What happen's if I fly a blue or a white ensign?

skodster

skodster

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What would happen to me if I were to fly a blue or white ensign (not a burgee) on my old boat?

My wife prefers the colour to the usual red ones.

Would I be arrested? Or jailed? Or hasn't the Royal Navy got the boats or manpower to chase after me before I disappear into the mist?

Only joking about flying it but really, what in reality would happen?
 
Thunderbolt?

Nothing probably. But you just wouldn't be playing the game. I have a warrent for a blue but chose to fly a red because I've got a nice big one and I like big flags. I always think Dutch boats look fine with their often massively oversized ensigns.
 
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/21/section/4

4 Penalty for carrying improper colours.

(1)If any of the following colours, namely—
(a)any distinctive national colours except—
(i)the red ensign,
(ii)the Union flag (commonly known as the Union Jack) with a white border, or
(iii)any colours authorised or confirmed under section 2(3)(b); or
(b)any colours usually worn by Her Majesty’s ships or resembling those of Her Majesty, or
(c)the pendant usually carried by Her Majesty’s ships or any pendant resembling that pendant,are hoisted on board any British ship without warrant from Her Majesty or from the Secretary of State, the master of the ship, or the owner of the ship (if on board), and every other person hoisting them shall be guilty of an offence.

(2)A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) above shall be liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum;
(b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine.
(3)If any colours are hoisted on board a ship in contravention of subsection (1) above, any of the following, namely—
(a)any commissioned naval or military officer,
(b)any officer of customs and excise, and
(c)any British consular officer,may board the ship and seize and take away the colours.

(4)Any colours seized under subsection (3) above shall be forfeited to Her Majesty.
(5)In this section “colours” includes any pendant.
 
If you fly all three, red, white and blue, you could claim to be a Monarchist overcome with post jubilee, jubilant jubilation. Oh fraptious joy.
 
Who on earth would want to fly a blue one, so common, practically plebeian, especially when one can fly a much prettier red one?
 
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dunedin said:
And just how many people have been fined for this in the last 10 years say?
Click to expand...
Very few I'd say. But I think the numbers would represent just how many people actually fly an ensign their not entitled too. Blues and whites aren't sold in every chandlery like the red is and i think very few who don't know the technicalities would go to the trouble of acquiring one.
 
skodster said:
What would happen to me if I were to fly a blue or white ensign (not a burgee) on my old boat?
Click to expand...

I suspect you'd want to exercise a wee drop of caution in which of your neighbours you let see you posing as a member of the 'Brit officer class'. There's a few places around your neck of the woods - Ardglass being one of them - where folks have long memories and short tempers. I take it you wouldn't care to fly the Irish tricolour.... ;)
 
That's interesting. About a month ago I had my red ensign stolen in Glenarm, further north up the same coast. I normally stow it at night, but I had quite a rough passage up and I don't like rolling it up when wet so I had left it out. I didn't notice until some hours after I had departed that it was no longer there.
 
No-has yet come up with the answer to how many have been fined.
Lots of people proudly announcing you's be liable to a fine.
You are also liable to a fine for riding a bike on the pavement. Loads of people do it. How many get fined?
 
Lakesailor said:
No-has yet come up with the answer to how many have been fined.
Lots of people proudly announcing you's be liable to a fine.
You are also liable to a fine for riding a bike on the pavement. Loads of people do it. How many get fined?
Click to expand...

It happens around Cambridge, usually if the offence is aggravated (say riding recklessly in a pedestrian area). We do have more than the usual number of bikes around. But it certainly happens, and people tend to be quite vociferous about it; riding bikes on some pavements is quite anti-social. OK if it's a toddler or small child, but NOT OK if it's a student tearing along!

It isn't in the same league as wearing the wrong flag. Others can, perhaps, assist, but I thought that most chandlers wouldn't sell you a blue or white ensign without sight of a warrant? And as others have pointed out, it is actually illegal to fly one of these ensigns without a warrant. Silly or not, that's the law.
 
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