Is this blue ensign legal?

[Daydream believer]

The current Cook island flag 15 stars the EU has currently 27 until end of October.

.

I thought that the EU flag had 12 stars & the No. of stars had nothing to do with the current No of members. is that correct?
If you are referring to members then the EU currently has ( & it has not been established will not continue to have:ambivalence 28 members.
Hope that does not lead to a thread drift

 

[rogerthebodger]

I thought that the EU flag had 12 stars & the No. of stars had nothing to do with the current No of members. is that correct?
If you are referring to members then the EU currently has ( & it has not been established will not continue to have:ambivalence 28 members.
Hope that does not lead to a thread drift

Yes you ar correct my mistake.

 

[rogerthebodger]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ensign#Defaced_blue_ensign

Thi has some details of who are allowed to wear a defaced blue ensign.

Yacht clubs with a Royal warrant can have a defaced blue ensign and as my club Royal Natal Yacht club has a Royal warrant it can use a defaced blue ensign which is defaced with the club crest.

I also understand that if I registered my yacht in the UK I could get a warrant from my club to wear the clubs defaced blue ensign.

South Africa government would not like it as as a resident my boat must be registered in South Africa.

 

[RobbieW]

This boat has just anchored next to us in a small bay in Croatia. We like it here 'cos the graffiti makes us feel at home.

But the real question is: Is a defaced blue ensign with a circle of EU stars in the middle actually legal tender?

Should I dinghy over and perform a citizens arrest? :ambivalence:

Richard

I believe that if you are a serving Naval officer you can have your man row you over and demand to see thier warrant. If that's not forthcoming, target practice ?

 

[JumbleDuck]

From Merchant Shipping Act 1995:

He has an interesting point, though. Does the UK have jurisdiction over British vessels (including unregistered ones) in Croatian waters? I expect Croatia does, but do they care and do they have expertise on the UKs bizarre variety of merchant ensigns?

 

[Blue Sunray]

I believe that if you are a serving Naval officer you can have your man row you over and demand to see thier warrant. If that's not forthcoming, target practice ��

Don't even have to be RN, Pongos and Crabs can also so do. Though the only occasion I have actually heard of it happening was to an RAF Vessel who where flying their (the RAF's) ensign of which their Lordships did not approve at some point between the wars.

 

[[70521]]

Did you not jump in the dingy with a bottle of something and go and say hello?

I sometimes remember to put a bit of coloured cloth on the back of the boat, more usually I don't.

 

[scotty123]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ensign#Defaced_blue_ensign

Thi has some details of who are allowed to wear a defaced blue ensign.

Yacht clubs with a Royal warrant can have a defaced blue ensign and as my club Royal Natal Yacht club has a Royal warrant it can use a defaced blue ensign which is defaced with the club crest.

I also understand that if I registered my yacht in the UK I could get a warrant from my club to wear the clubs defaced blue ensign.

South Africa government would not like it as as a resident my boat must be registered in South Africa.

Only when the warrant holder is actually aboard.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Only when the warrant holder is actually aboard.

In my case I would be the warrant holder and the boat would only be used when I am on board sailing

 

[DJE]

He has an interesting point, though. Does the UK have jurisdiction over British vessels (including unregistered ones) in Croatian waters? I expect Croatia does, but do they care and do they have expertise on the UKs bizarre variety of merchant ensigns?

Well the wording of the act certainly seems to assume jurisdiction. I wonder if it is giving effect to international regulations.

Enforcement of course is a different matter entirely!

 

[rogerthebodger]

Well the wording of the act certainly seems to assume jurisdiction. I wonder if it is giving effect to international regulations.

Enforcement of course is a different matter entirely!

My understanding is the UK has jurisdiction in international waters but in the territorial waters of any country that country has jurisdiction. In South Africa if a vessel stays in the country more than 6 months it must comply with the South African safety regulations just like I have too.

 

[Sgeir]

This boat has just anchored next to us in a small bay in Croatia. We like it here 'cos the graffiti makes us feel at home.

But the real question is: Is a defaced blue ensign with a circle of EU stars in the middle actually legal tender?

Should I dinghy over and perform a citizens arrest? :ambivalence:

Richard

Personally, I'd be rather more concerned about the message in the graffiti in the background. I cannot make out the second word.

Can you ask them to move, please?

 

[jordanbasset]

Thinking about this further, in the big scheme of things and with the plethora of defaced blue ensign designs about I very much doubt they Croatian authorities will know this is not a correct ensign and I suspect they care even less
I have seen a number of strange 'ensigns' on boats in Greece and am not aware of any of them being picked up for it

 

[RichardS]

Personally, I'd be rather more concerned about the message in the graffiti in the background. I cannot make out the second word.

Can you ask them to move, please?

The second word is "Cops". :ambivalence:

There is a small marina on the other side of the bay which was forcibly closed down a few years ago because it didn't have the correct permissions or something so I wonder whether it is something to do with that?

Richard

 

[Tamar]

Why would anybody want to fly a blue ensign off their boat?? I am eligible because I am a serving officer, but I never would.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Normal service for him.

I just like winding up the gammons, fairly easy with their narrow world views.

I confess I was wrong about whether UK leisure boat was covered by merchant shipping act when in Croatian waters. I just was fully correct in that it didnt in practice make any impact to the ensign used in the example.

When we leave the EU and Scotland gets independence I will wind up people who nostalgically hark back to the Union Jack while we debate a new flag- plenty of bait to be had there

 

[jordanbasset]

The most unusual 'ensign' I ever saw was a 'white ensign' defaced with the Man United logo

 

[Greg2]

Why would anybody want to fly a blue ensign off their boat?? I am eligible because I am a serving officer, but I never would.

Why not? Genuinely interested.

There can be a tendency for people to make all sorts of assumptions about what ensigns people fly, with the most predominant being that there is some degree of pomposity or arrogance on the part of those who do fly a blue/defaced ensigns - indeed it is referred to in an earlier post in this thread. It is understandable that some people are not interested in or don’t care about our maritime traditions, which is fine, and I know that the are some in yacht clubs who are indeed pompous but as with all generalisations they cannot be applied accurately to everyone. Many moons ago I served in the RN and did my bit - now I am a member of the RNSA and fly their burgee and a blue ensign. I don’t have any pretensions of grandeur nor am I pompous but some make that assumption when they see the bit of blue cloth. Often the friendly greeting and offerings from our beer fridge quickly disabuses them of such notions but it is a curiously British thing that it was in their minds in the first place

 

[doug748]

Why not? Genuinely interested.

There can be a tendency for people to make all sorts of assumptions about what ensigns people fly, with the most predominant being that there is some degree of pomposity or arrogance on the part of those who do fly a blue/defaced ensigns - indeed it is referred to in an earlier post in this thread. It is understandable that some people are not interested in or don’t care about our maritime traditions, which is fine, and I know that the are some in yacht clubs who are indeed pompous but as with all generalisations they cannot be applied accurately to everyone. Many moons ago I served in the RN and did my bit - now I am a member of the RNSA and fly their burgee and a blue ensign. I don’t have any pretensions of grandeur nor am I pompous but some make that assumption when they see the bit of blue cloth. Often the friendly greeting and offerings from our beer fridge quickly disabuses them of such notions but it is a curiously British thing that it was in their minds in the first place

Exactly, good for you.

I always feel it was a bit of shame that Blue Ensigns were not reserved for serving and ex service folk. Then we would know where we are.
We could then have an array of Savoy Opera colours for clubs of merit - or maybe even just the pretentious ones.

Plus of course the wits and jack the lads with their Europe Stars, Scottish Free State and Jolly Roger emblems. I always note them, they serve a useful purpose.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

If the blue ensign was reserved for those actively defending our country, I would certainly respect it. To those granted licence via ancient medieval monarchy I just laugh, and if any other nation knew those rules they would fall over giggling