Courtesy Flags

[T J Furstenau]

Two questions -

• How prevalent is your use of courtesy flags when sailing? We're headed to the Caribbean next summer and I was looking to be prepared and get a "Q" flag, as well as flags for the islands/countries we plan to stop in. But, as the name says, they're "courtesy flags" and not TECHNICALLY required. Are there islands/countries where you've found that you were treated differently (better/worse) if you did/didn't display the flags?
• Related - technically the Turks and Caicos courtesy flag SHOULD be the red ensign, but all that I've been able to find on line are the blue ensign. For those that have stopped in Turks and Caicos - did you fly a courtesy flag, and if so, which one? I figure that the blue is better than nothing, but I also like to do things "right" if I can.

Thanks!!

T J

 

[dlochner]

Yes, you should fly a courtesy flag from the starboard spreader above any other flags.

The Q flag indicates that you have entered a country's waters and intend to visit the country. Once you have cleared Customs and Immigration, the Q flag comes down and the courtesy flag is raised. While visiting the country you are expected to have your national ensign/flag displayed. Failure to do so invites the authorities to inspect your boat and your clearance into the country. When you are a guest in a foreign country, it is best to follow custom and custom is flying a courtesy flag, not flying one would draw attention, attention you probably don't want.

So, the answer to your first question, is yes, get the courtesy flags. The No Foreign Land website has PDF files of all or almost all of the courtesy flags for the world. They can be downloaded and a screen printing shop can print the flags for less money than purchasing them individually.