Fly the Union Jack

[NormanS]

Anticipating Scottish independence, (as soon as the oil runs out), I wear my Scottish Saltire with pride.

In common with most nations, Scotland doesn't have a separate flag for our mercantile marine, and will be using our well respected, and well known National flag, the flag of Saint Andrew.

Obviously if the OP wishes to use the Union flag, who am I to criticise?

 

[Lakesailor]

FYI I just reposted an old photo on MOBO of Kawasaki shagging his engine.

Would that be by over-revving or by penis?

 

[haydude]

What am I proposing? - To start a campaign to allow us to fly our national flag (which to me is the Union Jack) on my boat.
Why? - bacause it is a supposedly free country and I want to.

I believe that having a maritime ensign is cool and it shows how far back the maritime traditions of a nation go. There might be a lot of history in those ensigns.

Besides Britain is a Republican Monarchy where the sense of freedom is a carefully manipulated delusion.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Would that be by over-revving or by penis?

Both, I think.

 

[Madhatter]

In true english tradition dating back to 16th century Elizabethan rule I now pronounce my declaration to the monarch

 

[puddock]

Pretty well every country on earth has one of those. If however you meant a special flag for maritime use only, a quick search will reveal that quite a few countries have maritime ensigns. Go here and search for Civil Ensign.

Intersting site. I never realised Aberdeen Harbour Board had its own ensign.

 

[DownWest]

People or countries who throw out their historical identities tend to get into trouble.And discourage tourists
Personally I am happy to fly the red duster on one of my (little) boats, and the French flag on the other. Bit curious as to why the OP is so keen to fly the union flag, other than to generate mucho electrons on this site. Perhaps he should be protesting in Copenhagen...
A

 

[awol]

As another aside - is there any significance in Trinity House having a defaced Red and Northern Lighthouse Board a defaced blue?

 

[andygc]

As another aside - is there any significance in Trinity House having a defaced Red and Northern Lighthouse Board a defaced blue?

No

 

[andygc]

Why do we bother? I'm regretting having joined in with the RAF and RAFSA ensigns. This has been done to death in thread after thread over several years.

There are rules about ensigns because Parliament decided that they needed to make a law about them, consolidating pre-existing legislation and royal decrees. If some of you folk don't like the law why not write to your local MP and not here. I'm sure that Parliament will happily find time to debate this matter as it is likely to be far more important than the current state of the economy. To SolentBoy and his original question - Yes, Merchant Shipping Act 1995. Why didn't the first person who replied say that and save all these electrons?

Meanwhile, next season I'm looking forward to my boat wearing it's brand new defaced ensign and correct club burgee, flown at the masthead not the crosstree, and I won't screw up in marinas any worse than I do now or be more polite or more rude than I am at present (if you don't know why I wrote that go and read the 500 other threads on this subject).

Have a happy Christmas, and I hope you all get the ensign of your dreams in your stocking - or for SolentBoy, a pilot jack so he can fly the Union Flag with absolutely no risk of a jolly Jack boarding him to confiscate his colours.

 

[snowleopard]

I'm bored. I've been waiting for the obligatory 'union flag upside down is a distress signal' post.

 

[mcframe]

Meanwhile, next season I'm looking forward to my boat wearing it's brand new defaced ensign and correct club burgee, flown at the masthead not the crosstree

So, this new ensign, is it fully-battened? and the burgee - has it got a foam luff? ;->

 

[Ubergeekian]

That's /almost/ my reading - Union Flag falls foul of "any colours usually worn by Her Majesty’s ships or resembling those of Her Majesty,"

MSA95 says:
(2) British Ships are *entitled* to fly Red Ensign (& no other "British flags")
(4) *Other* "distinctive national colours" (inc blue & white) are prohibited (except pilot jack)

If a Scot's ensign were to be ruled "distinctive national colours", then that would open up a whole different can of worms

I think it might depend on whether it gave a false impression of the vessel's nationality. Scotland being - for the moment, anyway - part of the UK, I think it's arguable that a Scottish ensign is not misleading.

I assume you have a Red ensign on board for (5) Duty to show British flag, don't you?

One came with the boat. I plan to cut off the toggle and rope and use it as a tea towel.

 

[Ubergeekian]

"Flag etiquette for leisure craft is basically a game invented by yacht clubs in the twenties and thirties "

I don't think that is quite right. My extremely ancient yacht club is festooned with equally ancient pictures and paintings of members racing their rather large yachts and flying all sorts of burgees and battleflags. Most of this was in the 18th and19th centuries.

Ah, but I suspect they just flew anything they liked, anywhere they liked, in those days.

 

[Ubergeekian]

In common with most nations, Scotland doesn't have a separate flag for our mercantile marine, and will be using our well respected, and well known National flag, the flag of Saint Andrew.

What about the Scottish red ensign? Used by both merchant and naval ships before union, and by lots of yachts nowadays.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

I'm bored. I've been waiting for the obligatory 'union flag upside down is a distress signal' post.

Wouldnt want you to be disappointed. You cant use the union flag in that way - the upside down bit always applied to the red ensign. Or flying it as a "wheft" ie with a knot in the middle. But even that doesnt apply any longer and was never general useage.

have a look at upside down flag

 

[Bosun Higgs]

What about the Scottish red ensign? Used by both merchant and naval ships before union, and by lots of yachts nowadays.

We use the Welsh one. Much the prettiest flag.

 

[NormanS]

What about the Scottish red ensign? Used by both merchant and naval ships before union, and by lots of yachts nowadays.

I,m not sure about that. I'm not quite old enough to remember, but according to Wikepedia, the Scottish Red Ensign was use by the Royal Scots Navy, so not wishing to claim to be part of anyone's Navy, I'll just fly, or wear, my country's flag.

 

[Ariadne]

Well I'm proud to fly the 'Red Duster' as I did my time in the MN.
But I also fly a nice big 'y Ddraig Goch' from the port flag halyard, which is my national flag.

 

[rtchina]

in memory

when I am sailing under the red ensign and things get a bit tough, I think about all those men who sailed unarmed under the same flag in two world wars and dies often quite horrible deaths. It was good enough for them, though sometimes I don' think I am good enough for it!