Flying the Dutch flag

[rolf.nielsen]

I am Danish but live in the Netherlands. I have a pleasure craft (36 feet) that I brought with me from Denmark. There is no ship registry for pleasure boats in Denmark, so the boat is not registered anywhere. I fly the Danish flag on her because I'm Danish and I never changed the flag since I arrived in NL.

I am going to cruise in the Netherlands this year, most likely staying inside its borders in these COVID-19 times. I worry that Dutch habors and authorities may mistake our boat as a visitor from Denmark because of its flag. Am I allowed to fly the Dutch flag on my boat? I do not intend to register my boat in the Netherlands, whether that may be possible or not.

I can of course always just do it, but I want to respect Dutch legislation and, in any case, be respectful to the national symbol that a flag is.

 

[rogerthebodger]

This looks like the Danish-Ship-Register

Danish Ship Register

If not look at this.

Danish Yacht Register

or you could register your yacht in

Dutch Yacht Registration €299 EUR | VALID IN ALL EU WATERS

 

[laika]

or you could register your yacht in

Dutch Yacht Registration €299 EUR | VALID IN ALL EU WATERS

The registration fee looks reasonable but you have to factor in the cost of the ensign. Cloth area that large doesn't come cheap.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The registration fee looks reasonable but you have to factor in the cost of the ensign. Cloth area that large doesn't come cheap.

On the other hand, most Dutch ensigns are big enough to double as a cruising chute ...

 

[rogerthebodger]

On the other hand, most Dutch ensigns ae big enough to double as a cruising chute ...

 

[Graham376]

The registration fee looks reasonable but you have to factor in the cost of the ensign. Cloth area that large doesn't come cheap.

It appears that particular ICP registration does not give the right to fly the Dutch ensign. Portuguese who have used it to dodge their national requirements have been told to re-register.

 

[johnalison]

The Netherlands are awash with foreign boats that have made their home there, mostly German. I wouldn't have thought that a Danish-flagged boat would cause them any concern, though they can be a bit bureaucratic if you catch them on a bad day. I have had Dutchmen complaining about the absence of my home port being written on my stern, something that I am not required to do in the UK.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Ship / Yacht registration comes under the UM law of the sea convention and any country that is a member of the UN should comply with this convention.

One of the requirements is to be able to prove nationality when in international waters.

https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf

 

[Tomaret]

I bought a boat from a Belgian in the Netherlands and kept her there for five years. I always wore the Red Ensign, (and a Dutch courtesy flag) which a few took to mean that I was from New Zealand! Never caused me a problem. In old Zeeland as long as you paid your dues and flew the burgees to prove it nobody minded.

 

[rolf.nielsen]

Thanks guys. I don't want to register the boat in Denmark nor in the Netherlands. I'll keep the Danish flag on her (it's the prettiest out there anyway! ) and hope that the COVID crisis hasn't made the Dutch less pragmatic.

 

[SvenH]

You cannot register a boat in the Netherlands except for "Kadaster" which is only required to put a mortgage on the boat.
You have to be traceable by having your home port, home town or own name somewhere clearly visible on the outside or inside, for search and rescue purposes.
You are required to have the boats name visible on the outside.

 

[Koeketiene]

You cannot register a boat in the Netherlands except for "Kadaster" which is only required to put a mortgage on the boat.
You have to be traceable by having your home port, home town or own name somewhere clearly visible on the outside or inside, for search and rescue purposes.
You are required to have the boats name visible on the outside.

As I recently found out having just having bought a Dutch boat.

 

[rolf.nielsen]

You cannot register a boat in the Netherlands except for "Kadaster" which is only required to put a mortgage on the boat.
You have to be traceable by having your home port, home town or own name somewhere clearly visible on the outside or inside, for search and rescue purposes.
You are required to have the boats name visible on the outside.

Does that mean that I can just fly the Dutch flag if I want to? I do live in the Netherlands so I have an affiliation.

 

[SvenH]

Did a quick scan to check.
It looks like flying a national flag is not entered in to law but rather in etiquette.

That seems to say that you have the right to fly a flag and that it should be of your nationality.

 

[Blue Fox]

Sometimes German charterers of Dutch boats put up their own ensign. I don't think anyone ever bothered. When racing with sailing yachts, it is a custom to remove the national ensigns and replace them with self-made flags.
Seems to me you can fly any flag you like, I've even seen pirate flags.

 

[Quandary]

Sometimes German charterers of Dutch boats put up their own ensign. I don't think anyone ever bothered. When racing with sailing yachts, it is a custom to remove the national ensigns and replace them with self-made flags.
Seems to me you can fly any flag you like, I've even seen pirate flags.

When I started racing in yachts it was the expected tradition that as soon as you finished or retired, you replaced your ensign to demonstrate that you were no longer competing, don't see it happening much these days.

 

[rolf.nielsen]

In Denmark it's etiquette that you don't fly the national flag/ensign when you race. You don't replace it by anything else, you just go out with ensign.

I conclude that I can fly the Dutch flag/ensign if I want to, but that it may be seen by some as a breach of etiquette. Thanks for all the input!