Petition to remove Blue Flag Warrants

[BurnitBlue]

I propose that someone (not me cos I’m sailing South) submits a petition to remove this anomoly and its implied exclusivity and let every citizen, without seeking permission from anybody; choose which colour suits their mood of the day, red, white or any shade of blue. Or even a Tartan plaid if the yacht is north of the border. The defaced area can be to a personal design.

Please be quick about this because I feel that a white ensign defaced with a red rose would suit my mood tomorrow when the weather clears up.

If the UK must have so many ensigns then this artistic freedom will remove the stigma of class ridden snobbery that is the source of so much amusement among other nations

 

[Poignard]

Well I'd prefer that to all having to have the same colour.

As to what other nations think - who cares? Apart from the USA, I can't think of one that has any Naval tradition to be particularly proud of.

 

[sarabande]

Allons, enfants de la Patrie....

Have you seen what the noble French are doing in Rochefort ?

http://hermione.free.fr/english/rebuild.html

I went there last week, for quite the most impressive and effective tourism experience of my life.

WTF have we, the finest sailing nation in the world, to compare ? One preserved ship of the line in Pompey, a burnt out hulk in Greenwich, and some tiny TSs?

Oh yes, KEEP the blue/defaced blue ensigns for no other reason than it gives an opening gambit when you moor up alongside any furriner.

 

[xcw]

So why don't you (we) just do that? Has anyone ever been fined/put in prison/shot etc for flying a flag they are not "entitled" to??

 

[Allan]

Please, please, please don't change the flag warrants! If you do, how will we know which boats to avoid?
Allan

 

[Dyflin]

[ QUOTE ]

Apart from the USA, I can't think of one that has any Naval tradition to be particularly proud of.

[/ QUOTE ]

I respectfully submit the Icelandic "Navy" for inclusion.

During the third Cod War (Nov 75 - June 76) the Icelander's sent out 6 coast guard ships and 2 Polish built stern trawlers against 22 frigates, 7 supply ships, 9 tugs and 3 support boats of the RN.

After a bit of dissagrement by both sides, the locals came out on top. Result!

 

[Koeketiene]

[ QUOTE ]

Have you seen what the noble French are doing in Rochefort ?

http://hermione.free.fr/english/rebuild.html



[/ QUOTE ]

Or even... the Belgians /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

http://www.belgica-genootschap.be/index.php?lang=en

 

[beancounter]

[ QUOTE ]
As to what other nations think - who cares? Apart from the USA, I can't think of one that has any Naval tradition to be particularly proud of.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think our Dutch brethren may take exception to that - seeing as how their fleet thumped us in the Thames and Medway on a couple of occasions.

Mind you, we got our own back at Camperdown....

 

[raquet]

What nationality was the first vessel to circumnavigate the globe? Which nation had a king called 'the Navigator'? Those two between them conquered more than half the Americas by sea - no mean feat that.

 

[davies]

Ok provided that we can have puce and lemon flag warrants instead.

 

[Norman_E]

Let the snobs keep their blue ensigns. I will continue to have pride in the red ensign, under which my father travelled the world before he was 25. On one of his last voyages he was 2nd mate, and the captain died off Brazil. The elderly 1st mate did not want to take command so my father took over, and sailed the ship which was "freighting for orders" round Cape Horn, right up the coast of Chile, then up the Western seaboard of the USA, and north as far as the Fraser River, then back south and returned to the UK via Panama. The ship belonged to Ellerman Lines and they gave my father a letter commending him on his actions, but no extra pay!
I wish I had persuaded him to write his life story before he died.

 

[catmandoo]

OK but the ancient Shetlanders and Orcadians ( The Albans ) discovered America chasing the walrus and camped in Hudsons bay in upturned boats . How else did they finance the large stone structures on these small islands

Large new Neolithic settlement discovered in Orkney !!!

 

[tangomoon]

Here here lol

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Poignard]

This thread is beginning to get very chippy. Reminds me of the story of the tourist who asked a fisherman why he didn't put a lid on his box of crabs to prevent them escaping. The fisherman replied; "These are British crabs ma'am, if one tries to climb out of the box the others will drag it back."

Fer Gawd's sake - "live and let live". What bloody business have any of you telling other people what they can and can't do on their own boats.

 

[raquet]

[ QUOTE ]
OK but the ancient Shetlanders and Orcadians ( The Albans ) discovered America chasing the walrus and camped in Hudsons bay in upturned boats . How else did they finance the large stone structures on these small islands

Large new Neolithic settlement discovered in Orkney !!!

[/ QUOTE ]I completely agree – I would perhaps have mentioned them except for the possibility that they might not qualify under 'national heritage' or whatever the expression was. What about the various Polynesian islanders who travelled the Pacific in little more than out-rigger canoes?

Wasn’t there once a yellow squadron? The other colours are, I think, derived from the squadron colours in a fleet. Admittedly the yellow squadron was where all the duffers were put so we might not chose it – although it might be perfect for me.

 

[moondancer]

[ QUOTE ]
... the finest sailing nation in the world, to compare ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Surely you are being ironic. We might have an impressive Naval history but today if you are talking about sailing, we must rank pretty low down on the official sailing nation hit chart.

It was only after the French had taken Dame Ellen to their hearts that we bothered to be interested in her. I think she got more plaudits for her Top Gear performance than her sailing!

My hit list of sailing nations would be :

1) France
2) Australia
3) USA
4) New Zealand
5) Spain
6) Argentina
.
.
.
12) UK

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Sinbad2222]

Should be a brown ensign now, surely ???

 

[caol]

[ QUOTE ]
Let the snobs keep their blue ensigns.


[/ QUOTE ]

There is just as much to be proud of in the history of the people of the navy and naval reserves whose exploits are commemorated in the blue ensigns of the warranted clubs and associations. Why should these folks not also wear them with pride?

Attitudes attributed to others, and especially whole groups of others, generally say a lot more about the person doing the attributing than they do about those others.

I can't believe all the furore about something so trivial. I say again, with Twisterowner -

live and let live

 

[Mukes]

I think it should be brought up to date now environmental issues have such a high profile - Blue flags on boats and the Blue Flag scheme for clean beaches should be merged - only those boats with a holding tank may fly one.

 

[Talbot]

I wear my blue ensign with pride. It is not exclusive all you have to do is serve your country for a short period.

(Apart from one or two old clubs that have special permission to also use a blue ensgn)