Ensign etiquette

[Litotes]

My own personal view is that Blue Ensign's are outdated

My own personal view is that the abuse of the innocent apostrophe should be outlawed

 

[Haven't-a-Clue]

Having read the entire thread (whew, pass me the aspirin!), am I right to assume that if I fly a red off the back of the old tub when I'm sailing, I'll be OK?

 

[Lakesailor]

Having read the whole thread, I'm going off to top myself.

 

[Litotes]

Having read the entire thread (whew, pass me the aspirin!), am I right to assume that if I fly a red off the back of the old tub when I'm sailing, I'll be OK?

Certainly not. You will be scorned and rejected as a peasant by all the wearers of blue ensigns that surround you. You might even encounter a white from the Royal Yacht Squadron, who will insist on sleeping with your daughter (droits de seigneur, don't ye know?)

I would stay off the water if I were you. It's a jungle out there!

 

[Sultans_Kapitein]

Having read the entire thread (whew, pass me the aspirin!), am I right to assume that if I fly a red off the back of the old tub when I'm sailing, I'll be OK?

Unless there is an R in the month

Mal

 

[Danny Jo]

I would say to you give it up, like so many are doing now.

The notion that flying a defaced ensign marks me out as an incompetent toff is not one that bothers me a lot. Why be ashamed of wearing a cap that fits? But I take issue with the view that "Blue Ensigns . . . serve no purpose but to draw sailors apart" because where I sail it serves purpose firstly as a conversational icebreaker with fishermen, other yachties and sundry riff-raff loitering on harbour walls, and secondly as colour-coordinated reminder of wind strength and direction in Freestyle's scrap book:

Maybe I should get a red duster to match the sunset shots, but have you seen the price of red ensigns lately?

My own personal view is that Blue Ensign's are outdated , serve no purpose but to draw sailor's apart.

My own personal view is that the abuse of the innocent apostrophe should be outlawed

And the splice comma, too?

 

[Litotes]

And the splice comma, too?

Yes! Yes!

You, sir, are a gentleman after my own heart. You have also posted some lovely photographs.

I looks towards you, sir!

 

[Haven't-a-Clue]

Unless there is an R in the month

Mal

Well bu@@er me, the season gets shorter every year, doesn't it? I'd better get out there, I suppose.......................or I could just not fly an ensign....

I'll get me jacket (and helmet!)

 

[Litotes]

Well bu@@er me

Those blue ensign types will do that soon as look at you. They can't bear the sight of a fine, manly, red-blooded red, y'know.

You could always try some blue dye on your red, of course. Or is it one of those dreadful, new, synthetic ones that won't take the dye? Only proper bunting is acceptable. You do realise that, don't you? Purple simply WON'T DO!

Or else, go without entirely. Just hide that shameful red in the bilges and only take it out when you go foreign. That's what I do. That way, the ghastly blues and lustful, lofty whites are thwarted in their hideous ambition to look down upon me. They just have to go and find someone else upon whom to demonstrate their ineffable superiority.

 

[ash12]

I have a permit to to fly an undefaced Blue Ensign on our boat. A very good sailing friend of mine is also eligible, and in a recent discussion we both agreed that we would probably stop flying the blue because it seems to bring down a pile of bigotted views about us and our boat handling/seamanship/birth/parentage, regardless of what we actually do on the water.

No idea why this is - but having been proud to wear the blue for many years, it looks as though from now on I will carry on flying a burgee that those in the know will recognise, and a red ensign in the hope that people will be more friendly...

nobody is supposed to fly an undefaced blue ensign they all have to be defaced.

 

[Koeketiene]

nobody is supposed to fly an undefaced blue ensign they all have to be defaced.

Ahem...

Yacht clubs allowed to use the undefaced blue ensign are:

Royal Albert Yacht Club
Royal Anglesey Yacht Club
Royal Brighton Yacht Club, Australia
Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club
Royal Cruising Yacht Club
Royal Dorset Yacht Club
Royal Engineer Yacht Club
Royal Geelong Yacht Club, Australia
Royal Gourock Yacht Club
Royal Highland Yacht Club
Royal Marines Sailing Club
Royal Melbourne Yacht Club, Australia
Royal Motor Yacht Club
Royal Naval Sailing Association
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Yacht Club
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Rooms, New Zealand
Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club
Royal Perth Yacht Club of Western Australia, Australia
Royal Port Nicholas Yacht Club, New Zealand
Royal Queensland Yacht Club, Australia
Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club
Royal Solent Yacht Club
Royal South Australia Yacht Club, Australia
Royal Southern Yacht Club
Sussex Motor Yacht Club
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, Australia
Royal Temple Yacht Club
Royal Thames Yacht Club
Royal Western Yacht Club of England
Royal Western Yacht Club of Scotland
Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, Australia
Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Australia

Source: The Navy List (2006) (p. 287)

 

[David_Jersey]

If you join The Pirate Squadron! you are entitled to fly any version of the Squadron’s Ensign that you choose to (as long as it looks Piratey ) – under a WARRANT OFFICIALLY AUTHORISED by the ghost of Blackbeard the Pirate (the Honorary Life President of THE PIRATE SQUADRON!)

Blue Ensign? Pah!

 

[Danny Jo]

nobody is supposed to fly an undefaced blue ensign they all have to be defaced.

Sorry, but that is wrong.

Edit: shucks, beaten to it, see Guapa's list above. For those interested, it was copied from http://www.fotw.net/flags/gb-blenr.html#yacht

 

[ash12]

i have been proven wrong then! i thought they all had to be defaced! oh well

 

[Ubergeekian]

I find it quite sad and a reflection on todays society that very few seem to respect our past traditions and the foundations on which these traditions were built. I am not talking specifically on the Ensign etiquette issue.
It seems that most of us these days think it right that we should choose which rules we wish to follow, forgetting that these rules/ guidelines were designed to provide a "uniformity" of behaviours on the water, which ultimately enhanced safe passage.

Could you give a few examples, please, of traditions or rules which are not followed enough with a consequent loss of safety?

 

[HoratioHB]

Could you give a few examples, please, of traditions or rules which are not followed enough with a consequent loss of safety?

Er - how about the Colregs for starters!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit - Oops your right, from what I've seen hear and round the world, many yotties and moboers clearly see these as optional as well

 

[Koeketiene]

Er - how about the Colregs for starters!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ensigns AND Collregs in the same thread - a winning combination.

All we need now: anchors

 

[Vara]

I have two pairs of sailing trousers, one red (well more pinkish, but that opens another can of worms) one blue, I fly the ensign that matches whichever pair I am wearing, style is so much more important than etiquette don't you think?

 

[Iota]

Ensigns AND Collregs in the same thread - a winning combination.

All we need now: anchors

Have you noticed that boats with CQR's are always badly handled

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

Does it really matter what colour ensign someone fly's?

It matters whether he in entitled to fly the ensign concerned. Otherwise its the equivalent or wearing a regimental tie that your not entitled to wear or claiming letters after your name that you arent entitled to have. No doubt there are people on the forum who wont see anything wrong with that either