ensign

[BobGiles]

ok one and all.
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
i have heard tell that you are alowed to fly a blue ensign if you are ex forces....does anyone know if this is true.

 

[john_morris_uk]

The simple answer is no its not.

A Blue Ensign is a privilege ensign that you can wear if you are a member of one of the Yacht Clubs that is entitled. In addition to being a member of the club, you need a 'permit' from the club which you must keep on board. The boat must be a minimum of 7 metres length and registered under part 1 or 2 of the merchant shipping act 1995, and at least 2 tonnes gross tonnage. You need to be on board or close by when wearing the ensign.

Yacht clubs whose members wear Blue Ensigns include Royal Naval Sailing Association, Royal Western, Royal Corinthian, Royal Thames etc. RAF Yacht club members wear a Defaced Blue Ensign as do quite a few others. There is a definitive list in the almanac and admiralty list of signals somewhere I think...

So the answer is that if you join the appropriate Service Sailing Association as an ex serving member, you can apply for a permit and wear a blue or defaced bluie ensign. Just being ex-service doesn't qualify you.

Mind you I'm thinking about going back to a Red one from the amount of flack Blue Ensigns seem to encourage.

 

[cozy]

I had a glittering naval career of 9 days in the 1980s. Does this include me?

 

[Lizzie_B]

Yes. If you join RNSA as 'retired' member.

 

[Stemar]

The various military sailing clubs have defaced blues. As an ex, you could probably join. That would also give the right to an RNSA mooring. It's a cheap pontoon mooring - if you live long enough!

 

[john_morris_uk]

RNSA is undefaced!

 

[MBII]

There does seem to be some provision for the flying of a Blue Ensign on page 300 of the Navy List 2004. Else where there is a list of yacht clubs whose members are able to wear "Special Ensigns".

Hope this is of use.

James

 

[BobGiles]

thanks for the post john...
i assume that you are entitled to wear one. i found one in ramsgate a little while ago and the guy said he too got a lot of flak........i think you should wear it with the same pride as you served your country and point it out to those who give the flak.

cheers....bob

 

[Fill]

Thanks for that, do you (or does anyone else) know how these clubs etc came to have the authority to allow their members to wear the blue? In other words what started it all?

 

[john_morris_uk]

Bob,

Thank you for your kind words, and yes I am entitled to wear the undefaced Blue - but I am still serving and haven't collected my pension quite yet - in fact when I do at age 55 SWMBO and I have promised that we will be off to Blue Waters so when I disappear from the forum, I'm either at sea or have changed jobs. Actually I have a new appointment in September and I am not sure if I'll have time to do as much foruming in the new job...

Regards


John

 

[Piddy]

Connected to the discussion about ensigns, why does the Victory cutter that was trolling around IFOS and the fleet review allow her ensign to droop in the water? It would seem poor etiquette to me to leave it dragging in the water.

I have lovely picture of Nelson passing over my boat in IFOS but can't see where to put pictures - anyone available to tell me how?

Cheers

 

[Marmalade]

Out of interest - what flack do you get for wearing the blue? I've not had any problems...

 

[Vara]

Pics

Click on ships woofy bit in signature.

 

[Vara]

The only place a chap seems to get flak over the blue is on the forums,I personally have never had any on the water.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Actually I agree - people are either too polite face to face - or use the relative anonymity of these forums to 'diss' (in the language of our teenage children) people who wear the Blue. The comments are usually on these forums, but it makes me wonder if they are saying such things privately.

The only incident face to face that sticks in my mind was once when I had someone come and offer to take my lines (in Audierne just S of Raz du Seine,S Brittany) and then suggest that I probably didn't need any help as I was Blue Ensign. Not sure how he worked that one out! He wasn't really rude, but I thought it a funny thing to say.

What was odder was that he then said that he was leaving in his boat as there wasn't going to be enough water to get out of the harbour in the morning. This made me treble check my calculations as we had planned to stay and leave in the morning to go North as well, but I reassured myself and after a nice meal ashore and a walk down the pier etc we left on the last of the ebb in the morning to catch the tide round the Raz. We then overtook said boat who had had an uncomfortable night rolling round the anchorage outside.

I won't name names - but the character is a regular contributor to a well known practical yachting magazine... (and he was wearing a Blue Ensign too!)

 

[cozy]

At the risk of sounding naive, what sort of flak do blue ensigns attract?

 

[gandy]

And why do you want one, anyway?

Tony S

 

[landaftaf]

[ QUOTE ]
The simple answer is no its not

[/ QUOTE ]

the last time I looked at the regs - over 20 yrs ago, there was a provision that a serving senior naval officer could apply for a warrant to fly a blue ensign ............ is this still not the case ?

 

[Cornishman]

Your Red wouldn't happen to be a defaced one, would it? e.g. R. Fowey, R.Dart etc. Much more distinguished, don't you think?
Only joking!
You can also get defaced Red by registering your yacht in Guernsey, and you don't need to belong to a yacht club either.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I was reading the regs on the bridge of a ship a few weeks ago - but I don't recall seeing that rule mentioned. I do not claim total knowledge though, so you may be right - just that I haven't seen that particular regulation.

OK so I was bored and loafing on the bridge at the time... and no I wasn't watchkeeping!