Flag etiquette with Tom Cunliffe
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- čas přidán 13. 02. 2023
- Ever wondered why some sailors bring in their ensigns at sunset? There's more to it that just tradition. And what about courtesy ensigns, house flags and the rest? Do we just string them up and leave them till they rot, or is there a more seamanlike way? It's all here in this short video, spiced up with a yarn or two as usual.
#Tom Cunliffe, #flag, #ensign, #sailing
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Had to laugh at "the local swindlery".
I like flags, tradition and etiquette! Trouble is, that no matter what you do, some old geezer will come up and tell you that you are doing it all wrong! From now on I will refer to this video, as the highest authority. Thanks Tom!
Just love listening to Tom explain things in his wonderful, storytelling manner and voice!
Well done Tom, we must keep old traditions going. I didn't realise you had such a connection to the 'Old Gaffers Association', it is good to see that flag flying. Happy sailing to you both.
Bless you Tom. Your ensign is super but not as super as the beauty at 1:40!! Now THAT is an ensign!! Your courtesy flag is fab...I've seen courtesy flags being flown that are dismally small...the size of a packet of cigarettes....I call them discourtesy flags. Best wishes from a misty Lulworth, Dorset.
i love this stuff, one day i shall have my own yacht and live by this example.
A very good Tuesday evening to you all from Wellington Somerset
Thanks! My friends and family think I'm weird when I'm strict about these things. It was engrained in me in the Royal Norwegian Navy.
A superb post. You’ve certainly put me straight on flag etiquette, thank you Tom 😁
God bless Tom, and God bless Robert ⚓⚓
My partner is from Latvia. When she's here I fly it high. When she goes I lower it half way for a day or two as a signal that ill be walking around like a lost puppy. Then away so it doesn't get weathered. Luckily it spends around 10 months flighting high.
As large as you can, without railing in the ogin
I love that!
It's also nice to fly the national flags of your crew or visitors on the port side under the spreaders!!
Enjoyed Mr Tom, good to see you up again! Thx, Andrew
Thank you Tom, thats the way to do it right, see you in the Baltic, greetings from Svendborg
"We have to remember who we are - and where we have come from". Sage words in these crazy days - of GPTChat4 - Artificial intelligence - and everyone and his dog has special rights... thanks Tom loved it..
That was really informative thankyou. Love the the local swindler🤣
Excellent video Tom, very interesting as always.
But how do us motorboaters (yes, some of us like to do things properly too) fly courtesy and club flags? It's very difficult on a vestigial mast. I would love to see your video guidance on this.
I fly a large burgee bent on to a 6 foot pig stick hoisted atop the mainmast on my ketch...as my low tech wind indicator.
Interesting consiece and informative. Thankyou.
Great post on a good naval tradition with indeed local differences: in Norway you can expect comments when you fly yr ensign after dawn!
Thanx for this clarity Tom
Do crochet flags count .?we have found most materials of Commercially made flags to retail fall short on longevity !
I like your discipline regarding the ensign . It seems to me to lend a thoughtful start to any day afloat 🙏🏾
Chaz n Gloria UFOII
I enjoyed this. Back in the day American friends of mine entertained themselves by sailing their 25-footer past anchored ships of the US Navy Pacific Fleet and dipping their ensign in salute. For many years they have dined out on how all the warships, including the mahoosive USS Nimitz, returned the courtesy.
I pleased to hear that. In many years in the merchant navy I have dipped the red duster to navy ships of many nationalities and have never seen a situation where the naval vessel did not reply in kind. But that was also back in the day ! Would they still do it now, I hope so.
Yes, have seen a super video of recent years in which an ex-RN Photographer whose small yacht I've been privileged to sail on, dipped his (blue) ensign to a huge RN ship which returned his courtesy in like manner.
Hi Tom, I found the video on the Q flag and have to admit that I have been doing it wrong. A simple explanation that makes sense. Thankyou.
I’m a Pill Hobbler Tom and I was shocked when you mentioned Hobbler from Shoreham! I didn’t think they were called that on the south coast? I know plenty of places in the Bristol Channel had Hobblers and in Dublin but as far as I’m aware we are the last surviving Hobblers who still pull ships ropes.
As for flag etiquette, well we don’t see many commercial ships flying a red ensign now..in fact it’s flown more as a courtesy flag now rather than being flown over the stern!
Another great and informative video, Tom, thank you. I was just wondering how and where motor yachts flew flags and burgees. Many years ago, sailing from the JSSTC in Black Arrow, we overnighted in Cowes and took our lead from the RYS. When the white ensigns went down, ours followed within seconds.
A friend used to call it "putting the Queen to bed" (or King, I suppose, now). It's nice to have a good quality ensign (and courtesy flags), the same as putting on a pair of shoes and clean shirt when clearing in at a foreign port.
I tend to be very conscientious about flag etiquette as well, as I think it is a fine tradition (and it was beaten into me in the Navy many years ago 😁). I have often wondered whether to strike my courtesy and house flags along with the ensign at evening colors, and I think I shall from now on. Regarding courtesy flags, I have also wondered what is proper/appropriate when entering the waters of a country that is a territory, protectorate, or some other official relation of another country. For example, if one sails into Martinique, would it be more appropriate to fly a Martinique courtesy flag, or would it be acceptable to fly the courtesy flag of France? Similarly, would one who was visiting one of the Channel Islands fly their ensign as a courtesy flag, or would the UK Red Ensign be perfectly appropriate?
One should fly the national flag as courtesy flag, not regional flags like the Martinique, Corsica, or Brittany ones. For the Channel islands, as far as I know the UK Red Ensign is the appropriate one.
As I understand it (happy to be corrected) Ensign is first to be raised and last lowered, courtesy flag raised and lowered accordingly.
"Fare you well you Sydney girls, its time for us to go. The Peter's at the fore truck, five thousand bales below." C. Fox Smith. Some of that wool would be made into bunting to sew Blue Peters, and Red Ensigns. Translucent against the light, Conrad said of the material that it would wear to the last shred.
A very interesting subject!
Gordon's Gin penant?
Your Culers shows where the ship is from. The Finnish maritan flag has a whit cross in the blu cross on the whit back and it has i interesting history. When Finland was a part of Ryssland ther ships need to flag where they are from so they got permission to flag the marin flag even the national flag was outlawed.
Nice video Tom but you never mentioned the quarantine flag and where and when to fly it.🤔🤔🤔🤔
That's a different matter, John. It's law, not custom. I made a video about the 'Q;' flag some years ago. It's on the channel if you search diligently. It doesn't quite answer your question, but you might enjoy it...
So proper. Far out. Thanks for lesson. Kiaora. Never New a Burgy is supposed to be flow from the top of a mast. How do you get it up there without Tangling in your main Halyard?
How does UK sailor handle position of the flag.
I thought that the flag should be at stern in the middle of the vessel. If this is not possible, than on the starbord side.
Tom you have the flag the port side - is UK different or it doesn't matter.
Hi Tom we have learned, when you bring your flag down the terytory country flag where you are also shall brought down. kind regards Alex
Does the burgee and or Club flags come down at sunset or leave them up overnight- I reckon it goes as the Courtesy flag.
If you take your ensign down, you should also take the courtesy flag down because there is a rule that says that no flag can be flying if the ensign is not flying. On my side of the Channel at least. Cheers. Love your videos.
Even a small ensign is getting expensive these days. And yes, if it’s out 24/7 it lasts about a year 😉
Does anyone have an opinion on courtesy flags with an unstayed mast?
You don’t fancy registering your yacht in Denmark Tom, since she’s based there?
I had read that flying the courtesy ensign signified you had cleared their customs.
What does one do when one's boat has an unstayed mast (ie. no shrouds or spreaders) as in a junk-rigged boat? Is there an "official protocol"? I would be interested to hear what you or your viewers have to say. Thanks very much.
Interesting but this will cause palpitations amongst the pink gin set! I fly a Welsh flag of course. I raise the St George’s cross as a courtesy when visiting England.
the pain of tom
What size ensign is best? Is there etiquette for this?
Hi Mike. Ideally, on a yacht, it should hang an inch or three clear of the water in no wind at all. That makes mine 2 yards and it seems about right. I built my ensign staff socket and its chock so that the staff was at the correct angle to accommodate this.
Thanks Tom!
Is it still etiquette to dip your ensign for a Royal Naval craft?
Yes, I sailed with an ex-RN Photographer who's entitled to fly a blue ensign, and he has a super video of him dipping it to a huge RN ship, who dipped theirs in return of the courtesy.
As far as I know, yes. and they should respond in like manner.
Nice video, Tom, but you missed Q flag! There are various opinions: 1) Fly Q alone until cleared in, then courtesy; 2) Fly Q over courtesy until cleared in; 3) Fly courtesy over Q until cleared in. I subscribe to (1), I wonder what you and any other commenters do? There is also an appalling "tradition" here in Germany, fortunately only practised by a few, to fly all the courtesy flags, one over another, of the countries visited. And this is done over a period, adding the latest flag on top of the others as a country is "ticked off".
You have to flag if you have gest or crew of a nother nachalty then your flag in the aft downt you. I suppose så that the custard can check passports and stuff. On whit side do you flag the amerikan flag or the Kurdish flag if you have a Kurdish national on board?
A little off topic (yes, I always fly the ensign at the near correct times on board and NEVER a tatty example) is the habit of residents of Denmark (particularly on Jutland) to fly the very long "burgee" from their farmhouse poles. This might be a reaction to the WW2 occupation but I've never asked my hosts. Perhaps you know, Tom.
Hi Alexander. Since keeping my yacht in Scandinavia and being impressed by the way the locals all fly long 'whimpels' from the flagpole at home, I have now done the same. I have one made in St George's colours and it looks great flying at the bottom of my garden. Thanks, Nordic friends!
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns Well done, Tom, for that "corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England"!
Next visit to Vest Stadil Fjord and I'll see what I can do with an Australian 'whimpel' at the EE138 site..
what if there are no spreaders?
Seize a small block about 2/3 of the way up the shrouds from the bottom. That worked well on a boat I had with no spreaders.
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarns thanku
Good video Mr C. I found points I agree with, and points I differ on.
I do fly a burgee at the spreaders - unless I have the right to fly a flag - ie a flag officer or past commodore. I wish too, that I had the discipline to take the colours up and down - but I find that beyond me every day.
I agree about ensigns however - and the need for a smart one. I don't see the respect in the "shabby chic" habit of wearing a faded pink ensign with a tatty fly and proudly boasting about its 20 years of service. It's just scruffy!
...and yes - nothing worse than a boat in foreign waters that doesn't show its host the respect of a courtesy ensign. In response to a question below - in Brittany, for example, we fly the Tricolore with a Brittany flag beneath it. Why not?
Another way of halving your flag costs is to only get an ensign that could cover half of an entire country :)
The rule for courtesy flags is: Do the same as with your own colours. Isn't it?
I thought the reason you leave your flag out, especially in quiet anchorages, is to show that being an English yachtsman, your on at least 5 to 1 of chain. It says, piss off and anchor as far away from me as you can! Cant beat plenty of swinging room.
Wouldn’t it be great if UK leisure craft were allowed to fly the Union flag, always jealous of other nations that fly their own national flag as an ensign.
I have no interest or respect for what some slave trader thought about flying a bloody flag, I keep mine in the shed.
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