Flag étiquette or rules on a US documented vessel
- Thread starter NiceBeny
- Start date
Another perfect use of a Google search. Then you get to do your own homework & research, instead of us doing all the work for ya! 
OK, I'll violate my own rules and answer. Got this just the other day from Active Captain:
>>> The Flag Advisor - 1 >>>
Nearly every cruising boat on the water flies one or more flags. But get
into a discussion about flag etiquette and rules, and no one can seem to
agree on the full set of what's right and what's wrong.
So we'll take it on over the summer. We'll research the generally
accepted practices and bring a couple of topics into the discussion.
Note that we're going to present the findings for recreational boats.
Military, government, or special use boats might well have different
sets of rules and accepted practices.
For this first part, we'll discuss the rules surrounding national and
courtesy flags, and flag sizes.
Courtesy and national flags
Rule 1. There are no real rules. There are customs and some flag
etiquette rules that have been adapted for boats. However, when visiting
another country, make sure there are no laws about flying courtesy flags
because boaters have been known to receive fines. It is often an insult
to fly a courtesy flag of another country incorrectly.
2. A vessel's national flag is flown from the stern.
3. If not prohibited, you can fly another location flag (state, province,
territory) at the main masthead in place of any private, yacht club, or
officer's flag. On a mastless boat, a state flag flies from either the bow
or radio antenna.
4. Only the national flag should be at the stern. It is considered a
place of honor for the vessel's national flag. Never put any other flag
there.
5. Do not fly a courtesy flag (a small flag of the country you're
visiting) until your vessel has been properly cleared by customs and
immigration. Until clearance is complete, fly the yellow Q (quarantine)
flag.
6. On a powerboat without a mast, the courtesy flag replaces any flag
that is normally flown at the bow.
7. On a powerboat with a mast and spreaders, the courtesy flag is flown
at the starboard spreader. On a powerboat with two-masts, the courtesy
flag is flown from the starboard spreader of the forward mast.
8. On a sailboat, the courtesy flag is flown at the starboard spreader.
On sailboats with more than one mast, the courtesy flag is flown from
the starboard spreader of the forward mast.
9. Don't fly a foreign courtesy flag after you return to your home
country.
Flag sizing
These are not well agreed upon. Chapman's suggests the following:
1. The national flag at the stern of your boat should be one inch long
for every foot of overall vessel length rounded up to a normally
available size.
2. Other flags (club burgees, private signals, courtesy flags) should
be one-half inch long for every foot of overall vessel length.
Another competing sizing suggests:
1. Boats up to 50 feet in length should use a 16 x 24 inch national
flag and 12 x 18 inch courtesy flags.
2. For every 25 additional feet in length, increase the size by one
standard size.
Flags give your boat some identity and even add some beauty. We'll
continue with some of the other accepted rules in future segments.
>>> The Flag Advisor - 1 >>>
Nearly every cruising boat on the water flies one or more flags. But get
into a discussion about flag etiquette and rules, and no one can seem to
agree on the full set of what's right and what's wrong.
So we'll take it on over the summer. We'll research the generally
accepted practices and bring a couple of topics into the discussion.
Note that we're going to present the findings for recreational boats.
Military, government, or special use boats might well have different
sets of rules and accepted practices.
For this first part, we'll discuss the rules surrounding national and
courtesy flags, and flag sizes.
Courtesy and national flags
Rule 1. There are no real rules. There are customs and some flag
etiquette rules that have been adapted for boats. However, when visiting
another country, make sure there are no laws about flying courtesy flags
because boaters have been known to receive fines. It is often an insult
to fly a courtesy flag of another country incorrectly.
2. A vessel's national flag is flown from the stern.
3. If not prohibited, you can fly another location flag (state, province,
territory) at the main masthead in place of any private, yacht club, or
officer's flag. On a mastless boat, a state flag flies from either the bow
or radio antenna.
4. Only the national flag should be at the stern. It is considered a
place of honor for the vessel's national flag. Never put any other flag
there.
5. Do not fly a courtesy flag (a small flag of the country you're
visiting) until your vessel has been properly cleared by customs and
immigration. Until clearance is complete, fly the yellow Q (quarantine)
flag.
6. On a powerboat without a mast, the courtesy flag replaces any flag
that is normally flown at the bow.
7. On a powerboat with a mast and spreaders, the courtesy flag is flown
at the starboard spreader. On a powerboat with two-masts, the courtesy
flag is flown from the starboard spreader of the forward mast.
8. On a sailboat, the courtesy flag is flown at the starboard spreader.
On sailboats with more than one mast, the courtesy flag is flown from
the starboard spreader of the forward mast.
9. Don't fly a foreign courtesy flag after you return to your home
country.
Flag sizing
These are not well agreed upon. Chapman's suggests the following:
1. The national flag at the stern of your boat should be one inch long
for every foot of overall vessel length rounded up to a normally
available size.
2. Other flags (club burgees, private signals, courtesy flags) should
be one-half inch long for every foot of overall vessel length.
Another competing sizing suggests:
1. Boats up to 50 feet in length should use a 16 x 24 inch national
flag and 12 x 18 inch courtesy flags.
2. For every 25 additional feet in length, increase the size by one
standard size.
Flags give your boat some identity and even add some beauty. We'll
continue with some of the other accepted rules in future segments.
Slight disagreement;
The US flag or the US yacht ensign is to be flown on the stern, on centerline. If not practical, then on stbd of CL as close to center as practical. Also, when in another country only the US flag, not ensign, is to be flown.
Club bergee, owner flag my be flown from stbd spreader.
The US flag or the US yacht ensign is to be flown on the stern, on centerline. If not practical, then on stbd of CL as close to center as practical. Also, when in another country only the US flag, not ensign, is to be flown.
Club bergee, owner flag my be flown from stbd spreader.
taken from boat flag etiquette
Boats today fly the ensign from the stern, which provides the best visibility, but it can also be flown from the leech of the most aftersail. When flown from the stern, it should be on a staff (pole) that is sufficiently long and angled, and that is offset to one side (traditionally the starboard side), so the flag flies clear of engine exhaust and rigging.
Boats today fly the ensign from the stern, which provides the best visibility, but it can also be flown from the leech of the most aftersail. When flown from the stern, it should be on a staff (pole) that is sufficiently long and angled, and that is offset to one side (traditionally the starboard side), so the flag flies clear of engine exhaust and rigging.
Interesting questions. Most threads are about how to fly the flag. But the original question here is if the US flag needs to be flown on documented boats while in the US.
When you visit foreign water, your boat should display a courtesy flag (the civil ensign of the country you are visiting) whenever your U.S. national ensign (the USPS ensign or the yacht ensign should not be displayed in foreign waters) is displayed. (The USPS ensign and U.S. yacht ensign should not be worn in foreign waters)
If your vessel is mastless, it should wear this "courtesy flag" at the bow, in lieu of a squadron or club burgee, or on a starboard antenna strong enough to support it. It your vessel has one or more masts, display it single-hoisted at the outboard signal halyard of the main starboard spreader. Move any flag normally flown there to the inboard starboard halyard or, if your boat has only one halyard per side, to the port spreader halyard.
The customs observed in various foreign waters differ from one another. Try to learn the correct procedure for the country you are entering. For example, is some countries it is customary to fly the courtesy flag only after the quarantine flag (the yellow 'Q' flag) and the vessel has been granted pratique by the appropriate authorities.
Do not fly a foreign courtesy flag after you have returned to U.S. waters. It is not to be used as a badge of accomplishment for having cruised to another country.
If your vessel is mastless, it should wear this "courtesy flag" at the bow, in lieu of a squadron or club burgee, or on a starboard antenna strong enough to support it. It your vessel has one or more masts, display it single-hoisted at the outboard signal halyard of the main starboard spreader. Move any flag normally flown there to the inboard starboard halyard or, if your boat has only one halyard per side, to the port spreader halyard.
The customs observed in various foreign waters differ from one another. Try to learn the correct procedure for the country you are entering. For example, is some countries it is customary to fly the courtesy flag only after the quarantine flag (the yellow 'Q' flag) and the vessel has been granted pratique by the appropriate authorities.
Do not fly a foreign courtesy flag after you have returned to U.S. waters. It is not to be used as a badge of accomplishment for having cruised to another country.
Woodster,
Sorry to disagree - you made me google -- but, per USPS and Chapman's --only offset if required. OK, but not first/preferred position. (I originally checked/confirmed this when I purchased my Beneteau - the welded to stern rail flag mast socket is on the port side)
http://www.usps.org/f_stuff/etiquett.html
http://www.annin.com/commercial/marine_flag_etiquette.asp
A related bit of info in the links is relative to flying multiple YC burgees.
Sorry to disagree - you made me google -- but, per USPS and Chapman's --only offset if required. OK, but not first/preferred position. (I originally checked/confirmed this when I purchased my Beneteau - the welded to stern rail flag mast socket is on the port side)
http://www.usps.org/f_stuff/etiquett.html
http://www.annin.com/commercial/marine_flag_etiquette.asp
A related bit of info in the links is relative to flying multiple YC burgees.
that is a french built boat you know
i didn't write that stuff i copied and pasted it......this has been an ongoing discussion for a long time on here and to the best of my knowledge there is still no ironclad rule as of yet
they also say to keep it out of the exhaust smoke
Again, USCG, CG Aux, Chapman, NYYC, etc together developed the updated code I referenced. Not iron clad, but a combined effort to standardize. Don't know your source but "preferred" is CL not stbd side. Outboard or exhaust makes it inappropriate THEN offset to stbd.
My exhaust is not on CL, actually on stbd side of boat, not on stern. But my flag is to stbd, because I have an open center boarding platform.
My exhaust is not on CL, actually on stbd side of boat, not on stern. But my flag is to stbd, because I have an open center boarding platform.
exactly my point ...i have a center boarding ladder and my flag is to the starboard also ....i really don't care where one flies the flag as long as they fly it with pride
AGREE -- with PRIDE is number 1. However, I cringe, miss the pride, when I see a flag hanging with stars to wrong side or on a platform in stand with another on wrong side or positioned higher and I'm sure you can visualize a few situations that bother you. This is w/o mentioning some very disrespectable options I have seen afloat. Would like to see all boaters flying with pride iaw the updated code.
No argument - not rules with penalties. Even the US Code uses the word should in most paragraphs and states the following.
"The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States."
The Flag Code established by USPS and USSCG does the same, it formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag.
"The following codification of existing rules and customs pertaining to the display and use of the flag of the United States of America is established for the use of such civilians or civilian groups or organizations as may not be required to conform with regulations promulgated by one or more executive departments of the Government of the United States."
The Flag Code established by USPS and USSCG does the same, it formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag.