Burgee and House Flags

[Close hauled]

Am I right on this?

A burgee ( triangular shape) is flown at the mast head on a sloop and a house flag ( rectangular) from the port cross trees.

 

[ChrisE]

Yep

 

[VicS]

Nope.

According to the RYA booklet, C4, a house flag should be flown from the starboard upper crosstrees

 

[Guest]

Ignorant question of the week: what is a house flag? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Something to do with boys' public schools?

 

[ChrisE]

Shows you my knowledge of flag ettiquette, I got the bit about pennants right tho.!

 

[BrendanS]

A house flag show the allegiance of the ship - presumably dates back to when you flew the house flag to show your house (property), or elsewhere to show your presence

These days it primarily means the flags of commercial shipping lines, so for instance Mersk ships would fly the Mersk house flag. I believe that anyone can design and fly a house flag

 

[bruce]

and the 'Q' flag flies where?

 

[ChrisE]

At the risk of cocking it up again, starboard crosstree. Come to think of it we fly everything from there, we don't have string on the port crosstree.

 

[BrendanS]

You fly the Q flag where you'd normally fly the courtesy flag (you replace the Q flag with the country's courtesy flag once cleared), so starboard spreader on a yacht, or bow mast on a mastless powerboat etc

 

[Close hauled]

I'm confused. You fly Q and courtesy from stbd so does the house flag go above them or below?

 

[VicS]

Re: Flag positions on sailing vessels

From the RYA booklet

ENSIGN .... From a staff at the stern. Ketch or Yawl: staff at mizzen mast head if it cannot be worn at the stern. Gaff rig: peak of the sail on the aftermost mast if it cannot be worn at the stern.

COUTESY ENSIGN .... Starboard crosstrees superior to all except Ensign.

CLUB BURGEE .... On staff at mainmast head.

FLAG OFFICER'S FLAG .... In place of Club Burgee.

"Q" FLAG .... Below courtesy Ensign if only one halliard. Otherwise on PORT halliard.

HOUSE FLAG .... Not to be worn at sea. If worn with courtesy Ensign & "Q" it should be inferior to both.

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Flag positions on sailing vessels

Though traditionally the House Flag was worn at top of mast

 

[VicS]

Re: Flag positions on sailing vessels

A little confusing here but in the main part of the book it says:

"In single-masted yachts the house flag should be flown from the starboard yard-arm or, if there is no yard arm, from the starboard upper crosstrees or similar position.
In schooners or yachts with more than two masts it should be flown from the fore masthead.
In yawls or ketches it may be flown from the mizzen mast head or from the yard-arm or crosstrees of the mainmast."

Incidentally the RYA flag would be a House flag

 

[Sybarite]

Re: Flag positions on sailing vessels

I am surprised. I had always thought that you never fly anything above or below the courtesy ensign. All other things (I thought) were for the port cross trees.

I live and learn.

John

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Flag positions on sailing vessels

Well, you always fly the ensign above the courtesy flag for a start

However, 'Above' doesn't refer to height. It refers to the relative superiority of the position. An ensign on the stern is 'above' all others, and a courtesy flag on stbd spreader is 'above' a house flag on the top of the mast

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Flag positions on sailing vessels

OK, maybe I should have said historically. Historically, house flags were worn at the top of the mast. Modern practice is a little different