flag etiquette

[JumbleDuck]

I think I shall give you a tolerant smile and pass on.

See? I knew we could be friends.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I think that before we get entirely lost in the most of the finer points of etiquette, and flag etiquette in particular, an apology from the OP is due. Presumably the yacht in question, from the Cook Islands is perfectly entitled to wear his country's ensign. I had hoped that said apology would have been forthcoming sooner, and without any prompting.

Indeed. Simply grumbling that it's a "bleddy odd looking ensign" rather evades the issue.

 

[capnsensible]

See? I knew we could be friends.

Quacktastic

 

[JumbleDuck]

Quacktastic

Sensiblacious, dude.

 

[overstag]

From a country where we have only one flag, which you fly on a boat/ house/ wherevever you like: it's rather silly!

 

[Scillypete]

I think that before we get entirely lost in the most of the finer points of etiquette, and flag etiquette in particular, an apology from the OP is due. Presumably the yacht in question, from the Cook Islands is perfectly entitled to wear his country's ensign. I had hoped that said apology would have been forthcoming sooner, and without any prompting.

Don't think so, if you read the posts correctly I asked a straightforward question as to whether it was real, Jumbleduck came back with the information needed for which he was thanked and I made a point about how it looked, not unreasonably I think, that is just an opinion and we are all entitled to our own opinions on things without some keyboard warrior picking holes in every single word typed.

think I shall just smile tolerantly and pass on by

 

[Kukri]

My late father, whose sailing career ran from 1919 to 1983, said that "flying an ensign in home waters used to be considered tripperish".

 

[JumbleDuck]

Don't think so, if you read the posts correctly I asked a straightforward question as to whether it was real, ...

It's clear that you were seething at outrage at what you thought was a blue ensign, as worn by decent cheps (sic) defaced by some European stars ...

Now I'm not a particular stickler about most of it but certain things I believe should be done right, so what do you think of this:

I'm not interested in the political aspect of it whichever side of the fence you sit on.

Blue ensign, ish, no club burgee is it real?

...Jumbleduck came back with the information needed for which he was thanked and I made a point about how it looked, not unreasonably I think, that is just an opinion and we are all entitled to our own opinions on things without some keyboard warrior picking holes in every single word typed.

Thanks Jumbleduck, that is more enlightening bleddy odd looking ensign

It's not "bleddy odd" at all. It's a perfect standard design of ensign, of a general design used in many places including Australia and New Zealand.

I'll give away the secrets of my success ... I googled "blue ensign with circle of stars" to find the flag and "Mahina Tiare Avatiu" to find the boat. This was both (a) easier and (b) less embarassing than jumping to Europhobic conclusions ...

 

[johnalison]

I'll give away the secrets of my success ... I googled "blue ensign with circle of stars" to find the flag and "Mahina Tiare Avatiu" to find the boat. This was both (a) easier and (b) less embarassing than jumping to Europhobic conclusions ...

I'm sure you are right, but I have some sympathy for his error which I confess I might also have made in his position, since this flag is so unfamiliar to most of us (presumably).

 

[NormanS]

I'm sure you are right, but I have some sympathy for his error which I confess I might also have made in his position, since this flag is so unfamiliar to most of us (presumably).

I have sympathy for his ignorance in not recognising the flag. I didn't know it either. His presumption that it was some made-up flag, and the way the post was worded was obnoxious.

 

[Scillypete]

It's clear that you were seething at outrage at what you thought was a blue ensign, as worn by decent cheps (sic) defaced by some European stars ...







It's not "bleddy odd" at all. It's a perfect standard design of ensign, of a general design used in many places including Australia and New Zealand.

I'll give away the secrets of my success ... I googled "blue ensign with circle of stars" to find the flag and "Mahina Tiare Avatiu" to find the boat. This was both (a) easier and (b) less embarassing than jumping to Europhobic conclusions ...

I'm just going to continue grinning and sail on by and maybe enjoy some wine and banter with some visiting Breton buddies while you continue to pound your keyboard

 

[JumbleDuck]

I'm sure you are right, but I have some sympathy for his error which I confess I might also have made in his position, since this flag is so unfamiliar to most of us (presumably).

I had only a distant recollection of having seen it before (I thought it was Pitcairn) but I didn't immediately jump to the conclusion that it was filthy foreigners bringing their depraved continental ways to Blighty.

Wasn't the port of registration enough to suggest that a quick google might be worthwhile?

 

[JumbleDuck]

I'm just going to continue grinning and sail on by and maybe enjoy some wine and banter with some visiting Breton buddies while you continue to pound your keyboard

Jolly good. Erm, you do know that Bretons are foreigners, don't you?

 

[NormanS]

I'm just going to continue grinning and sail on by and maybe enjoy some wine and banter with some visiting Breton buddies while you continue to pound your keyboard

Err, it was you who started it, "pounding your keyboard", about "Blue ensign, ish, no club burgee is it real?"
Now that you have been shown the error of your ways, why not do the decent thing, admit you were absolutely wrong, and apologize to all the Cook Islanders. Or is that etiquette beyond you?

 

[capnsensible]

Err, it was you who started it, "pounding your keyboard", about "Blue ensign, ish, no club burgee is it real?"
Now that you have been shown the error of your ways, why not do the decent thing, admit you were absolutely wrong, and apologize to all the Cook Islanders. Or is that etiquette beyond you?

Are you Belgian by any chance?

 

[NormanS]

Are you Belgian by any chance?

I'm not, as it happens. What difference would that make?

 

[[163233]]

Are you Belgian by any chance?

I'm not, as it happens. What difference would that make?

Well, you'd be Belgian for starters...

 

[Kukri]

Well, you'd be Belgian for starters...

I must put my hand up at this point - I hereby confess to having been pulled over and bollocked by a Belgian patrol boat for entering Belgian territorial waters flying a Dutch courtesy flag. This was long before GPS - we had sailed from Flushing and were beating into a stiff southwesterly and TBH I had my hands full and had forgotten all about the courtesy flag.

 

[jordanbasset]

The only time I have ever been criticised over a flag was when I entered Queensway marina and had left the Spanish courtesy flag flying. No defence but in mitigation it was very windy and in sorting other things out it got forgotten, I did have a very large British ensign.
I had not even passed the rope to the marina staff when he shouted 'get that down.'

 

[Graham_Wright]

Now I'm not a particular stickler about most of it but certain things I believe should be done right, so what do you think of this:

I'm not interested in the political aspect of it whichever side of the fence you sit on.

Blue ensign, ish, no club burgee is it real?

Nobody else seems to have commented on the fact that the blue ensign isn't as the broad white stripe at the bottom of the hoist should be higher than the narrow and I haven't found the word "wear" in any of the responses.

Duck.