Which ensign when and where?

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Some of you have read that I am about to take a Galway registered Rodman 1250 from Santander to Madeira.

Which ensign should I fly? Red or the standard Irish flag or something totally different
I am assuming that I wil fly this from the port quarter? There is no ensign staff holder so I will need to mount this in one of the rod holders.

Next what courtesy flags. I am guessing a Spanish flag of approximately half the size of the main ensign when in Spanish waters and the Portuguese flag when in their waters?
I am also guessing that fairly high on the starboard side would be appropriate? Maybe up on the raised outrigger?

Finally where can I buy all of the above in a real hurry (need them here for Friday)?

Any of you have cruised Internationally a little more often than I have are very welcome to provide input! Please!
 
Irish ensign that should be with the boat. Make sure you have all the correct paperwork, particularly the registration document, insurance, permission from owner.

spanish and Portuguese courtesy flags are available from just about any decent chandlers for only a few £s each - Force 4 or Piplers in Poole stock them.
 
Yup, you wear (as opposed to "fly", being pedantic) the ensign of the country in which the boat is registered. Thats the Irish GW+G national flag in your case. It should be worn at the stern but there is no rule about the port quarter. Most boats wear it on the centreline, and the starboard quarter is equally good as the port quarter

Courtesy flag of the country in whose waters you are sailing should as you say be flown (not worn!) from a starboard spreader. Mobos often use the radar bracket stuff or the vhf whip aerial. If you are flying any other courtesy flags they should not be above this flag, and normally would be on the port side but at this stage you're getting into lots of detail

Good luck with the trip
 
As Tranona says above

Dont forget the paperwork.
My insurance company always gives me the certificate in several languages.
In my experience, Portugal was the most pedantic about paperwork.
Especially in Cascais - insurance checked very carefully from memory.
 
. . . . Next what courtesy flags. . . .

Even though you are leaving from Galway on the west coast, along with the Spanish and Portuguese flags, you might like to think of the problems if you are blown off course and have to seek safe haven in the UK, France or Morocco? :rolleyes:

I trust you have the charts?

I wish you a safe passage (lucky begger). :)
 
Passage charts being fedex'd by Kelvin Hughes and courtesy flags collected this morning.

Slightly concerned that a fairly experienced delivery skipper has just commented that with the extra fuel on deck we won't make the 18 / 20 knots fast cruise I was hoping for which will mean triple the overall journey time (hey ho, that will be a good sun tan then). We shall know more by Sunday morning.

Thanks for the input chaps. I kind of had the answers, but it's nice to have them confirmed.

Tom
 
Passage charts being fedex'd by Kelvin Hughes and courtesy flags collected this morning.

Slightly concerned that a fairly experienced delivery skipper has just commented that with the extra fuel on deck we won't make the 18 / 20 knots fast cruise I was hoping for which will mean triple the overall journey time (hey ho, that will be a good sun tan then). We shall know more by Sunday morning.

Thanks for the input chaps. I kind of had the answers, but it's nice to have them confirmed.

Tom

Won't be quite as bad as you think Tom. You'll soon use the extra fuel and progressively be back up to full speed.
 
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