Ensigns/flags

Searush, the union flag on your ensign appears to be upside down !

ea7877a9.jpg

It's a Welsh thing, in protest at not being recognised on the union flag!
 
I guess I could take it bit more seriously if we actually had our national flag on the boat.

Many times cruising overseas I have been asked what country we are from and why don't we fly the union jack. I would prefer that.

The fact that we have as a country chosen to have different flags to denote what club you are a member of, or what job you once had spoils it all for me. It's seems a bit like wearing a club tie or knowing a secret handshake.

If we all just flew our national flag perhaps it would be easier to be patriotic. It's hard to get the masses to rally behind something that, whatever the history, is potentially viewed as elitist.

It's Y Ddraig Goch then 'cos Henry Tudor was Welsh when he anexed England to Wales. The Sweaties still have that blue and white cross thing. ;-)
 
What a long thread about nothing, there is no law enforced in UK waters about ensigns flown or not for leisure craft. If there was this thread wouldn't be here. I fly the NZ flag or the Scottish ensign on mine, the wife is a Kiwi and I'm Scottish, when overseas I fly the same ones with no problems at all, the boat is registered in the UK in Scotland and therefor Scottish but who really cares.
For all the distance people travel in UK waters most might as well just hang the washing from the stern!
 
I'm afraid that by misspelling 'pasty' you have instantly disqualified yourself from any claim to be Cornish. I hope this doesn't come as too much of a disappointment to you.

Dear Mr Woodlouse,

(See, I am being polite, :D:D)

Might I suggest you check with the Cornish Pasty Association as for the spelling of the aforementioned edible item?

Now, about these ants....
 
What a long thread about nothing, there is no law enforced in UK waters about ensigns flown or not for leisure craft. If there was this thread wouldn't be here. I fly the NZ flag or the Scottish ensign on mine, the wife is a Kiwi and I'm Scottish, when overseas I fly the same ones with no problems at all, the boat is registered in the UK in Scotland and therefor Scottish but who really cares.
For all the distance people travel in UK waters most might as well just hang the washing from the stern!

Might be a long thread, but much of it is surely of interest?

My own boat is registered in Guernsey, but as I don't live there I am not authorised to fly the defaced Red Ensign. Following on from an earlier thread some weeks ago, I actually got a PM from the 'Authorities' in St Peter Port suggesting that if I did fly the Guernsey Ensign (which I have but never use) I could be fined heavily! Now, if my boat was registered in Jersey, the Jersey Authorities have only recently changed their Regulations, whereby non-residents with boats registered in Jersey may now wear the Defaced Jersey Ensign on their boats.

If your boat is registered in the UK (Scotland is within the UK), then you may well be fined by the NZ authorities if ever they happen to spot you:D:D:D
 
What a long thread about nothing, there is no law enforced in UK waters about ensigns flown or not for leisure craft. If there was this thread wouldn't be here. I fly the NZ flag or the Scottish ensign on mine, the wife is a Kiwi and I'm Scottish, when overseas I fly the same ones with no problems at all, the boat is registered in the UK in Scotland and therefor Scottish but who really cares.
For all the distance people travel in UK waters most might as well just hang the washing from the stern!

Whilst you don't have to fly the correct ensign in UK waters I'm not sure the law is similarly lax over the flying of the wrong one. Though I should think as long as it's your own yacht no one is going to bother you about it. The laws will be in place to stop people maliciously flying false colours rather than yachties flying their home flag.
 
A NZ Flag is nice, as is OZ, US and Canadian. The authorities in the Med love them as they can pounce on you to check your date of entry into the EU as you are only allowed six months here.

But you have a UK Registered boat! They will love that even more.

Take some friendly advice. Drop the Cavalier attitude and do as the law requires. You are doing what you like now in the UK and nobody really gives a ****. You will not find the same in France, Portugal or Spain. Your proud NZ Ensign will draw more attention than you need.
 
One thing that I always begrudge the Dutch is their wonderful tradition of maritime linen, lucky people.

So what could possibly be worse than flaunting one's often assumed social standing at the mast-head, so to speak? A trip on the Broads will reveal all! Ensigns being flown without the relevant burgee, ensigns being worn on the jack-staff, dressing over-all using sea-side multi coloured bunting and ensigns being flown that are dipped, also seen on Welsh boats flying defaced, upside down blues;). And worse, boats trailing their warps and carrying their fenders permanently rigged. That just leaves the topic of captain's hats!! Do you wear one?

What the heck, it's all part of the fun!
 
It's not the colour that is important but the size. Mine is pink and very large, one occasion it even dangled in the water:D

Clearly this is boasting; but is there also a bit of fred drift? Are you still talking about ensigns or should we change your forum name to Rastus?
 
The thing that gets me, is when people have gone to the effort of getting a warrant etc, to go off piste with their ensign colour, then don't fly the burgee to go with their non red ensign.

If you can't remember to put up the burgee, with the ensign and take it down again afterwards, do what I do, and stick to red. :D
 
The thing that gets me, is when people have gone to the effort of getting a warrant etc, to go off piste with their ensign colour, then don't fly the burgee to go with their non red ensign.

If you can't remember to put up the burgee, with the ensign and take it down again afterwards, do what I do, and stick to red. :D

Our club rule book insists that flying the burgee (prefreably at the masthead) is a REQUIREMENT for wearing the club ensign.

And the smart bums that think my canton union flag is upside down have been fooled by the picture & the stitching as viewed from the obverse. But what the heck, if you don't have one, you can only knock those that do. :rolleyes:

If anyone thinks there is something to be jealous of, just join a suitable club & get your own permit.
 
And the smart bums that think my canton union flag is upside down have been fooled by the picture & the stitching as viewed from the obverse. But what the heck, if you don't have one, you can only knock those that do. :rolleyes:


With respect SR, I think the OP is referring to the fact that the broad white diagonal stripe on the Union Flag, nearest to the flag staff, should be at the top, and not underneath, if you see what I mean.

One of my pet hates is to see the Union Flag (not Jack, as worn on HM Ships), worn upside down, but I am not really suggesting that yours is, it just looks like it may be!:):)

Geoff
 
The thing that gets me, is when people have gone to the effort of getting a warrant etc, to go off piste with their ensign colour, then don't fly the burgee to go with their non red ensign.

How many times have you seen that?

I have never seen it in 40 years of sailing. I bow to your superior experience.
 
Anti blue ensign threads have appeared regularly on this forum for as long as I can remenber.

But do they achieve anything? Has anyone, as a result, actually given up flying a blue ensign?

Terrified by the abuse and death threats, SWMBO has often begged me to give mine up but I have always steadfastly refused. Am I just being pig-headed? ;)
 
If anyone thinks there is something to be jealous of, just join a suitable club & get your own permit.

There is nothing to be jealous of. I suspect that the only folk to be impressed by defaced ensigns tend to be those who own them.

Me, I'm a great believer in upholding our maritime traditions and heritage. Some of it is pretentious nonsense but apart from flogging the crew and hanging mutineers all quite harmless fun. Not so much that people do fly such flags, more so the elitist reasons that some choose to do it.
 
On the rare occassions that I wear a tie it will be an Old School or Regimental one.

I doubt that more than one in a million would notice, one in twenty million would comment and one in fifty million would be offended.

So what does that make me? a snob? an elitist? or just somebody who does not give a **** about what others may think but wears the tie because it means something to ME?

That is the way I feel about my military defaced blue ensign.
 
Nothing at all as you describe it. It's the ATTITUDE of so many who fly it which is so objectionable - I can fly 'this' flag, and I'm therefore superior to you, you smelly little oik!

Which of course sums up this and every other ensign thread.

It must be so depressing to be able to read the minds of passing sailors and realise that they all despise you.
 
Top