registered. On the order of positioning for the flags, the national ensign is given that most senior position; the gaff. If your boat does not have a gaff, then you should fly the ensign from the flagstaff at your boat's stern.

The second rule is that you can fly no other flag above the national ensign on the same halyard. Additionally, the Jack and the National Ensign should not be hoisted together. The Jack is only hoisted when the ship is at anchor or made fast to the shore or to buoy, never when the ship is underway, when the last line is cast off, and when the anchor is aweigh. We do not recommend hoisting the Jack for recreational purposes.

The scenarios where a national ensign should be flown include:

• When dressing the ship
• When occupying foreign waters during the daylight hours
• When moving along a foreign port or a combat ship (man of war)

The Courtesy Flag

Flying the courtesy flag is a centuries-old tradition that is still relevant in these modern times. The act of flying a foreign nation's flag as your ship passes through or enters its waters is not only a sign of respect, it is an essential etiquette to observe. While there is no legal requirement to fly a courtesy flag, it is a polite custom to which you should adhere.

The only legal requirement for vessels in foreign water is to fly the red ensign flag.

Where does the courtesy flag fly? As per tradition, the courtesy flag is flown at the starboard spreader. If your boat has more than one mast, you must fly the courtesy flag from the forward most mast. The courtesy flag is tied and hoisted after the authorities have granted your vessel clearance to enter their space.

Key rules for courtesy flag etiquette include:

• Never fly the national ensign and the courtesy flag on the same mast because that will be interpreted as a sign of you are challenging the foreign nation's authority
• Never fly a courtesy flag that is in terrible condition; this is a sign of disrespect
• If you have guests on your boat that are of another nationality, then you should also fly their national flags as a courtesy, but never on the same mast
• When you return to your home country, always take down the foreign country's flag

Additional courtesy flag etiquette includes:

• If your boat is mastless, then the courtesy flag can replace any flag which is normally flown at the bow of the boat
• If your boat has a mast with a spreader, the courtesy flag is flown at the starboard spreader

However, you must keep in mind that these rules or traditions vary from one country to another, so always make sure that you look for the correct information.

Nautical Flag Etiquette Entering a Foreign Port

The Q flag is the first flag that you must raise when entering foreign waters or a foreign port. It signals to the port authorities that your ship is healthy and you require free practice.

We always fly the Q flag in international waters before customs clears you for entry. After clearing, you then replace the Q flag with the courtesy flag. You often fly the Q flag on the starboard yardarm.

Dressing the Ship

Certain occasions require that your vessel be decked up with all the flags that it can hold. We call this dressing the ship.

It is reserved for special occasions such as public holidays or when the ship is beginning its maiden or last voyage. Dressing the ship is only done when the ship is not underway.

The ship's full splendor will be on display, so this is the time to have fun. The dressing begins at 08.00 am at anchor unless it is the ship's maiden or last voyage, then the dressing can occur at sea.

The national ensign is first. All the other flags will follow, lining up from the waterline forward to the waterline after using the stem or bowsprit end and the masthead.

We have barely scratched the surface of all the rules and customs you need to follow to observe proper nautical flag etiquette. However, we hope that we have simplified some of the most important customs in maritime tradition. Hopefully, the next time you are on a boat, you will understand the meaning of the signals and flags better. Happy sailing!

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Etiquette & Traditions

Yachts and yacht clubs are great users of flags. They are colorful, festive and informative. Every yacht owner and yacht club member should be familiar with the customs that apply to all the types of flags typically flown on a vessel.

Unlike buildings and houses ashore, a vessel has a limited number of places from which to fly flags, and thus the yachtsman must be selective in the flags that he or she flies afloat. A yacht will ordinarily display three flags: one announcing her nationality, one announcing her owner’s club affiliation, and one announcing her owner’s status (private signal or club officer’s flag).

Yacht clubs traditionally follow nautical rather than shore practice. Their flagpoles have gaffs like the ones on a ship’s mast, and the flag is flown from the peak of the gaff, as it is properly done onboard ship. PYC follows this tradition with its gaff rigged flag pole.

National Ensign (50-Star US flag)

The familiar 50 star “stars and stripes” flag is also known as the national ensign afloat. It is the most important flag on board and identifies her national character. A vessel’s character is determined by her registration, which may differ from that of her owner. This is especially important abroad and on the high seas. SomePYC members’ vessels are federally documented or state registered and thus should fly the national ensign.

A ship’s national ensign is immediately recognizable because it flies farthest aft (the place of honor), but not necessarily from the highest point in the rig. With the possible exception of battle flags, it should be the vessel’s largest flag.

Normally the national ensign is flown from a staff on the vessel’s stern. No other flag may be flown from this position. However, it is also permissible on a sailboat to fly it from the leech of the aft-most sail about two-thirds of the way up; or from the peak of the gaff on a gaff-rigged vessel. Sport fishing boats, which cannot fly the ensign from the stern when underway because of interference with fishing lines, fly the ensign from the aft end of the tuna tower on the centerline; and often leave it there when not underway. When not underway, the national ensign is only flown from the stern staff on all vessels.

Club Burgee

Yacht and sailing clubs have flags to distinguish them, called a burgee. Most yacht club burgees are pennant (three sided) shaped like the PYC burgee, but a few clubs use swallow-tailed flags, while a very few use rectangular flags. Our club has a collection of burgees from many other clubs around the United States and World that are displayed in The Upper Deck.

Flying the burgee is an important part of belonging to a yacht club and a vessel owned by a member of PYC should fly our burgee with pride. Our burgee has appeared in its present form since 1890.

The burgee is flown from the bow staff on a powerboat, while most sailboats fly the burgee from the starboard spreader. The traditional position at the top of the mast is no longer used because of interference with wind sensors and antennas. Normally a vessel displays only one burgee at a time. Exceptions are made for opening day and other special occasions when owners will string together all burgees of clubs to which they belong, with the PYC burgee at the top of the string for PYC functions.

Officers Flags

The yacht ensign’s circle of 13 stars surrounding an anchor forms the basis for the officer flags used by PYC and many other yacht clubs for the commodore, vice commodore, rear commodore, and fleet captain with the background being blue, red and white respectively. Other officers, such as secretary, treasurer, and past commodore, etc., have their own flags. The 13 stars represent the original 13 colonies found on the “Betsy Ross” flag with a fouled anchor in the union. The medallion configuration, was entered into official use in 1848, following an act of Congress that made it the official signal for U.S. pleasure sailing vessels. On sailboats the officer flag is flown immediately below the burgee. On powerboats, the officer flag is flown from the mast, with the club burgee keeping its place flown at the bow staff. Officer flags are flown only when the officer is aboard.

PYC tradition provides that when an officer is on the PYC premises or is aboard their vessel in local waters, the officer’s flag shall be flown on the PYC Yacht Club Mast. All officer flags shall be flown during national holidays (such as 4 th of July) and Regatta’s during the boating season.

PYC has 4 Flag Officers; Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore and Fleet Captain, plus 2 other Officers, Secretary and Treasurer,each of which has their own Flag of designation that flies in accordance with PYC tradition.

The club burgee should be flown at the masthead, ensign on the gaff, and when you add additional flags, you start with the halyard on the right (from the land side, facing pole) and move inward with flags of lower status.

  Commodore’s FlagVice Commodore’s Flag  

Rear Commodore’s FlagFleet Captain’s Flag  

Treasurer’s FlagSecretary’s Flag  

PYC Gaff-Rigged Flag Pole  

“What is the proper way to fly flags on a gaff-rigged pole?” That is probably the most frequently asked question received by the USPS Flag & Etiquette Committee. Gaff-rigged poles are used by navies,boaters and yacht clubs around the world. Onshore, the”yacht club style flagpole” with a gaff represents the mast of a ship. A gaff-rigged pole may, or may not, have a yardarm or cross tree. A gaff-rigged pole with ayardarm is illustrated above flying the Ensign, PYC club burgee and an officer flag. (Gaff-rigged pole flyingUSPS flags)

  Many people are confused about the proper way to fly the national ensign from a gaff-rigged pole. As depicted in the drawing above, the national ensign should beflown from the gaff and the club or organization burgee should be flown at the masthead.

  The gaff-rigged pole had its origins at sea. Because of all the sail carried by the rigging of these vessels, the flag of a nation could not be clearly viewed if it was placed at the top of the mast. The stern of the vessel was the position of command and the captain’s quarters were located aft. Early boats also had the nobleman’s banner,king’s banner, or English ensign staff fixed to the stern rail. As sails changed, long booms sweep across the stern rail every time the ship tacked, so the ensign staff had to be removed when the ship was under way. Since the captain and other officers were still aft, the nearest position from which they found it practical to fly the ensign was the gaff. Over time, this became the place of honor to display the national flag.When the ship was moored, the ensign staff was set up again on the stern rail.

This was the practice in the eighteenth century, when the U.S. Navy was created. Now that warships are made of steel and thesignal mast no longer carries a boom, our navy still flies the ensign at the gaff peak when under way and at the ensign staff when not underway. There is no law specifying how a flag should fly on a gaff-rigged pole, instead it is based on longstanding nautical tradition.

The usual argument given by those that think it is wrong to fly the national ensign from the gaff is that the national ensign is flying below a club burgee or other flag contrary to the Flag Code. Notice that even when the national ensign is flown from the stern of a ship, it is lower in height than other flags flying on the ship. When the ensign is flown from a gaff-rigged pole, a flag flown at the top of the mast is not considered above the ensign because it is not being flown directly above the ensign on the same halyard.

  The ensign should be flown from the highest point of honor, and over time, that has become the peak of the gaff. Flying the national ensign from the top of the mast while flying another flag at the gaff would be flying another flag in a position of superior honor since the peak of the gaff is the highest point of honor.

  Colors  (the raising &lowering of our American flag)  

When making morning colors, the ensign is hoisted first, then the club burgee, officer’s flag, and private signal; at evening colors, the reverse is followed with the ensign being lowered last. Colors are hoisted smartly and lowered ceremoniously.  

The time-honored naval tradition of Evening Colors each day at sunset is followed by PYC. Evening Colors at PYC begins with the ringing of a ships bell and the command, “Attention to Colors” followed immediately thereafter by a cannon shot. Upon hearing the cannon shot, or the command “Colors,” all those on Club property in sight of the flag will stand and face the flag, in silence, with their right hand over their heart, until the flag is fully lowered. At that point, the command, “Carry on” will be given.

The tradition is naval; it began with the British Royal navy, and continues with the U.S. Navy. Cannons or guns are fired at sunset when the flag is taken down, as a sign of respect. In the days when sailing ships were armed with cannon, it could take as long as twenty minutes to load and fire a gun. When a ship fired her guns in salute, she rendered herself powerless for the duration. By emptying their guns, the ship’s crew showed shore batteries and forts that they were no threat. Over time, this gesture became a sign of respect, with both shore and ship gun batteries firing volleys.

Member Boats

Members and visiting yachtsmen are encouraged to follow the Flag Etiquette and Traditions that apply to their respective vessels. For more information, we suggest researching the book “Chapman Boating Etiquette”.

Source: Some information in this article was borrowed from the Houston Yacht Club website, http://www.houstonyachtclub.com/  for history and more detailed information, see Yachting Customs and Courtesies by J.A. Tringali.  Other sources are United States PowerSquadron (USPS), Wicked Local Article 7.19.2016 – Marblehead 101: The Tradition of sunset cannons and the Plymouth Yacht Club Handbook.

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• Sailboat Flag Etiquette

Sailboat Flag Etiquette: What You Need to Know

Sailboat flag etiquette is steeped in maritime tradition and enshrined in law. If you're new to the world of sailing, you may have wondered about the various flags that you see flying on other sailboats or that you are expected to fly on your own. What do they mean? How should they be displayed? What are the rules and traditions that govern them?

An experienced sailboat skipper will know that flag etiquette is a way of showing respect, courtesy and recognition to other vessels, countries and organizations.

It also helps you communicate important information, such as your nationality, your club affiliation, your intentions or your distress.

For the less experienced we'll explain the basics of sailboat flag etiquette and how it should be applied in practice:

• The types of flags that you can fly on your boat;
• The sizes and positions of the flags;
• The occasions and situations when you should fly certain flags;
• The common mistakes and pitfalls to avoid when flying flags.

The skipper of the Bowman 57 staysail ketch shown here is correctly flying a burgee (the Flying Fish burgee of the Ocean Cruising Club ) from the port spreader, and a courtesy ensign (of Spain in this case) from the starboard spreader.

The ensign, in this case that of the Republic of Ireland, is flown from a flag halyard fom the mizzen mast to the end of the missen boom. Alternatively the ensign could be flown from a staff attached to the taffrail.

The Types of Flags

There are many types of flags that you can fly on your boat, but the most common ones are:

• The ensign: This is the flag that shows the country of registry of your boat and indicates its nationality. It is usually flown at the stern of the boat, as close as possible to the waterline. It is the most senior position for a flag on a boat and it should always be larger than any other flag. A UK flagged boat (sail or power) must wear the national maritime flag, the Red Ensign, unless entitled to wear a special ensign.

• The burgee: This is the flag that shows the yacht club or association that you belong to. It is usually flown at the main masthead of the boat above any other flag, but can be flown from the port spreader unless otherwise stipulated under a special warrant. 
• The courtesy flag: This is the flag that shows the national flag of the country that you are visiting or whose waters you are sailing in. It is a sign of respect and goodwill to the host country and it should be flown at the starboard spreader. It should be hoisted as soon as you enter foreign waters and lowered as soon as you leave them.
• The Q flag: This is a yellow flag that indicates that you are requesting clearance from the local authorities when entering a foreign port. It is also flown at the starboard spreader of the boat, below the courtesy flag if there is one. It should be hoisted before you enter the port and lowered after you have been cleared.
• The signal flags: These are flags that have specific meanings in the International Code of Signals. They can be used to spell out messages or to convey information such as your position, your course, your speed, your intentions or your distress. They can be flown individually or in combinations at various locations on the boat.
• The private signal: This is a personal or family flag that has no official meaning or recognition. It can be flown at the port spreader of the boat, below any other flag. It is optional and purely decorative.

The Sizes and Positions of the Flags

The sizes and positions of the flags on your boat are important for both aesthetic and practical reasons. They should be proportionate to your boat size, visible from a distance and clear from any obstruction.

The general rules for sizing and positioning flags are:

• The ensign should be one inch on the fly (the length) for every foot of overall length of your boat. It should be flown on the stern staff or on a gaff if there is one.

• The burgee should be half an inch on the fly for every foot of overall length of your sailboat or five-eighths of an inch for every foot of overall length of your powerboat. It should be flown at the main masthead or on a pigstick (a vertical extension) if there is one.
• The courtesy flag should be the same size as the burgee or slightly smaller. It should be flown at the starboard spreader, preferably on its own halyard.
• The Q flag should be the same size as the courtesy flag or slightly smaller. It should be flown at the starboard spreader, below the courtesy flag if there is one, on its own halyard.
• The signal flags should be sized according to their function and meaning. They can be flown individually or in combinations at various locations on the boat, such as the masthead, the yardarm, the bow or the stern of the boat.
• The private signal should be the same size as the burgee or slightly smaller. It should be flown at the port spreader, below any other flag, on its own halyard.

The Occasions and Situations When You Should Fly Certain Flags

The occasions and situations when you should fly certain flags on your boat depend on where you are, what you are doing and who you are with. Some flags are mandatory, some are optional and some are forbidden.

The general rules for flying flags are:

• You must fly your ensign at all times in daylight, especially when near to or in sight of land or another boat. You must also fly your ensign when entering or leaving a foreign port and on demand. You can fly your ensign at night if you wish, but it is not required.
• You can fly your burgee at any time, but it is customary to hoist it at 0800 and lower it at sunset. You can also fly your burgee at night if you wish, but it is not required.
• You must fly the courtesy flag of the country that you are visiting or whose waters you are sailing in as soon as you enter their jurisdiction and until you leave it. You must also fly the Q flag when entering a foreign port until you have been cleared by the local authorities. You can lower the Q flag after you have been cleared, but you should keep the courtesy flag until you leave the port or the country.
• You can fly signal flags whenever you need to communicate with other boats or shore stations using the International Code of Signals. You can also fly signal flags for decorative purposes, such as dressing your boat for a special occasion, but you should avoid using flags that have specific meanings or that could cause confusion.
• You can fly your private signal whenever you want, but it has no official significance or recognition. It is purely a personal or family emblem.

The Common Mistakes and Pitfalls to Avoid When Flying Flags

Flying flags on your boat can be fun and rewarding, but it can also be tricky and challenging. There are some common mistakes and pitfalls that you should avoid when flying flags, such as:

• Flying an incorrect, damaged, wrongly sized or otherwise invalid ensign. This is a breach of law and etiquette and could lead to fines or penalties.
• Flying a special ensign without being entitled to do so. This is a privilege granted by a warrant from the Admiralty or by an Act of Parliament and it requires certain conditions to be met.
• Flying a burgee that does not match your ensign or that is higher than your ensign. This is a sign of disrespect and ignorance and could offend other boats or authorities.
• Flying more than one burgee at a time. This is considered sloppy and excessive and could imply that you are showing off or indecisive.
• Flying a courtesy flag that is larger than your burgee or that is above your burgee on the same halyard. This is a sign of subservience and inferiority and could insult your own country or club.
• Flying a Q flag when you have already been cleared or when you are leaving a port. This is unnecessary and confusing and could cause delays or misunderstandings.
• Flying signal flags that have specific meanings or that could cause confusion for decorative purposes. This is irresponsible and dangerous and could lead to accidents or incidents.
• Flying a private signal that resembles an official flag or that has an offensive meaning. This is misleading and rude and could provoke anger or hostility.
• And you should never, ever, fly a skull-and-crossbones flag. There is nothing amusing or glamorous about pirates.

Sailboat Flag Etiquette: A Few FAQs...

Why do some British sailboats fly a White or Blue Ensign rather than the traditional Red Ensign?

Some British sailboats fly a white or blue ensign because they belong to certain yacht clubs or organisations that have special permission to use these ensigns.

The white ensign is a variation of the national flag that is normally used by the Royal Navy, but it can also be worn by yachts owned by members of the Royal Yacht Squadron , which is a privileged yacht club with a long history and close ties to the monarchy.

The blue ensign is another variation of the national flag that is normally used by government vessels, but it can also be worn by yachts that belong to one of the 32 yacht clubs or associations that have a warrant from the Admiralty or the relevant authority to use the undefaced blue ensign.

Additionally, some yachts can wear a blue ensign defaced with the badge of their club or association, if they have a warrant for that as well. There are 57 yacht clubs or associations that have this privilege.

These special or privileged ensigns are considered a mark of distinction and honour, and they should only be flown with proper authorisation and following the rules and regulations of wearing them.

What is the difference between an ensign and a burgee?

An ensign is a flag that shows the nationality of the vessel and must be worn at the stern or as close to it as possible. A burgee is a flag that shows the membership of a yacht club or sailing association and can be worn at the masthead or the port spreader.

What is a special ensign and how can I get one?

A special ensign is a variation of the national flag that can be worn by certain yachts that belong to a privileged yacht club or organisation. To get one, you need to apply for a warrant from the Admiralty or the relevant authority and follow the rules and regulations of wearing it.

How big should my flags be and how should I hoist them?

The size of your flags depends on the length of your vessel, but as a general rule, your ensign should be about one inch for each foot of overall length. Your burgee and courtesy flag should be smaller than your ensign, but not too small to be seen. You should hoist your flags using halyards or staffs and make sure they are not tangled, faded, or torn.

When should I raise and lower my flags?

You should raise your flags at 0800 hours or when you leave harbour, whichever is later, and lower them at sunset or when you enter harbour, whichever is earlier. You should also lower your flags when out of sight of other vessels or when nobody is aboard.

Can I fly more than one burgee or other flags on my vessel?

Traditionally, you should only fly one burgee at a time, but some yachts may choose to fly more than one to show their affiliation with different clubs or associations. However, you should always make sure that your burgee matches your ensign if you are wearing a special one. You can also fly other flags, such as signal flags, house flags, or personal flags, but they should not take precedence over your ensign, burgee, or courtesy flag.

How should I salute other vessels or authorities with my flags?

You can salute other vessels or authorities by dipping your ensign, which means lowering it halfway down the staff or halyard and then hoisting it back up. You should only do this if you receive a salute first or if you are passing by a naval vessel, a Coast Guard vessel, or a foreign warship.

What are the rules for flying flags in a race?

The rules for flying flags in a race may vary depending on the organising authority, but generally, you should not fly your ensign during a race, as this signals that you are not racing. You should also follow any instructions given by the race committee regarding signal flags, class flags, or protest flags.

What are the consequences of not following flag etiquette?

Not following flag etiquette may result in fines, penalties, or even confiscation of your vessel if you break the law or offend the host country. It may also cause confusion, misunderstanding, or disrespect among other sailors or authorities. Therefore, it is advisable to learn and follow the proper flag etiquette whenever you go sailing.

I wrote this article using GPT-4, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model, as a research assistant to develop source material. I wrote the final draft in its entirety and believe it to be accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Dick McClary

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Why isn't the US flag at the top?

A yacht club is traditionally considered to be a vessel, not a part of the land. While land-bound tradition (and the U.S. Code) holds that no flag is to be higher than the national flag, this is not the case with vessels nor the related facilities of yacht clubs, harbormasters' offices, etc.

On a sailing vessel, the national flag of the ship's registry (called the "ensign") is traditionally flown from the outer end of the vessel's aftermost gaff. The gaff is the spar which supports the top of a gaff-rigged sail (those trapezoidal sails now seldom seen outside of old movies and on traditional craft). The end of the gaff is called the "peak", while the top of the mast, usually a round wooden disc, is called the "truck".

Many yacht club practices are firmly rooted in naval traditions. Here, the protocol is unequivocal, from an authority no less than the U.S. Navy. Per the chapter "Display of the National Ensign at U.S. Naval Shore Activities", in NTB 13 (B) 801. b. (4) "Polemast with Crosstree and Gaff – This is commonly called a 'yacht club mast'. Displayed from gaff."

A fine discussion of the inseparable traditions of the navies and yacht clubs is found at the United States Power Squadron's website . After consultation with the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and the New York Yacht Club they summarized: "The gaff of a yacht-club-type flagpole is the highest point of honor, as is the gaff of the gaff-rigged vessel it simulates. The U.S. ensign alone is flown there. Although another flag may appear higher (at the truck of the mast), no flag is ever flown above the national ensign on the same halyard (except the worship pennant on naval ships)."

From time to time, unfortunately, offense is taken by some who have not troubled to learn the facts. The Power Squadron website relates that the Palm Coast Yacht Club had a "continuing battle" with a local veterans' group over just this issue, settled only when the Secretary of the Navy (!) was obliged to write a letter confirming the fact that in the world of yacht clubs, the highest point on the mast is not, in this case, the place of greatest honor.

More background on the this and other traditions of flags on yacht clubs is interesting reading. See the classic texts " Annapolis Book of Seamanship " by John Rousmaniere, " Chapman Piloting & Seamanship " by Charles B. Husick, and "Yachting Customs and Courtesies" by James A. Tringali.

But setting aside misunderstandings and perceived insults, the obvious question really is, why from the gaff? We can't know for sure, but it seems reasonable that since identifying the nationality of a ship from a distance was critical in wartime, the ensign needed to be large and to stream free, avoiding fouling in the rigging. This spar was also less likely to be shot away in an engagement, or carried away in a storm, as the top of any mast might be.

This is clear in this engraving of a ship contemporary with RYC's founding: a U.S. Navy ship-of-the-line, from the 1848 edition of "The Kedge-Anchor; or Young Sailors' Assistant" by William Brady, Sailing Master, USN. The ensign is flying clear and unimpeded from the gaff on the mizzen (the aft, or rear-most) mast, while other signals are displayed from the masthead and jackstaff.

If you've ever visited the USS Constitution in Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, you'll have seen that Old Ironsides flies the ensign properly, too. In fact, most modern US Navy vessels, when underway, fly the ensign from a small steel gaff up on the superstructure of the ship. (In general, though, other steamships and their successors use a different set of rules.)

click for larger image

Are there exceptions? Naturally – there were regional and personal variations. Some artwork from the colonial era shows naval vessels flying the ensign in various places. Whether the captains actually displayed the flags that way or whether this was based on the imagination of an artist many miles away is open to question.

Today, a few vessels in the Maine schooner fleet , all of which are gaff-rigged, have given up and now fly the ensign from the highest mast, having grown weary of members of the public taking offense at what is indisputably the correct protocol.

So what is the pennant at the top?

This is the "burgee" and it is each yacht club's own, unique symbol or logo. Traditionally, the burgee is a way for sailors to identify boats of their own club when away from home. Only members of a club are permitted to fly its burgee.

Riverton Yacht Club's burgee dates from the club's founding in July of 1865, and tradition holds that the similarities to the US flag reflected the patriotism which ran high in the immediate aftermath of Lincoln's assassination and the end of the Civil War.

Some early photos show RYC's burgee as a swallowtail, rather than a pennant.

What is the flagpole's history?

The RYC flagpole is a historical treasure – and a mystery. The mast and topmast of the RYC flagpole once sailed far as part of the rig of a sailing vessel of considerable size, probably a schooner . So not only does this flagpole represent the mast of a ship, it actually is the mast of a ship! Unfortunately, that tantalizing bit from the golden age of sail is all we know about its history. No one alive today knows when the club obtained the spars, nor from which vessel.

The mast is actually in two parts: the mast and the topmast. Over time, the mast itself (the lower part) has been cut down, undoubtedly for safety. Early 20th Century photos of the club show the mast as much taller and apparently unsupported by stays or shrouds as it would have been on a ship. Considering the force of the wind on this pier during storms, it's remarkable that the original, tall rig survived as long as it did. As it is, the masthead is about 60' above the deck of the pier and the top bends noticeably in strong winds. After being shortened, the proportions are now unlike they would be on a ship, where the spars generally get shorter the higher they are.

The topmast partially overlaps the mast itself, supported on two short timbers called "trestle trees". A heavy square wooden pin rests on these supports, driven through the square mortise hole in the bottom of the topmast.

Townsend Wentz prepares the topmast for lowering, October 2003.

This design was standard on all large sailing ships. It not only allowed a taller mast to be made from smaller logs, it also made a ship at sea more self-reliant. If the rig were damaged, the crew wouldn't need a crane to lower any of the higher spars for repairs or replacement, merely using a block and tackle and a capstan (or a lot of muscle). The first upper spar, as at Riverton, is called the "topmast". Larger square-rigged ships went far beyond that, with higher "topgallant" and "royal" masts not uncommon. The barkentine Gazela , berthed at Penn's Landing, has three spars on her foremast: the mast, the topmast and the topgallant (the latter pronounced something like "t'gallnt"). Gazela's crew generally lowers all the upper spars for the winter. USS Constitution is also similarly laid up for winter, with all the upper spars brought down on deck.

The upper spars could also be lowered as heavy weather approached, to bring the center of gravity of the whole rig lower. This would help keep the ship from rolling dangerously in heavy seas. This exercise was called "housing" the upper masts and an experienced crew could do this quickly, even in bad weather.

This engraving, also from "The Kedge Anchor", shows a frigate with her topmasts housed.

In more recent history, upper masts were also housed to clear bridges – a practice you can still see here today. Delaware's tall ship Kalmar Nyckel , a replica of the first Swedish ship to colonize the area, berths in the Christina River in Wilmington. To reach her wharf, she must pass under the I-495 bridge and her crew lowers her topmasts to clear it.

At Riverton we have lowered the topmast for painting and repair in recent years. Over the winter of 2003-2004 we repaired a considerable split in the topmast which was beginning to rot, gluing in a new "dutchman" of sound Douglas fir to replace the rotted area. National Casein kindly donated the epoxy for this project.

While the history of the mast itself is unknown, the other two parts, the gaff and yard, are more recent – and even quirkier. Both owe their existence to the RYC tradition of making things last and never discarding something which still may be useful. The present gaff is actually a carbon fiber windsurfer mast, installed in 2007 to replace a similarly re-purposed spar, an old boom from a Comet-class sloop, which broke the year before, having served as the club gaff for many years after its retirement from who knows how many racing seasons.

The yardarm appears to be part of a mast from a Lightning-class sailboat of unknown origin. Together, the gaff and yard are smaller than would be found on an actual ship's mast, and are mounted very differently. The weathervane at the top brings a pedigree, having been constructed by long-time member Howard Lippincott. It is soundly made of stainless steel and bronze, and is about three feet long. It is perfectly balanced and pivots on its bearing in the slightest breeze. Howard Lippincott was an honorary life member of RYC (and its oldest member) when he passed away in 2005 at the age of 85, a skilled yacht builder whose Lippincott Boat Works just inside the mouth of the Pompeston Creek turned out champion Stars and Lightnings year after year. He held a number of national and international sailing titles himself.

Roger Prichard fairs in a new piece of wood on the topmast, April 2004

Storm Signals

The expression "storm warnings" is still in common-enough usage today, but who ever sees them in use? At RYC, we try to keep this tradition alive in an informal way.

Before radio, flag signals were one of the common means of warning mariners not to venture out onto the open water when heavy weather was predicted. Flown from coast guard bases, lighthouses, and the like, a variety of shapes and colors were used at different times, indicating not only the expected strength of the wind but also the compass direction from which the storm was approaching.

At Riverton Yacht Club, we have revived the tradition of displaying the appropriate daytime flags, based on the NOAA marine forecast for upper Delaware Bay and local conditions as it seems appropriate. We use the convention once followed by the National Weather Service , which discontinued the use of flags in 1989 but has attempted to reinstate their use from time to time. Ours is only a volunteer effort, so don't assume the lack of a flag means no storm is due!

Flags on sailboats

Riverton is home to recreational craft and our boats are most often seen underway during the weekly races on Wednesday evenings and some Sunday afternoons. It may seem peculiar that none of them are flying flags at all. This is actually in accordance with the rules, which bar all flags while racing (including the national ensign). The reason for this is that racing boats do use a few important signals to communicate special situations, protests, etc. to the race committee and the fewer opportunities for error on the race course the better.

Other than while racing, there are traditional ways of flying flags, though variations abound.

Historically, say for the first 50 years of RYC's existence when all our fleet were gaff-rigged, the same rule about the national ensign was followed on a yacht just as it is on a frigate: it flies from the aftermost gaff. And just like on the club flagpole, the skipper's yacht club burgee flies from the head of the main mast. On a boat with multiple masts, such as a schooner or ketch, the owner's "private signal" flies from the head of a mast other than the main. The private signal was a flag or pennant of a design unique to the owner or family, usually with colors and symbols of personal meaning, a sort of individual logo.

For a full set of drawings of how to fly your many flags in the age when yachting meant polished brass (and a crew who polished it for you when they weren't bringing you sherry and hors d'oeuvres) see the July 1916 issue of the Rudder Magazine.

Even more pomp and ceremony of a by-gone age can be found in the "Yachtsman's Handbook" of 1912 . On page 210 is a delightful array of rules of etiquette from the New York Yacht Club's rulebook, straight from the era of the Titanic. If you ever wondered how to indicate that the crew is at dinner, or felt unsure when it was proper to fire a saluting cannon …

The rules for modern sailboats are far easier to follow. Since few boats have gaffs, the most traditional way of flying the ensign is from the leech of the aftermost sail or from a backstay, at about the same height as the peak of a gaff would have been. More commonly, and thankfully much simpler, the ensign can now fly from a small staff mounted on the rail at the stern of the boat, as it does on a powerboat.

The club burgee flies from the boat's main masthead, or actually from above the masthead on a small flagstaff which goes up with the flag (usually called a " pig-stick ").

An old custom which is still easy to follow is to "dress ship" for festive occasions. This is often seen at traditional craft festivals, when naval vessels are being commissioned, and on holidays. A whole set of signal flags is tied together and run up to the mastheads, giving even the most fearsome warship a rakish giddiness. It's generally the only way the full alphabet (and more) of signal flags is used today, which is reason enough to do it. Some boating suppliers still sell whole sets of signal flags for the purpose.

Flags on Commercial Vessels

While no large vessels still pass Riverton under sail (excepting New Jersey's tall ship the AJ Meerwald on her annual visits to Burlington), the diesel tugs and huge bulk carriers on the river follow today's formal flag rules scrupulously. Here are some of the flags you may see passing us:

Ensign: Tugs generally follow the sailboat tradition of flying the national flag from a small gaff, usually high on the superstructure aft of the stack. This may be partly tradition, but it also has the very practical advantage of keeping the aft deck of the tug clear of obstructions to the towing hawser. Larger freighters inevitably carry their ensigns from a staff on the stern rail (interestingly, the lowest point on the vessel!). Look closely and you'll see flags from all over the world pass us on the river. The fact that many of these vessels have never visited their country of registry just adds a bit of irony to these traditions.

Courtesy Flag: Foreign-flagged vessels will always fly the United States flag from a halyard high up on the starboard side of the superstructure. This is not only a formal courtesy of recognizing they are in US waters, it indicates that the vessel has cleared customs and so is here legally. Foreign sailboats, such as all the Canadian "snowbirds" who transit the lower Delaware and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal each winter, will all be seen flying the US flag from the starboard spreader of the mainmast.

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Flag Etiquette

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The Royal Engineer Yacht Club Which Flags should I fly? Guidance on Flag Etiquette.

Introduction ..

All users of REYC yachts are to fly the correct Ensign and a Club Burgee, and REYC Members should fly the correct flags when sailing on their own and other yachts. Flying flags incorrectly can upset the traditionally minded, and in theory constitutes an offence under Section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Act and is liable to a fine. In practice it is unheard of for yachts in UK waters to be prosecuted for a flag offence, however flying flags incorrectly in foreign countries can not only cause offence but also lead to difficulties either when clearing in or clearing out, or when a yacht is approached by police or other maritime officials.

All REYC yachts should have both a Red and a Blue Ensign on board of the correct size. They should also carry an in-date Blue Ensign Permit.

Size Yachts between 21-27 ft should fly a ¾-yard ensign (680x340mm), those between 27-34 ft a 1-yard ensign (910x450mm), those between 35-42 ft a 1¼-yard ensign (1140x560mm) and those up to 50ft a 1½-yard ensign (1370x680mm).

Position . Ensigns should be flown on an Ensign Staff at the stern of the yacht. Particularly when at sea, yawls and ketches may fly their ensigns at the top of the mizzen mast, but see the note on Burgees below.

Red or Blue? On Club-owned yachts, if there is a Full, Honorary or Associate Member of the REYC on board, the yacht should fly the Blue Ensign. At any other time, even if the skipper is a member of another Blue Ensign Yacht Club, the Red Ensign must be flown.

When Flown:

At Sea . At sea, the ensign is normally flown constantly, though legally it only needs to be flown for the purpose of identification (ie if in sight of another vessel or land).

In Harbour . In harbour, the ensign should be raised at Sunrise (0800 local time or 0900 1 Nov 14 Feb) and lowered at Sunset (or 2100 local time even if the sun is still up). If in a naval port or a naval vessel is nearby, their timings should be followed.

Windy Conditions . In order to save wear and tear, in winds above F7 Club boats should remove their ensigns, burgees and other flags (except when racing).

Racing . When racing, the Ensign should be removed and a Class Flag flown from the 5 minute gun. The Ensign should be re-hoisted having finished or on retirement.

When on-board or nearby their own yachts, Full, Honorary and Associate REYC Members may fly a Blue Ensign provided they have an in-date Ensign Permit, available for a small fee from the Honorary Secretary. The Permit is for the yacht, and does not entitle a Member to fly a Blue Ensign on any other vessel. When used by other than the Owner, an owner's yacht is not entitled to fly the Blue Ensign.

Burgees . The REYC Burgee must always be flown by a Club-owned yacht, either on one of the spreaders or at the masthead (the latter is the most senior position). For Members' own yachts, when flying the Blue Ensign, the Club Burgee must also be flown, and particularly owners of Yawls and Ketches should note that the Burgee should be flown above the Ensign (ie, at the main-masthead if the Ensign is atop the mizzen-mast).

Special Flags . Flag Officers and holders of Special Flags may substitute their flags for the Burgee on the spreaders. Strictly speaking, it is preferable also to fly a Club Burgee at the masthead as well as the flag on the spreaders.

Courtesy Flags . An appropriate courtesy flag should be flown when in a foreign port or when in the vicinity of official vessels whilst in foreign waters. In practice, courtesy flags are normally flown at all times when within the territorial waters of another country. The courtesy flag should be flown in the senior position but not at the masthead, ie on the Starboard Spreader. If the Club Burgee is being flown on the Starboard Spreader, it must be moved to the Port Spreader when a courtesy flag is flown.

Q Flags . Flag Q should be flown when arriving into or from a foreign port that is (presently) outside the EU. Technically a Q Flag should also be flown if arriving in or from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man directly from an EU Country, although this is virtually never done. When clearing into or from a foreign port, the Q Flag ought to be removed as soon as the yacht has been cleared in by Immigration Officials; technically no-one may go ashore until this has been done.

Dressing Overall . When dressing overall, the following is the normal order for stringing the International Code Flags (from Stemhead/Pulpit) Top of Mast(s) Stern/Pushpit). For a sloop:

(Pulpit) E, Q, P3, G, p8, Z, p4, W, p6, P, p1, I, AP, T, Y, B, X, 1st, H, 3rd (Masthead) (Masthead) D, F, 2nd, U, A, O, M, R, p2, J, pO, N, p9, K, p7, V, p5, L, C, S (Stern)

The official days for dressing overall are: Accession Day (6 Feb); Coronation Day (2 Jun); HM The Queen's Birthday (21 Apr); Commonwealth Day (2nd Mon in Mar); HM The Queen's Official Birthday (usually first Sat in Jun); and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh's Birthday (10 Jun). In practice, REYC yachts should dress overall if they are being used on the Queen's Official Birthday and the Duke of Edinburgh's Birthday (he is the Club's Patron), and members are asked to follow suit if on-board their own yachts. When abroad, yachts should follow local customs. Of course an owner or skipper can dress their yacht overall for any good reason.

Saluting . Members should salute warships of any nationality, and by custom the Club Flag Officers (ie any yacht that is flying a REYC Flag Officer's Flag), by dipping their ensign as they pass. When saluting, the ensign should be lowered 2/3 of the way down its staff and not re-hoisted until the vessel being saluted has acknowledged the salute by lowering and raising its ensign.

Unofficial Flags . In Port, House Flags may be flown from anywhere where it is convenient. Whilst it is not customary, when on REYC yachts members of other yacht clubs may wish to fly their own burgee below that of the REYC's. And if a foreign national is crewing on a Club yacht, they may wish to fly a small courtesy flag of their own nation on the port-hand spreader below the Club's Burgee.

Further Reading . More comprehensive guides to Flag Etiquette may be found in the following sources: 1. The RYA Flag Etiquette Book (C1/104 available free on line to RYA members) 2. Naval Flags an Ensigns A note by the Naval Staff Directorate (possibly available on MoDWeb or see: http://luxe-motor-kei.co.uk/documents/NavalFlagsandEnsigns.pdf) 3. Reeds Nautical Almanac

Last updated 12:22 on 2 April 2024

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The club Burgee should be flown by members. A burgee bearing a single white ball is flown by past flag officers other than past commodores. The commodore's FLAG is a swallowtail pennant and the vice and rear commodores' flags have respectively one and two white balls. The rectangular Club Flag is flown by past commodores and by vessels on club business, including the clubhouse and the race office signals mast.

Members should follow the guidance on flag etiquette in the RYA booklet C4 'Flags and Visual Signals".

Any member is entitled to display the club's name or insignia upon any vessel they own, and to fly the club's burgee while present on any vessel they own or charter.

The club's burgee should be flown with the Red Ensign (or the maritime ensign of the vessel's nationality of ownership if different), when the member is present on board or nearby. Except when racing, the burgee should not be left flying without the ensign.

The burgee should be flown at the principal masthead if practicable, or otherwise at the senior (starboard) signal halyard above all other flags, other than a courtesy ensign when abroad.

Members entitled to use other burgees should while in the club's home waters fly the club's burgee above any other.

Upon notification of the death of a club member, unless requested otherwise the clubhouse will fly the ensign at half mast on the day the news is received, at weekend(s) between then and the funeral, and at the time of the funeral if known. Club members may wish to follow suit within the harbour. Flags should not be flown at half mast while under way.

The practice of saluting (dipping the ensign to) flag officers is not expected and such salutes will not normally be returned.

Last updated 11:31 on 4 October 2022

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HONGKONG Senior Member

What'e wrong with these pics? And, on another note, my apologies for disappearing from the "Yacht Trivial Pursuit - Photo Round" your answers are, of course correct COENHARBOR. My lesson learned, never, never let your sons use your computer "just to look at something"

Attached Files:

100_3445.jpg, 100_3448.jpg, 100_3451.jpg, 100_3453.jpg.

Ken Bracewell Senior Member

The top two photos show the US Flag in the position where the club burgee should be flown. There is nothing wrong with the last two pictures so long as the guests aboard are Bahamians. - You know... it's truly amazing how many sport fishermen carry Bahamiams aboard full time in South Florida

Seafarer Senior Member

Ken Bracewell said: The top two photos show the US Flag in the position where the club burgee should be flown. Click to expand...

Seafarer said: US flag etiquette dictates that the US flag is always highest on the same pole or halyard, and if on separate poles, it is flown highest on a taller(the tallest) pole. The club burgee does not go higher than the US flag, nor does another nation's flag when flown simultaneously (another nation's flag gets flown at the same height as the US flag on US soil). From a pure flag etiquette standpoint, when other flags are flown simultaneously in the US, the other flags may be smaller but not larger than the US flag. Click to expand...

YachtForums Administrator

This thread has been moved into the General Discussion Forum. Good topic.

Ken Bracewell said: The position of the U.S. Flag on a mast which also has a gaff is a controversial one. According to long-standing maritime tradition, the gaff is the position of honor on a ship and thus is where the U.S. Flag should be flown. Yachting organizations, following the tradition of the seas, erect land-based, gaff-rigged flagpoles and fly the U.S. Flag at the gaff as well, feeling that the gaff is the position of honor on the pole. The U.S. Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 7(f), which postdates this maritime tradition, states that “when flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennant may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag’s right.” Alternatively, you can visit the US Power Squadron www.usps.org/national/fecom/faq/gaffpole.html Click to expand...

K1W1 Senior Member

Seafarer said: US flag etiquette dictates that the US flag is always highest on the same pole or halyard, and if on separate poles, it is flown highest on a taller(the tallest) pole. Click to expand...

K1W1 said: Hi, Does this apply all over the world? Click to expand...

NYCAP123 Senior Member

Flag Etiquette Most of the boats I captain fly only the American flag, a YC burgee, courtesy flag, quarentine, etc. so please excuse my ignorance. I recentlly began working a US flagged 62' express cruiser (In U.S. waters). She flies the US flag on the port side aft roof forward of the transom, and (2) smaller foreign flags (representing the owner's countries of origin) lower and on the transom plus a YC burgee on the forward jackstaff. Before we start ticking people off can anyone enlighten me to the proper placement for these flags. (The foreign flags are on clamp-on staffs which can be moved to the mast.

Hi, Where is the yacht registered? I don't see any reason why anyone would fly two foreign flags ( assuming they are courtesy flags at the same time) other than poor procedure.

The yacht is U.S. registered. These are not courtesy flags, but rather honoring the owner's home or birth country. To the best of my knowledge there is no proper place for such flags, but is there a permissable place? I've seen such flags flown from the halyards of sailboats and from the outriggers of Sport Fishers. I can't really dictate to an owner of a small craft that he remove such a flag, but there are places where we are certainly going to hear about it. Any suggestions?

Hi, I see you edited your original post before replying to mine. Have a look at Post No 2 by Ken Bracewell and the photo right above it in Post 1. Although you won't have the same outriggers is your setup similar? Also, here is another very informative page from the USPS- No Cap, not the Post Office

"None is so blind as he who will not see". Thanks K1W1. Just rechecked post 1 from Hong Cong and got my answer. Your page from the USPS didn't get through?? I had checked Chapmans, but that just left me confused. I've been running hard for the past 18 days. Mind is frying. Thanks for the 2nd set of eyes.

Hi, Sorry about getting your hopes up and then not giving you the goods http://www.usps.org/f_stuff/etiquett.html

ychtcptn Senior Member

Megayacht flag etiquette- vessel flag country= Aft, centerline on the main flagstaff. Yacht Club= Fwd centerline jackstaff (if the yacht has no yacht club affiliation the house/owners flag is sometimes flown here) Country courtesy flag= Stbd. spreader Owner country of origin= Port spreader Q- Stbd spreader, with out the country courtesy flag. Owners flag= centerline, as high up as possible. Flags flown from 0800 to Sunset.

I learned several new things today. It's a good day. Thanks for supplying some of it.

ychtcptn said: Megayacht flag etiquette- vessel flag country= Aft, centerline on the main flagstaff. Yacht Club= Fwd centerline jackstaff (if the yacht has no yacht club affiliation the house/owners flag is sometimes flown here) Country courtesy flag= Stbd. spreader Owner country of origin= Port spreader Q- Stbd spreader, with out the country courtesy flag. Owners flag= centerline, as high up as possible. Flags flown from 0800 to Sunset. Click to expand...

Fishtigua Senior Member

Flag ettiquette, gotta luv it. In the mid 80's I worked on a US flagged 110' Bennetti but the only non-Brit aboard was gay-Ray, the chef. We used to have to wake him up early on his only day off to put the Sunday flag on the foredeck. Most times he felt very un-patriotic and needed a shave. (Blame skipper Kenny Argent for that) Then sailing up to the Straits of Hormez off Oman the US Fifth Fleet was anchored off the coast when we were passing on a 65m Blomm & Voss yacht. There was a little tension around there at the time so when the deckcrew on the aircraftcarrier saw us, all the radios of the fleet must have squarked as flags were dipped all over the place (just in case, if in doubt - Salute. Sir Yes Sir) We then had to run out on deck to put up our Antiguan ensign just to dip it to the Admiral. He then ran up his flag which meant we had to run up the Royal Standard of our guest. It was the worst hand ever in Maritime Texas Hold'em. Total panic for nothing.

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