SURWAYA
New member
ARE THE BRITISH MARITME AUTHORITIES AWARE THAT THE RED ENSIGN IS MERELY A FLAG OF CONVENIENCE FOR MANY LEISURE VESSELS IN THE MED. MY WIFE AND I ARE CURRENTLY CRUISING THE IONIAN. THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER WE'VE BEEN AMAZED BY THE NUMBER OF SAILING AND MOTOR YACHTS FLYING THE RED ENSIGN WITHOUT ENGLISH SPEAKING CREWS. WHEN WE'VE QUESTIONED THE PRACTICE MOST CREWS HAVE DUCKED OUR PRYING. SOME, HOWEVER, HAVE BEEN MORE BOLD AND BEEN HAPPY TO STATE THAT THEY FLY THE RED ENSIGN TO AVOID THE HASSLES ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR OWN FLAG. THE GREEKS FROM ATHENS IN OUR EXPERIENCE ARE PARTICULARLY GUILTY. IT'S NO WONDER THAT THERE HAS BEEN A MARKED INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BONA FIDE BRITISH YACHTS FLYING VERY LARGE NATIONAL FLAGS, ST GEORGE CROSSES ETC IN PROMINENT POSITIONS. THE RED ENSIGN SEEMINGLY HAS NO MORE CREDENCE THAN OTHER FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE - MONROVIA ETC. DOES ANYBODY CARE?
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