We just had a very lengthy discussion at the marina this weekend about the "flying of the US Flag on a sailboat". Nothing definitive has come out of it, but I volunteered to put it to the good people on this forum. Basically, there seem to be two schools of thought. One is to put the flag only on the stern (or on a back stay); the second thought is that IF you have a seperate flag halyard, the US Flag flies at the highest available point on the boat - the top of the flag halyard with all others descending below it. Several of us will be interested in any input into this discussion. Thanks.
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Jackstaff, or back of the mainsail
are the two correct positions. The back of the main position is 2/3 of the way up the leech. In fact, we fly ours 1/3 of the way up the backstay as a practical approximation. (I believe that the top of the mainmast is also acceptable, but am not sure) David
are the two correct positions. The back of the main position is 2/3 of the way up the leech. In fact, we fly ours 1/3 of the way up the backstay as a practical approximation. (I believe that the top of the mainmast is also acceptable, but am not sure) David
comprehensive info
check out this link for pretty much everything you might want to know on this subject...... http://www.usps.org/f_stuff/etiquett.html#us-ensign
check out this link for pretty much everything you might want to know on this subject...... http://www.usps.org/f_stuff/etiquett.html#us-ensign
Flag
A flag staff on the stern is the primary spot for the American flag and it's nautical variants. The ONLY other place that is acceptable is, as stated previously, 2/3 up the leech of the main sail. Pennant halyards and top of the mast are incorrect. Those positions are reserved for other purposes. I fly mine about 2/3 up the leech on a separate halyard because the proper size flag flown by the cockpit flaps in my ear. The aft halyard isn't really "correct" but it's the best I'm going to do and at least I'm flying the colors!
A flag staff on the stern is the primary spot for the American flag and it's nautical variants. The ONLY other place that is acceptable is, as stated previously, 2/3 up the leech of the main sail. Pennant halyards and top of the mast are incorrect. Those positions are reserved for other purposes. I fly mine about 2/3 up the leech on a separate halyard because the proper size flag flown by the cockpit flaps in my ear. The aft halyard isn't really "correct" but it's the best I'm going to do and at least I'm flying the colors!
Chapman's once put it--
As I recall from am older copy of Chapman's, the flags for a yacht go like this: 1. Yacht club burgee (swallowtail flag): foremast truck or foredeck flag staff; 2. Owner's flag: maintruck; 3. Owner/master's nationality: mizzentruck; 4. Quarantine or port last cleared: starboard mizzen spreader; 5. Ship's flag (where boat is from): taffrail staff; ... so that the US ensign on an American yacht is always the very aftmost flag and height of its position does not seem to have much to do with it. For a fewer-masted vessel Chapman's actually recommends that you make do-- for example, a ketch could fly the YC flag from the main spreader and a sloop/cutter could do without a few of these. An owner's flag, for example, sometimes seems popular but it's arrogant (and unpatriotic) for it to take the place of the yacht's flag and it should never be flown when the owner/master is not in fact on board. I suppose someone could blow a pipe and have a flag-lowering ceremony when you go in for ice. (I am writing a novel about guys who circumnavigate in a 3-masted junk and so this stuff was sort of appropriate for that, so I looked it up. Imagine taking a pokey little yacht-club flag to various ports round the world!) JC
As I recall from am older copy of Chapman's, the flags for a yacht go like this: 1. Yacht club burgee (swallowtail flag): foremast truck or foredeck flag staff; 2. Owner's flag: maintruck; 3. Owner/master's nationality: mizzentruck; 4. Quarantine or port last cleared: starboard mizzen spreader; 5. Ship's flag (where boat is from): taffrail staff; ... so that the US ensign on an American yacht is always the very aftmost flag and height of its position does not seem to have much to do with it. For a fewer-masted vessel Chapman's actually recommends that you make do-- for example, a ketch could fly the YC flag from the main spreader and a sloop/cutter could do without a few of these. An owner's flag, for example, sometimes seems popular but it's arrogant (and unpatriotic) for it to take the place of the yacht's flag and it should never be flown when the owner/master is not in fact on board. I suppose someone could blow a pipe and have a flag-lowering ceremony when you go in for ice. (I am writing a novel about guys who circumnavigate in a 3-masted junk and so this stuff was sort of appropriate for that, so I looked it up. Imagine taking a pokey little yacht-club flag to various ports round the world!) JC
John has some good information
I was raised (many years ago) on Long Island Sound and my Uncle who taught me how to sail also had a ritual for the identification signals that we had to fly off of his sloop. And it followed what Mr. Cherubini just gave us. I have also tried to find what is "legal" or required by law. And there really isn't much on this area--Congress has tried to make laws on the use of the flag over the years but really has done little for one reason or another. Let's come at this subject from another point of view--that of why fly flags, burgees, etc.. If you have read Pat O'Brians books, you know that ships of the line would actually fly other nations flags of identification to lure the enemy closer. And if I remember correctly, the flew the nation's flag at the stern so it could be seen easily by all, friend and foe alike. And since most of the ships had a gaft rigged aft sail (I don't have my Royce here for the correct term), a tradition was started that appears to continue to this day, that is to fly the national flag three quarters up the stern on our main sail. Why not higher? Tradition. The owner's flag (how many of us have an owners flag?) was supposed to be flown on a pig stick on the main mast when the owner was aboard. That was from a time when all yachts had a paid crew. I have a pig stick but I will not use it as it means another line to the top of the mast on the outside (windage) plus a burgee flying around all the electronic and wind direction equipment that I already have at the top. Here in the Pacific Northwest where we have both Canadian and US (and a French boat visiting) in close harmony, flying a flag is nice to identify where you are from, but as far as I can find out it is not required. (Can any of my Canadian friends confirm whether this holds true for you?) I fly my U.S. Flag from my radar pole--its tall and it gets the flag out of the way of the stern where a lot of other stuff has taken root, BBQ, outboard engine, etc. I can also lower my flag to half mast (September 11th) which I could not do on a stern pole. The starboard spreader has driven me nuts since it has become tradition to fly the club burgee there as well as the Candadian flag when in Canadian waters. But they flap against the diamond shrouds and "ting" me to death as I sit below. Anyone have a solution for this problem? A fun subject--I'm sure it will raise some hackles. Les
I was raised (many years ago) on Long Island Sound and my Uncle who taught me how to sail also had a ritual for the identification signals that we had to fly off of his sloop. And it followed what Mr. Cherubini just gave us. I have also tried to find what is "legal" or required by law. And there really isn't much on this area--Congress has tried to make laws on the use of the flag over the years but really has done little for one reason or another. Let's come at this subject from another point of view--that of why fly flags, burgees, etc.. If you have read Pat O'Brians books, you know that ships of the line would actually fly other nations flags of identification to lure the enemy closer. And if I remember correctly, the flew the nation's flag at the stern so it could be seen easily by all, friend and foe alike. And since most of the ships had a gaft rigged aft sail (I don't have my Royce here for the correct term), a tradition was started that appears to continue to this day, that is to fly the national flag three quarters up the stern on our main sail. Why not higher? Tradition. The owner's flag (how many of us have an owners flag?) was supposed to be flown on a pig stick on the main mast when the owner was aboard. That was from a time when all yachts had a paid crew. I have a pig stick but I will not use it as it means another line to the top of the mast on the outside (windage) plus a burgee flying around all the electronic and wind direction equipment that I already have at the top. Here in the Pacific Northwest where we have both Canadian and US (and a French boat visiting) in close harmony, flying a flag is nice to identify where you are from, but as far as I can find out it is not required. (Can any of my Canadian friends confirm whether this holds true for you?) I fly my U.S. Flag from my radar pole--its tall and it gets the flag out of the way of the stern where a lot of other stuff has taken root, BBQ, outboard engine, etc. I can also lower my flag to half mast (September 11th) which I could not do on a stern pole. The starboard spreader has driven me nuts since it has become tradition to fly the club burgee there as well as the Candadian flag when in Canadian waters. But they flap against the diamond shrouds and "ting" me to death as I sit below. Anyone have a solution for this problem? A fun subject--I'm sure it will raise some hackles. Les
Shooting From the Hip...
This is a good subject and the URL Bill Murray provided to the Power Squadron site has a lot of good material. Shooting from the hip (i.e., not looking anything up - been doing this for many years), the Ensign (national flag, not the fouled anchor and thirteen stars) needs to be flown when the boat is in foreign waters. Whether a US boat needs to fly a flag within US waters I don't know but I've never been accosted by anybody for not doing so. Courtesy Flag: In foreign waters it is required to fly the Quarantine ("Q") flag until cleared by cleared customs/immigration/agriculture inspection at which point the courtesy flag is substituted. We fly the Canadian courtesy flag (in Canada) until we have returned to US waters and we've been cleared by US customs. It may be that one has to fly both the "Q" flag and the Canadian courtesy flag upon entry into US waters until cleared but I've never done this (don't have a Q flag). It could be obvious that a US flagged vessel flying a foreign courtesy flag in US waters hasn't cleared customs (granted pratique). We never fly a courtesy flag after having cleared US customs and we always fly the US flag and courtesy flag when in Canada. Our preference for the US flag is on a staff on the stern, mounted about 30-degrees off the vertical. It's easy to remove at night and deploy in the morning and also looks good and nautical. Flying the flags properly is more than just good etiquette.
This is a good subject and the URL Bill Murray provided to the Power Squadron site has a lot of good material. Shooting from the hip (i.e., not looking anything up - been doing this for many years), the Ensign (national flag, not the fouled anchor and thirteen stars) needs to be flown when the boat is in foreign waters. Whether a US boat needs to fly a flag within US waters I don't know but I've never been accosted by anybody for not doing so. Courtesy Flag: In foreign waters it is required to fly the Quarantine ("Q") flag until cleared by cleared customs/immigration/agriculture inspection at which point the courtesy flag is substituted. We fly the Canadian courtesy flag (in Canada) until we have returned to US waters and we've been cleared by US customs. It may be that one has to fly both the "Q" flag and the Canadian courtesy flag upon entry into US waters until cleared but I've never done this (don't have a Q flag). It could be obvious that a US flagged vessel flying a foreign courtesy flag in US waters hasn't cleared customs (granted pratique). We never fly a courtesy flag after having cleared US customs and we always fly the US flag and courtesy flag when in Canada. Our preference for the US flag is on a staff on the stern, mounted about 30-degrees off the vertical. It's easy to remove at night and deploy in the morning and also looks good and nautical. Flying the flags properly is more than just good etiquette.
Q flag, courtesy flags
I envy our northern-US yachties for getting to greet othernational boats so frequently. It's a ripe learning experience. I recall watching a Canada-flagged 35-footer going down the C-D Canal and realising that such waterways are really international in significance. Too often we east-coasters get spoilt into thinking all the waters belong to us locals. The flag of the port last cleared (therefore the US flag for vessels that have not left here) is supposed to be flown at the aftmost starboard spreader whenever there can be doubt as to where the boat belongs. Coming into a port of entry you replace this with the yellow Q flag which indicates (from days before VHF and cell phones) a request for a visit from the customs & immigration people. You stay out at anchor (as at quarantine, for obvious reasons in olden days) till they clear you both medically and legally. It is STILL an act of the most crucial and profound respect to then replace the Q flag with that country's national flag (hence a 'courtesy flag' --duhhh), best done whilst the inspectors are STILL ON BOARD. They will love you for it. In my opinion (and many others') it's no good for friendly diplomatic relations to keep the Q flag up (or the US flag down) because you have no Mexican or Bahamian flag-- it's like an international insult. If you are going there, get a flag or make one after looking into Encyclopaedia Britannica (see 'flag'). It's not hard to make a flag and a pleasant shipboard sewing project. Or the sailmakers can do one up for you. (And PLEASE observe the correct proportions-- the typical 2:3-ratio flags sold retail are nearly ALL wrong. Canada is 1:2. So is Britain. And the US is 10:19.) The WORST thing is to keep the US flag there the whole time, as though so ethnocentric that you don't even know or respect the custom. To me this is like waddling into a restaurant in Rome and loudly asking, 'What do you have an American can eat?' --seen that. Not pretty. (Pass the marinara.) JC 2
I envy our northern-US yachties for getting to greet othernational boats so frequently. It's a ripe learning experience. I recall watching a Canada-flagged 35-footer going down the C-D Canal and realising that such waterways are really international in significance. Too often we east-coasters get spoilt into thinking all the waters belong to us locals. The flag of the port last cleared (therefore the US flag for vessels that have not left here) is supposed to be flown at the aftmost starboard spreader whenever there can be doubt as to where the boat belongs. Coming into a port of entry you replace this with the yellow Q flag which indicates (from days before VHF and cell phones) a request for a visit from the customs & immigration people. You stay out at anchor (as at quarantine, for obvious reasons in olden days) till they clear you both medically and legally. It is STILL an act of the most crucial and profound respect to then replace the Q flag with that country's national flag (hence a 'courtesy flag' --duhhh), best done whilst the inspectors are STILL ON BOARD. They will love you for it. In my opinion (and many others') it's no good for friendly diplomatic relations to keep the Q flag up (or the US flag down) because you have no Mexican or Bahamian flag-- it's like an international insult. If you are going there, get a flag or make one after looking into Encyclopaedia Britannica (see 'flag'). It's not hard to make a flag and a pleasant shipboard sewing project. Or the sailmakers can do one up for you. (And PLEASE observe the correct proportions-- the typical 2:3-ratio flags sold retail are nearly ALL wrong. Canada is 1:2. So is Britain. And the US is 10:19.) The WORST thing is to keep the US flag there the whole time, as though so ethnocentric that you don't even know or respect the custom. To me this is like waddling into a restaurant in Rome and loudly asking, 'What do you have an American can eat?' --seen that. Not pretty. (Pass the marinara.) JC 2
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