Azores Courtesy Flag - Alarming!

[snowleopard]

You cant even imagine mooring to a fishing boat in this country let alone them giving you free fish!

I had a very pleasant experience in Mevagissey last year when a fishing boat went to considerable trouble to move his boat to make room for me while the visitor's berth was full. I'll grant however that it isn't the norm.

 

[VO5]

Be aware that up to 70% of the population of some of the Portuguese islands work for the government and are ultimately funded from Brussels. That makes for a lot of civil servants looking to justify their existence. A small number of those, just as in any other bureaucracy, including our own, will be over-zealous and throw their weight around. I recall a case on the Algarve where a yacht was fined for using an EU flag with national flag in the upper canton instead of the official national ensign.

So no, it's not official policy but you may find some awkward s*d who wants to fine you. Are you going to be able to argue your way out of it in Portuguese?

Some officials are very self-important about courtesy flags, like the French official considered it an insult to France when a yottie pulled down the courtesy flag to remove the Q flag before re-hoising.

"Exactically!"

To quote the caterpillar siiting on a mushroom and his reply to Alice..

You have hit the nail on the head, Snowleopard.

 

[GrahamM376]

I believe there is (or used to be) a “legal” reason for flying a courtesy flag, it is something along the lines of your vessel visiting another country and flying the flag as a courtesy however the ensign shows the country of registration for the vessel and it sails under the laws and rules of that home country. You can therefore not be charged with not complying with another countries laws and rules, for example, what safety equipment is carried onboard.

Hope the above makes sense, I’m sure someone will be along to quote chapter and verse….

Wrong, there's a big difference between transiting waters and stopping off there and coast hopping (or being based there) .

After an argument with the Policia Maritima in Portugal - my view being that as we are UK registered, we don't actually need (in law) flares, life jackets, guard wires etc. their view - that once in their waters, we have to comply with their regs. I checked with the RYA and they, the police, are correct.

Once you are in their waters, you can't get away by saying UK regs. rule. Fines for non-compliance eg. no life jackets in dinghy can be very hefty if they feel inclined. Remember, Portugal is a country where you have to pay for a license to snorkel, scuba or fish - if you get caught.

 

[Conachair]

I am only reporting what I was told, incidentally, without prompting.

To carry on the trend you've started, i was on an internet forum where every single sailor who had been to the Azores had no problems, and been welcomed wrmly to the Islands by the locals.

Imagine that

I've been there twice on the boat to nearly all of the islands and haven't heard of any problems or experienced any. And yachties do like to have a moan, something like getting fined for not having a courtesy flag would go around like wildfire.

So go and don't worry, enjoy some lovely sailing and warm friendly people.

 

[VO5]

To carry on the trend you've started, i was on an internet forum where every single sailor who had been to the Azores had no problems, and been welcomed wrmly to the Islands by the locals.

Imagine that

I've been there twice on the boat to nearly all of the islands and haven't heard of any problems or experienced any. And yachties do like to have a moan, something like getting fined for not having a courtesy flag would go around like wildfire.

So go and don't worry, enjoy some lovely sailing and warm friendly people.

I wholly agree.

But in Horta there are harbour officials who do not understand English very well. If you speak in Spanish to them which is easier for them to understand it gets their hackles up, so don't try that. Remain the monolinguistic Brit.

 

[Bellamica]

Azores

Visited Azores, left a picture on the wall at Horta, all officials were polite and formalities were kept to a minimum. Stop fretting about these things, just go and you will find wonders.