Flag etiquette

[ANDY_W]

I am moored in a harbour in The Netherlands where, in a day or two, the Dutch King and Queen will pass through the
harbour in a local boat. I will be still moored in the harbour in plain sight.

My boat is UK registered and flies the Red Ensign. Should I dip the Ensign as the royal party goes by?

Any advice will be much appreciated

Andy

 

[Blue Sunray]

I am moored in a harbour in The Netherlands where, in a day or two, the Dutch King and Queen will pass through the
harbour in a local boat. I will be still moored in the harbour in plain sight.

My boat is UK registered and flies the Red Ensign. Should I dip the Ensign as the royal party goes by?

Any advice will be much appreciated

Andy

Given the question is one of good manners more than anything else, I'd follow the example of your Netherlands flagged neighbours.

 

[mainsail1]

There is no requirement for you to dip your red ensign. I would do nothing. Why do you owe any mark of respect to a Dutch King and Queen?

 

[Biggles Wader]

There is no requirement for you to dip your red ensign. I would do nothing. Why do you owe any mark of respect to a Dutch King and Queen?

Politeness costs nothing and can gain significant benefits.
To OP--if you have the flags you could dress overall and then no one would notice a dipped ensign in the overall flap.:encouragement:

 

[macd]

Foreign Office advice on reconciling such quandaries is to spend the day in Kabul.

 

[SimonFa]

There is no requirement for you to dip your red ensign. I would do nothing. Why do you owe any mark of respect to a Dutch King and Queen?

For the same reason we used to salute foreign officers, common courtesy.

 

[Blue Sunray]

For the same reason we used to salute foreign officers, common courtesy.

(The absence of) Which, of course, is the reason that mainsail claims that he would do nothing. Though I suspect, in fact, the Netherlands custom may indeed be not to do anything, bar possibly a polite wave, hence the suggestion of following the neighbour's example.

 

[No Regrets]

There is no requirement for you to dip your red ensign. I would do nothing. Why do you owe any mark of respect to a Dutch King and Queen?

That just about sums up parts of the forum

 

[prv]

Should I dip the Ensign as the royal party goes by?

I think it would be a nice gesture, provided it can be done with decorum rather than an awkward kerfuffle.

Pete

 

[dunedin]

Foreign Office advice on reconciling such quandaries is to spend the day in Kabul.

:encouragement:

 

[Spyro]

I think it would be a nice gesture, provided it can be done with decorum rather than an awkward kerfuffle.

Pete

Do you think they would even notice?

 

[Pump-Out]

http://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollectio...AG ETIQUETTE AND VISUAL SIGNALS - PART II.pdf

Top of page 14.
…." all Royal Yachts". Does not signify UK only.
PO

 

[Blue Sunray]

http://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollectio...AG ETIQUETTE AND VISUAL SIGNALS - PART II.pdf

Top of page 14.
…." all Royal Yachts". Does not signify UK only.
PO

So? That document is a pile of over over-formalised carp. I'm all for good manners but that sort of (mostly made up rules based approach) is best confined to suburban golf clubs and their coastal equivalents.

 

[Keith 66]

Why not observe proper flag etiquette? Its part of our maritime traditions & costs nothing.

 

[Blue Sunray]

Why not observe proper flag etiquette? Its part of our maritime traditions & costs nothing.

Speaking for myself, I probably do. Those that think it is necessary to produce such documents to formalise a 'tradition' are perfectly free to waste their time doing so. It keeps them happy and provides almost as much amusement to others as those who think they are some sort of daring revolutionary for flying a made up flag. Just don't expect me to be able to maintain a straight face if you actually think such minutiae are important.

 

[JumbleDuck]

So? That document is a pile of over over-formalised carp. I'm all for good manners but that sort of (mostly made up rules based approach) is best confined to suburban golf clubs and their coastal equivalents.

Well said, that man.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Why not observe proper flag etiquette? Its part of our maritime traditions ...

Only if your idea of maritime traditions is "silly rules made up in 1920s yacht clubs by bored and squiffy members so that they could identify chaps like themselves and sneer at the oiks."

 

[JumbleDuck]

It keeps them happy and provides almost as much amusement to others as those who think they are some sort of daring revolutionary for flying a made up flag.

Could you give a few examples of flags which haven't been made up?

 

[prv]

Could you give a few examples of flags which haven't been made up?

I started suggesting a few, like crossed Fiat propshafts on a field of Romaine lettuce, or an Escher triangle in hot pink on a rainbow background, but then realised that in doing so, I had made them up.

Pete

 

[Blue Sunray]

Could you give a few examples of flags which haven't been made up?

The ones that I like