Petition to remove Blue Flag Warrants

[landaftaf]

you can fly a blue flag anytime you want ....... in fact you will see them on clean beaches all around the uk coast.

if you mean a blue ensign ........ it is an entitlement held by a few of the many ............ a bit like wearing a military uniform, an old school tie, medals at parades and putting a title on your name.

anyway - just what is so special about wearing a blue ensign ?

 

[EdWingfield]

Mr Twister might benefit from reading a history book.

 

[TrueBlue]

[ QUOTE ]
(Apart from one or two old clubs that have special permission to also use a blue ensign)

[/ QUOTE ]

One or two is a bit of an understatement; I'm too idle to actually count but I feel confident is saying upwards of forty - and there are more "undocumented". There "one or two" with effectively a closed membership (RYS, House of Lords etc) but the others are open to all.

I don't want to carp about details but wanted to say that among st the few countries to have any sort of Ensign, and the only one to have three of these as a result of a huge Navy in days of yore. To me it's worth retaining the fact of past glories and be dumbed down.

It may also be worth pointing out that other nationalities on my ditch also wear their Ensigns with some sort of pride. The boat next to me wears his Polish Naval ensign, this season I have seen an Antipodean White and a Red, a Scots Red and one or two that I can't readily identify.

So chaps wear your preferred (uncommon) dusters and strike up a conversation.

 

[Poignard]

[ QUOTE ]
Mr Twister might benefit from reading a history book.

[/ QUOTE ]

Indeed he might; and he does. Although admittedly not the politically correct, revisionist histories that you perhaps have in mind.

 

[Koeketiene]

[ QUOTE ]
It is not exclusive all you have to do is serve your country for a short period.


[/ QUOTE ]

Not so - quite a few of the stuffed shirts I've met sporting a Blue Ensign haven't got a day before the mast under their belt.

Blue ensigns are boating's equivalent of personalised license plates.
"Hey, look at me! I'm special!"
A bit sad.

 

[johnalison]

What's wrong with exclusivity? There are plenty of institutions which exclude me, from the WI to working-men's clubs and I wouldn't wish it any other way. In the mean time I'll potter round with my red duster as I'm too lazy or tight to join the CA or other warranted clubs.

 

[paddywackcocker]

I think they look quite nice, I bought one and fly it when the mood takes me. Never had any probs or even a fine. Still put out the good old red when going ferther afeild and wont to fit in, /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Lizzie_B]

Thought we did quite well at the last world championships.

 

[Rabbie]

Does that include the Army?

 

[Lizzie_B]

anyway - just what is so special about wearing a blue ensign ?

It's the ability to raise a great huffin and a puffin of indignation in some people whenever they see one. I for one, am glad to disturb the tranquility of such people's sundowners. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Lizzie_B]

Yep! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Searush]

[ QUOTE ]
anyway - just what is so special about wearing a blue ensign ?

It's the ability to raise a great huffin and a puffin of indignation in some people whenever they see one. I for one, am glad to disturb the tranquility of such people's sundowners. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Now how sad is that, your favoured source of entertainment is annoying other people! Perhaps you should fly a yellow Quarantine flag so we know to avoid you?







(yes, I know it is actually requesting practique, rather than quarantine but why let facts get in the way, no-one else seems to - especially in this thread)

 

[Poignard]

Mine's getting a bit tattered, and I probably wouldn't have bothered replacing it, but having seen how it irritates the chippies I'm going to buy a new one!

 

[Lizzie_B]

Yer didn't need to by one. I could have lent you my spare! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Lizzie_B]

Not annoying other people - I think anyone who is genuinely annoyed because someone is flying a different coloured ensign will always find something to be annoyed by.

Heavens to Betsy, I've even invited those who fly the Cornish Ensign to help empty the booze locker!!
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BurnitBlue]

It is not exclusive all you have to do is serve your country for a short period.

......................................................

I served in the Royal Air Force for nine years. Seriously though, many people serve their country in one form or another. Mothers bringing up scores of children spring to mind.

I remember an occasion in Germany some years ago when Mercedes Benz owners took the insignia off their cars to look cool. When the Volkswagen and Opel car owners did the same, the Mercedes Benz stuff went back PDQ.

I would guarantee that if most people made the effort to obtain a warrant and wear the Blue then most of the present Blue “flaggers” would switch to Red. QED.

Anyway, this is getting away from my main point in that, as there is a choice of British Maritime Ensigns out there, I would like the freedom to choose which one to wear depending on my mood of the day. Tomorrow looks like being a lousy weather day so forget the white I mentioned earlier; I’ll wear the tatty sun bleached pink one. With pride.

 

[BurnitBlue]

but having seen how it irritates the chippies I'm going to buy a new one!
.......................................

I'm not irritated in the slightest. wear a bed sheet on the stern of your boat for all I care. What does bother me is the dishonesty in the motives that are given for wearing a Blue or a White. Cut to the chase. It is pure snobbery. Admit it and mark one up for honesty and people will respect you for it.

All I ask is to remove the warrant system so that anyone (mothers included) can wear what legal flag they want. Anytime they want.

 

[Lizzie_B]

I think that's fine, although historically of course the red is senior to the blue. I don't think most of the blue flaggers I meet would care who was flying what. In fact the 'stuffed shirts' tend to be the ones flying them withoput entitlement.
It was no bother to get my pernit, and I happened to join my club for the cheap Solent moorings and use of a good variety of club boats.All for £24 a year. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I got my blue initially cos it matched the colour of my boat better /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I also served in the RAF. If I'd wanted be exclusive I could have flown the RAFSA ensign which is probably the most exclusive of all., Followed by those with defaced reds. Blues are not particularly exclusive by comparison.

I think the biggest stuffed shirts are those who get aereated because someone is flying a blue ensign. Perhaps they feel left out. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BurnitBlue]

I agree completey. I always find these Blue Flag threads interesting mainly because of the outrageous positions taken when all it takes is to admit that good old british class system snobbery has trickled down to ordinary folk with a flag who then justify a false sense of worth with an unsupportable defence instead of admitting that its nothing less than an ego trip and I wrote that lot without one punctuation mark. And I have just found the "edit" button.

 

[tome]

My back-of-a-fag-packet observations are that I've met more snotty blue ensign owners over the years than either white or red, but there are plenty of exceptions both ways. And it could just be that I take more note of blue ensigns as I don't think the colour looks so good on boats as either the white or red

Saw a modest sailing boat rafted in Weymouth a few weeks back wearing the white, so member of RYS. Lovely old boy on board who appeared in his dressing gown and was enjoying the company of the boats around him. The white ensign with it's bold St Georges cross in red looks very pretty to my eye

But the red duster does it all for me and implies no seniority over my fellow sailors

(should add that I also have an entitlement to wear the defaced blue of CA as a member but don't)