showing the right/wrong/no flag

dylanwinter

dylanwinter

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www.keepturningleft.co.uk
Flag virgin winter here.

Has anyone ever got into trouble for showing the wrong flag or no flag at all?

I don't generally fly an ensign because as a man who has raced more years than he has cruised I don't want the extra windage and it keeps on getting in the way of the camera (same reason I don't have dodgers). I also use the flag holder as a base for the tripod.

But what happens if you go to another country, say France, Ireland or Scotland (soon) and don't show a courtesy flag.

Does a man in a powerful skiff come up and tell you off or fine you.

Has anyone on this forum been fined or told off.

Do they police these things in Cherbourg or Ramsgate.

I think we should be told or is all this flag stuff a bucket on nonsense

I am dying to know.... and also fancy starting a stupidly long thread where I can engage with my fellow pedants

Dylan
 
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In France i have seen a fellow club member be told to fly a courtesy flag by the local Plod, And watch in anticipation as he argued his point and was lucky not to have been carted away for the weekend.

Arriving in Brazil (unexpectedly) We were advised to get a flag up quickly, even if it was homemade because the locals care. As the local conscripts guarding the port had guns and would take safety catch off as you passed, we did so.

In USA customs man asked if i had a courtesy flag. I did so don’t know what would have happened if i had said no. In the club, at 5 mins before sunset there was a cannon and all stand as the club flag is lowered, no talking please. At sunset all stand no talking and the stars & stripes is lowered. You would be an outcast if you did not stand or talked. I wish we did it here.
 
slug has no spreaders

so no-one knows anyone who has been fined yet

and another thing

the slug stick is so short it has no spreaders

where to I put the courtesy flag?

How upset would you be if I decided to fly the union flag from the stern of the slug?

so many wonderful things to worry about to distract me from dodgy gear boxes.

here are some more questions

some of my stainless steel is less than shiny - what is the best thing to clean it with and why should I bother?

am I a bad person for only having a hand held VHF on the slug?

Yours

slob of Wisbech
 
dylanwinter said:
How upset would you be if I decided to fly the union flag from the stern of the slug?
Click to expand...
Flying no flag, if you're a British boat pleasure craft in British waters, is perfectly OK. That still includes Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Cornwall, and the Isle of Wight.

I wouldn't give a flying ****, if you chose to fly the wrong flag, either, but you could, in theory have your flag confiscated (bet you're frightened now!).

And you could face quite a hefty fine. I think, off the top of my head, that it is up to £5000. And there's a long list of people who are entitled to start proceedings.

But it doesn't happen very often.
 
Here in Turkey, the national flag is extremely important and flying of the Turkish courtesy flag (from the starboard spreader as usual) is absolutely mandatory. Inspections by coastguard in marinas are regular we hear (although not seen since we arrivede 8 months ago) and tatty or faded national flags are instructed to be replaced!! National flag always must fly higher than any other flag - other presumably than masthead burgees.

A trifle extreme perhaps, buts thats the way they like it.

Bottom line, whatever country you visit, you are exactly that, a visitor - courtesy costs little really.

On the other extreme, last month we saw several charter boats around Datca with Greek courtesy flags up berthed on quays in Turkish villages. No-one commented, and no-one was carted off to the local nick. Our guess was they thought they were still in Greece!!

I agree I am a bit old fashioned in this respect - I actually flew Jersey and Gibraltar courtesy flags when visiting last year. Again, a bit extreme, possibly.

On ensigns, we always fly our ensign, and even take down at sun down and put back on transom in the morning (not necessarily at dawn, I might add) Amongst all the other ensigns around these parts, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, USA (Turkish flag of convenience), Turkish and Russian, its is a strong sign of identity, especially when away from UK waters.

Bottom line, personal choice
 
This rainy weather will go over soon, Dylan and the sun will come out.

Then you will find plenty to keep you occupied rather than worrying about flags and stained stainless steel.
 
I don't think Dylan is planning to visit Turkey ;)

He needs to be aware that unless he flies the Cornish courtesy flag when he gets there, the wreckers will lure him onto the rocks & remove all the valuable items from the Slug.

Mind you at his current rate he will have around 20 years to save up for one :D
 
cocunut milk and no fines

brilliant

I always carry cocunut milk on the slug - so no problems

- but I don't drink tea so if some-one could send me a second hand tea bag I would be most grateful

Dylan Winter

23, botyl Road,

MK18 2LP

and

still no-one knows anyone who has actually been fined then for not showing a courtesy flag

so far the fines are tittle tattle and do not exist

pleased about the fact that I am correct half the time because I don't fly the ensign at night either

nor during the day of course but its good to be half right ratehr than half wrong

feeling better about my gearbox already

Dylan
 
my compass is cheap

SimbaDog said:
I don't think Dylan is planning to visit Turkey ;)

He needs to be aware that unless he flies the Cornish courtesy flag when he gets there, the wreckers will lure him onto the rocks & remove all the valuable items from the Slug.

Mind you at his current rate he will have around 20 years to save up for one :D
Click to expand...

so it is possible I might end up in Turkey

as for the valuables on the slug....

the only valuable bits are the cameras - worth about five times the value of the slug

sadly they will be severely reduced in value during the wrecking process

there is usually half a bottle of scotch on board if its not too strong a grog for the the local Corns who usually drink some sort of apple based drink designed for ladies I beleive

Dylan
 
Sadly Mr Winter this is the sort of thing that a gentleman naturally knows Bit like which cutlery to use when and what sort of buttons to have on your blazer and who is senior club officer present to decide when flags, ensign and tenants should be raised or lowered

I blame all this secodary modern education but suppose giving women the vote started the rot
 
State grammar school

state run grammar boarding school

accounts for my mixed up values

know about cutlery

no-longer own a blazer

know that flags should be taken down at night - makes them last twice as long for starters and no point in having a perfectly good flag flap itself to death when no-one can see it

But might be tempted by a new ensign

for the stern of the slug

any suggestions chaps

Dylan
 
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