Do you wave?

I nod my head and smile vaguely whilst slowly raising my index finger from the tiller. It works when in my Land Rover as well, no tiller in her obviously.
 
Yes, always wave. Better still, dropped the ensign last weekend to one of HMS finest and they responded too. Instantly !!

Well arn't you the lucky one...

We were sailing back up the river Medway a couple of months ago, and a large naval ship..(havent got a clue what it was!) obviously out of Chatham dock yard, was going down river... I waited until I could clearly see the sailor on the aftdeck, and he was looking directly at us... I lowered my ensign.. Did he lower his???.. Not a chance!!
 
Well arn't you the lucky one...

We were sailing back up the river Medway a couple of months ago, and a large naval ship..(havent got a clue what it was!) obviously out of Chatham dock yard, was going down river... I waited until I could clearly see the sailor on the aftdeck, and he was looking directly at us... I lowered my ensign.. Did he lower his???.. Not a chance!!

No knowledge about this at all, but my guess would be that the Oick on the aft deck would not be allowed to touch that ensign without orders from the bridge - on pain of a charge.:rolleyes:
 
Well arn't you the lucky one...

We were sailing back up the river Medway a couple of months ago, and a large naval ship..(havent got a clue what it was!) obviously out of Chatham dock yard, was going down river... I waited until I could clearly see the sailor on the aftdeck, and he was looking directly at us... I lowered my ensign.. Did he lower his???.. Not a chance!!
I think that you were a bit late with your salute. The sailor on the act deck will only respond to orders from the OOW and he/she would have thought you weren't dipping as you waited too long.

There's a sort of order of precedence - you salute the warship - the warship salutes back. If you wait until you are alongside them, they will just think you are ignoring them... You need to dip your ensign as you are approaching each other. (For a similar reason, you are likely to get ignored if you dip as you sail away from them showing your stern.)

On the same subject, its customary for warship OOW's/Captains to give a hearty wave to another other warship once the saluting/dipping of ensigns/piping has been got over with.
 
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We wave a lot, but always if the other boat has given way when they were the stand on boat but were better placed to let us stand on. Also wave when we are the stand on boat and the other gives way as they should. If we give way, either when stand on or not stand on, and other boat doesn't wave, we call "Don't mention it".
 
By the way, I can't remember anyone with a Blue Ensign NOT waving back.

Doubt it was anything to do with his ensign but last weekend, while bringing my boat up the Clyde for the winter my son waved as we passed a big ketch going downriver and got no response that he could see (the other guy was inside a greenhouse of some sort over the cockpit).

My only thought as we watched his stern disappear downriver, resplendent in blue flag and air of aloofness, was that maybe he took exception to our motoring cone still being up, not within the foretriangle and upside down (well done son!) after we had dropped our sails...

Mind you - he HAD just motored through Dalmuir sewage works outfall - maybe he had been overcome by the aroma - or was watering his tomatos.
 
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My ignorance showing itself again I'm afraid. What does it actually mean to dip the ensign?

Mine is on a solid pole that sticks out of a mount on the rudder. I can't 'lower' it. It's either showing or not.

If you are under way and are passing or being passed by a Ship or Boat of the Royal Navy, that is underway, you pick up your Red Ensign by the pole, hold it up and lower it in an arc and point the top of the staff at the water.

Some rating will then be sent to "salute you" by lowering the Navy Ship's (or Boat's) Ensign. Once the Ensign is lowered and raised again you pick yours up place the staff back into the holder on the stern.

Its all to do with showing respect etc etc, but the Navy have lost a lot of respect and are reduced to allowing football teams to deface their ensign, apparently. However, it does have a serious point - the RN Ship or Boats crew are supposed to be on watch and notice this sort of thing. So do it if being passed or passing and make them earn their tax pounds.

Post posting note: Its the respect of the Government that's gone - our Navy is reduced significantly and still getting the chop.

PS I do wave at any one on the water, even jet skiers.

Here we go...........
 
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Its also one of the traditions that we should strive IMHO to maintain.... forget whether its relevant or not, or has any current benefits.... its part of our heritage.... and its being lost fast enough as it is.... and is also a mark of respect for those willing to serve...

My kids fight to dip the ensign when they get a chance.... so watch out Peter if we see you in Raider.... we'll be checking your crew's alertness.... :)
 
Its also one of the traditions that we should strive IMHO to maintain....

I agree fully and my Son and Daughter do the same. The business of the Navy on the Firth of Clyde has diminished significantly over the last 20 years, noticeably so after the American's Polaris fleet left.

If its true, they should not have given permission to put football names on their Ensign. Its one thing to show crass Patriotism, its another to sanction it.
 
We're not proud

We wave to anyone!

Over the years we have received responding waves from:

Yotties & MoBos
Windsurfers
Jetskis
Waterskiers
Fishing Boats
Police Patrol boats
Customs Patrols (RIBs and cutters)
Harbour Tugs (Harwich)
Harbour Patrols
Pilot Boats (Harwich & Maas)
Lightships (when they were manned)
Gun Platforms (Roughs Tower, aka 'Sealand')
Low-flying Spitfire off Aldeburgh (he WAS that low:cool:)
Low-ish flying Buccaneer off Sizewell (it was actually a wing-waggle)
Anchored merchant ships
Ferries
Cruise ships

The best wave, though, came a few years ago from a slowly-overtaking 5,000 teu container ship near the Sunk LV, after we did a 180 in order to run back and pass under her stern (thereby sacrificing 30 minutes worth of windward progress made into a F6).

As we ran down her starboard side, a door opened in her side, and a chap (Pilot?) leaned out and gave us a wave.
 
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