What courtesy flag in Shetland?

[tsadpt]

This is quite a good article on the whole minefield that is Courtesy flags:

http://www.fotw.net/flags/xf-cour.html

A quote from this page:

"the first rule on the topic is not to cause offense to the host country. Thus, avoiding an improper courtesy flag is (and has always been) of the prime importance. The visitor is paying tribute to his hosts."

 

[Tidewaiter2]

Resentment - not really. Sometimes a bit of rivalry, especially when it comes to football (or handball). But nothing serious as I understand it. I have good friends in both countries and even brought my present boat from Sweden in 2010.
But I do understand the tensions in UK - both from many visits and also from reading history. It can be quite a challenge make people understand, that you may not agree with what your ancestors may have done 200 years ago, let alone be responsible for with what they have done in past times.
Peace on earth!

Lief,
if you ever get further South, the Cornish, and Devonians have their own, not sure if Dorset has one yet, then, of course, each of the Channel Islands has their own, as do the Scilly Isles, the Normans and Bretons. Each of the Dutch Friesian islands has their own too.

You can only carry so many, but they make nice memory joggers in the winter on a cold wet afternoon on the boat

 

[brokethebox]

My own opinion on flag etiquette is probably the same as the more liberal of you here - I find that it has good value of you show a little respect for the locals by taking the time to go and find out their local flag and flying it. Many a harbourmaster will look kindly on your berthing fees if you turn up sporting an isle of man flag or a Breton one or indeed a Shetland one.

I think that it's far from insulting to have taken ye time to find out more about your intended destination than to use a cover all red ensign.

Just my opinion

J

 

[Quandary]

The responses above seem to indicate more concern about the flags and emblems protocol than really exists, at least until you get a lot further south than Scotland. Here we get lots of Danish boats passing through each summer, some fly a saltire and some a red ensign as a courtesy flag and some fly none at all. No one notices or really cares, it is just nice to see your national flag at the stern so that we can exhibit some hospitality. Many boats coming the other way these days fly a conglomerate courtesy flag covering the Celtic nations of the West coast of Europe from Brittany northward, it incorporates Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland and Scotland in six segments, the sixth segment varies depending where you buy it, like all these county and local flags it is just a bit of fun though I am sure it must irritate some of the purists. The main purpose is like the courtesy flags which are left up all season, to decorate the boat and impress with how far you have travelled.
Fly your national flag, it is more respected than the EEC ensigns sported by some visiting boats and will tell us that you are not likely to be a vegan, if you want to play with courtesy ensigns choose whatever you fancy, no one in the Northern Isles or the rest of Scotland will be too bothered. Myself, I would save the money and spend it on some malt whisky, where and what to buy deserves a thread of its own.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Fly your national flag, it is more respected than the EEC ensigns sported by some visiting boats and will tell us that you are not likely to be a vegan, if you want to play with courtesy ensigns choose whatever you fancy, no one in the Northern Isles or the rest of Scotland will be too bothered. Myself, I would save the money and spend it on some malt whisky, where and what to buy deserves a thread of its own.

You surprise me Quandary - after some of your ABE comments in the other place, I would have thought you'd be demanding that visitors wore kilts never mind flew the Saltire . And as for flying a Shetlands flag Claymores at dawn.

But I'm curious. Why should an EU ensign suggest veganism? In my experience there are far more lentil eating veggie / vegans here in the UK than you would ever find in say France or Italy.

Incidentally, should not the OP fly the White Rose of Yorkshire if he came that far south. After all, its got more people than Scotland and twice as many as Wales. Its even got its own local language - Bengali.

 

[Quandary]

I find it hard to keep my tongue out of my cheek, so perhaps you take me a bit too seriously, every time I see a Danish flag it makes me think of bacon, my favourite food, (good product marketing?) despite this we always buy Scottish bacon.
Incidentally; I fly a red ensign when I go cruising, except in Carnlough, I hope you do not mind; hopefully in 2015, if I am still sailing I will be flying a Saltire.

 

[RivalRedwing]

Lief,
if you ever get further South, the Cornish, and Devonians have their own, not sure if Dorset has one yet, then, of course, each of the Channel Islands has their own, as do the Scilly Isles, the Normans and Bretons. Each of the Dutch Friesian islands has their own too.

You can only carry so many, but they make nice memory joggers in the winter on a cold wet afternoon on the boat

I hear the Isle of Wight is considering one too.... a 99 flake on a sandy yellow background......

 

[Stork_III]

But I'm curious. Why should an EU ensign suggest veganism? In my experience there are far more lentil eating veggie / vegans here in the UK than you would ever find in say France or Italy.

Would ever find a french or italian sailor wearing a EU flag (not ensign, EU is not a maritime NATION). If you see one it will be a belgian.

 

[ctva]

... Many boats coming the other way these days fly a conglomerate courtesy flag covering the Celtic nations of the West coast of Europe from Brittany northward, it incorporates Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland and Scotland in six segments, ...

Maybe it's not being observant, but I've never seen one of these. Do you have a pic?

 

[Quandary]

Maybe it's not being observant, but I've never seen one of these. Do you have a pic?

Aaah. you want one?
Go to www.flyingcolours.org/product-detail.php?ID=1739 and look for ' Celtic Nations' they have them in a range of sizes from 45x 30cm. upwards. Also big cheap ones on Ebay.
BTW The sixth 'nation' is the good old Isle of Man.

 

[Leif-J]

Aaah. you want one?
Go to www.flyingcolours.org/product-detail.php?ID=1739

Thanks for the link Quandary. Had been looking for somewhere to buy my Shetland flag, and there it is!
Might as well buy me a Saltire as well, one never knows, where we could end up.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Would ever find a french or italian sailor wearing a EU flag (not ensign, EU is not a maritime NATION)..

Nor will you ever see them contemplating self determination for or accepting nationalism in small regions.

P.S. This post is an example of LWS ....... (Lounge Withdrawal Symptoms).

 

[Fascadale]

Nor will you ever see them contemplating self determination for or accepting nationalism in small regions.

I'm not sure that you are entirely correct: the Northern League is a growing force in Italian politics

 

[ccscott49]

Wow!

Just go to Portugal, France, Greece, Italy or Spain and not fly the correct courtesy flag, your wallet will suffer the consequences.
In Portugal you had better be flying the correct boats country ensign also. Quite a few have fallen to that little bit of buearocracy. Do a search.

 

[ctva]

Aaah. you want one?
Go to www.flyingcolours.org/product-detail.php?ID=1739 and look for ' Celtic Nations' they have them in a range of sizes from 45x 30cm. upwards. Also big cheap ones on Ebay.
BTW The sixth 'nation' is the good old Isle of Man.

More chips in that flag than in a chippy with a fresh delivery of chips!!!

 

[JayBee]

Just go to Portugal, France, Greece, Italy or Spain and not fly the correct courtesy flag, your wallet will suffer the consequences.
In Portugal you had better be flying the correct boats country ensign also. Quite a few have fallen to that little bit of buearocracy. Do a search.

Not sure you understand my reaction to what I consider to be intemperate language, highlighted in my post #10.

I have spent a lot of time on my boat in France, Portugal and Spain and have seen many instances of incorrect courtesy ensigns being flown by yachts, but have not been aware of any dire consequences for the offenders. I am not saying that this is never going to happen, but it isn't common and let's keep a sense of proportion.

I was in Povoa de Varzim for several months and regularly saw yachts arriving from Baiona and other Spanish ports with the Spanish courtesy ensign on the starboard spreader. Nobody seemed to mind too much and the flag was swapped for the correct one eventually.

Perhaps things have changed.

 

[JayBee]

Perhaps some flag etiquette expert will advise me which courtesy ensign I should have flown in the River Guadiana, the centreline of which delineates the border between Portugal and Spain?

Being a sensitive sort of chap, I pondered this ticklish problem for some time.

Eventually, not wishing to insult people on either bank of the river, or to have damage done to my wallet, I proceeded upstream, staying as far as possible in the middle of the river (at some risk of going aground, at times) flying the Spanish flag on the starboard spreader and the Portuguese one on the port spreader. I reversed this arrangement when returning downstream.

At anchor, when the yacht swung to the tide between 0800 and sunset I was obliged to change the flags over several times. It was worth it, to feel that I was doing my bit for International harmony and the reputation of British yachtsmen in these parts.

 

[Tidewaiter2]

It's the wight sowt of Cheps like you....

Perhaps some flag etiquette expert will advise me which courtesy ensign I should have flown in the River Guadiana, the centreline of which delineates the border between Portugal and Spain?

Being a sensitive sort of chap, I pondered this ticklish problem for some time.

Eventually, not wishing to insult people on either bank of the river, or to have damage done to my wallet, I proceeded upstream, staying as far as possible in the middle of the river (at some risk of going aground, at times) flying the Spanish flag on the starboard spreader and the Portuguese one on the port spreader. I reversed this arrangement when returning downstream.

At anchor, when the yacht swung to the tide between 0800 and sunset I was obliged to change the flags over several times. It was worth it, to feel that I was doing my bit for International harmony and the reputation of British yachtsmen in these parts.

..........that have made the Bwitish Empiwe* what it is today!
"The sun never sets, etc, etc,..the wight sowt of cheps who awe the wight sowt of cheps do the wight thing awtomatically because they awe the wight sowt of cheps, Dontcha know cheps?

*The one in Stepney Green is a furniture store last time I was down that way!

 

[JayBee]

In Portugal you had better be flying the correct boats country ensign also. Quite a few have fallen to that little bit of buearocracy....

Now why would a boat be flying the "wrong country" ensign?

This reminds me of a French flagged MOBO, which tied up really close astern of us, with no effective springs. Damaging contact with my Aries gear was certain. My wife, who speaks excellent French, translated my concerns to the skipper of said MOBO.

We were met by blank looks.

After a few minutes of this we slowly came to realise that the MOBOers were not French, but Portuguese!

It was explained to us later that this was some sort of VAT dodge involving boats bought in France and imported into Portugal. So, perhaps buggerall to do with good flag etiquette and more about tax evasion.

 

[jordanbasset]

Apologies