Ensign?

john_morris_uk said:
It’s comically abstruse to some of us in the UK too. The red ensign is the flag for UK registered boats. More than that. so long as you’re staying in UK waters your boat doesn’t even havre to be registered.

But instead of putting a red ensign up some people put tea towels or strange flags that aren’t recognised internationally in order to make some petty personal political point. IMHO it’s a silly affectation.

When in Scottish waters, I put a saltire up…. But it is at the st’bd spreader as a mark of respect.

Before anyone points out that our boat often wears an undefaced blue, we also have a red ensign and often put that up instead. Mostly to avoid the inverted snobbery of a few when they see our little boat with an undefaced blue on the stern.
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Code flag M? (Yes I know technically they're a different shade of blue from the Saltire).
 
Chiara’s slave said:
Beware of hornets, but the ensign to avoid is the blue ensign. Assuming he’s not going to be elected to the Squadron. The blue is worn, by warrant, by members of Royal yacht clubs. I can understand an anti monarchist having no truck with that.
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Just to confuse matters, round these parts the Royal Fowey has a defaced red.
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(I'm sure there's other royal reds too).
 
jamie N said:
One should fly the flag of one's nation. In the "UK" it's questionable if that's allowed.
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Within the UK you can fly whatever flag you like - there is no requirement to wear an ensign. The ensign defines the flag of registry of the BOAT, not your nationality or your citizenship.
 
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dgadee said:
No, the continentals like it. Especially when the crew says, "Not English!" That always gets a smile and a positive welcome.
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People are generally positive towards visitors from another country despite their foibles, I find I get the same welcome, it will wear thin if you bore them with politics


Almost forgot. If a red flag troubles him, another remedy for the OP is to register his boat elsewhere.

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Having sailed Baltic with boat registered UK .... at 25ft and flying Red Duster - many people in Sweden / Finland stopped and asked what the sailing was like from UK to there !! They were visibly disappointed when I said I sailed from Latvia across the Baltic.
Later when boat was with Latvian registry and the Lat Flag .... no-one stopped to ask !!

I can say this ... as twice I have rec'd call from Lat Border Guards (I have close friends there) asking me to advise visitor boats to get and fly Lat courtesy flag ... as well as their flag of registry. They knew I knew the boat owners.
They are pretty sensitive about it.
If someone was to fly Saltire as their Flag here instead of the recognised Red Duster - it would not be appreciated. I asked and they also advised that flying the EU flag was not acceptable instead of Flag of respective state.
 
Personally I find flying the Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, or whatever, flag in place of the ensign as disrespectful. If the vessel is registered to the Uk then all the other minor areas are only part of that area. Suggesting that they have some priority does not sit well with me. Like it or not, Scotland is part of the UK & I would like to see it stay as such. To suggest it should be "superior " in some way is wrong. It is a section- but important- part. The correct flag for ALL areas of the UK is the red duster, or its designated alternatives in the form of white or blue & the relevant defaced alternatives as agreed.
Individual flags could be flown from the port crosstrees, in the same way that club burgees are flown.
Edited to read "UK, not British Isles"
 
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Refueler said:
Having sailed Baltic with boat registered UK .... at 25ft and flying Red Duster - many people in Sweden / Finland stopped and asked what the sailing was like from UK to there !! They were visibly disappointed when I said I sailed from Latvia across the Baltic.
Later when boat was with Latvian registry and the Lat Flag .... no-one stopped to ask !!

I can say this ... as twice I have rec'd call from Lat Border Guards (I have close friends there) asking me to advise visitor boats to get and fly Lat courtesy flag ... as well as their flag of registry. They knew I knew the boat owners.
They are pretty sensitive about it.
If someone was to fly Saltire as their Flag here instead of the recognised Red Duster - it would not be appreciated. I asked and they also advised that flying the EU flag was not acceptable instead of Flag of respective state.
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We generally found that Baltic citizens were confused by our red ensign. Most expected us to have the Union flag and we were often asked if we came from Australia, or if more sophisticated, New Zealand. One German official from a coastguard asked shouldn’t my ensign be white?, which pleased me greatly.
 
jamie N said:
Technically, one could view your Union Flag as a defaced 'Saltire'.
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View it how you like. It still represents a UNITED kingdom, Unfortunately some are working to make it a disunited one & do not appreciate the benefits of the whole & how they have enjoyed those benefits in good & bad times.

Although I am not sure that such comments are allowed within forum rules, so will say no more
 
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Refueler said:
Having sailed Baltic with boat registered UK .... at 25ft and flying Red Duster - many people in Sweden / Finland stopped and asked what the sailing was like from UK to there !! They were visibly disappointed when I said I sailed from Latvia across the Baltic.
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Reminds me of Shane Acton telling of people who saw the Red Ensign on his little 18.5' Caprice in the Med and asked with amazement if he had really sailed it all the way from England, and he said yes, but via Panama, Pacific, Australia, Indian Ocean & Red Sea!
 
Daydream believer said:
View it how you like. It still represents a UNITED kingdom, Unfortunately some are working to make it a disunited one & do not appreciate the benefits of the whole & how they have enjoyed those benefits in good & bad times.

Although I am not sure that such comments are allowed within forum rules, so will say no more
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To be fair, few seem to complain about England, Scotland, Wales and NI being tested as separate “nations” for football, rugby, cricket etc.
No other regions seem to get that unique privilege.
 
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