Dressing Overall

krimar

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Can anyone help by listing the sequence of flags from the bow for dressing a ketch/sloop overall? The only reference found so far is to USA practice which I believe differs from ours in the UK.

If you have insufficient flags, or short lines between, to reach from bow to stern over both masts, is it acceptable practice to fly to main and to mizzen without joining main to mizzen?

Can flags fly to main top only on a ketch?

Should flags really reach sea level at bow & stern?
 
G

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There is no sequence, as long as you do not construct a plain language message by the combination.
Nonsense sequence will be read as someone dressing up ....

If the flags are not enough to go deck to top to deck .... add line between flags, or add line to each end of the hoist to have the flags highest.

Another way is to dress from bow to mast head only and NOT run down again ...... I used to do that for birthdays, using actually a plain message in the hoist ---- name and 21 etc....
 

peterb

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The order given in Reed's was:

E Q p3 G p8 Z p4 W p6 P p1 I CODE T Y B X 1st H 3rd D F 2nd U A O M R p2 J p0 N p9 K p7 V p5 L C S

The reason given for a particular order was to ensure variety of shape and colour.

As a tip, though, don't rely on joining the flags by their own strings, loops, toggles, clips, etc. Secure the flags to a line and then use a halyard to take the line up to the masthead. Better than having the line break in the middle and then finding that you can't get the halyard down!
 

krimar

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Many thanks for response & advice to peterb. Just goes to show that things do not always get better: the current Macmillan Reeds does not contain much data on flag etiquette-but then who cares for tradition any more.


The sequence is indeed quite different to that recommended for USA ships & yachts.
 

peterb

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Macmillan Reed\'s

Way back (I believe in 1984) Macmillans decided to split their almanac into two parts: one containing primarily information (such as tides) that changed year-by-year, and the other containing more permanent information. In that year both parts were sold as a package; since then the Almanac and the "Yachtsman's Handbook" have been sold separately.

In 1993 Reed's decided to go the same way. Unfortunately they also decided to put chartlets into their almanac, and were said to have copied the chartlets from Macmillan's. As a result they had to withdraw the entire printing, and the cost broke them. But that didn't happen until after the Southampton Boat Show, where I bought my copies.

So the order I gave you came not from Reed's Almanac, but from Reed's Nautical Companion, now no longer published. And in defence of Macmillan, exactly the same sequence is given in their Yachtsman's Handbook (which, incidentally, is an extremely useful reference book, and one which I reckon should be on every yachtsman's bookshelf).
 

snowleopard

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Another reason

Apart from preventing rude messages, tjhe order is intended to prevent flags which are similar to national flags being close together and thus appearing to put one country above another. In the days of prize money, a captured ship showed its new owners flag above that of the losers and a similar arrangement today is considered a gross insult!

For example M (scotland), T (France), H (Poland)
 
G

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Dressing UP

your right that there is no strict rule (unless you're a member of the squadron) to the order of dressing overall most people even if they have a full set of Code flags have some missing and or some extras! And it seems a pity to leave any out
But what is the etiquette for courtesy Ensigns when I dress Symbol up a I String my courtesy Ensigns up athwartships to give a 3 D effect. Again that I try and mix and match colours but have always been afraid of upsetting someone especially when I do it abroad or at home an ambassador or visiting warship .

Peter
 
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