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Unlubberizing flags, banners and pennants, Part I
Hot darn, a whole batch of super critical proof readers. My lucky day.
Spelling and syntax errors aside, anybody see where I made a factual faux paus in the following text? I believe this is completely accurate, but I'd rather have a couple dozen people spot an error than get a hundred nit-picky letters. :-) ********** Unlubberizing Flags and Pennants Part 1- The Ensign Many boaters have difficult relationships with flags, banners, and pennants. It isn't at all unusual to see a perfectly polished multi-million-dollar megayacht charge past with colors inappropriately selected or improperly displayed. There can't be a financial explanation for the presence of a dinky little 24-inch flag, (flapping like a shameful afterthought), on a 65-foot yacht, yet such a sad sight will not be uncommon as more of the larger boats begin venturing out from covered moorages and boat houses throughout the Pacific NW. We often encounter boats flying flags in an arrangement hat historically indicates "This Canadian vessel has been seized as a prize by an American naval officer, who is now aboard and in command." No class of vessel appears t be exempt from improper or inappropriate display of national jacks and ensigns, courtesy flags, burgees, and private signals. Large motoryachts, small runabouts, power and sailboats of all descriptions are frequently guilty of lubberly flag and signal display. Most of us have some lubberly little secrets; aspects of boating where we have substantial room for improvement. In many cases, our lubberisms are out of sight. The curiously plotted charts with the toddler's crayon doodles and the breakfast cereal stains are tucked away in the chart drawer. The rat's nest of wires with questionable connections is stuffed up behind the helm. Hidden away in the engine room or the lazarette are the quick and dirty patch jobs we have resolved to "improve" as time allows, and we pretend to be entirely and absolutely sure that nobody (or almost nobody like to recognize us) really saw us go aground on that "uncharted" mud bank last summer. A lot of our lubberly errors are expressed in quiet little whispers, but a breech of flag etiquette is announced by brightly colored signals hoisted high into the wind where the ignorance or mistake is called to the amused or disdainful attention of one and all. With the spring boating season approaching, many of us would benefit from a quick review of flag etiquette. There's no reason to look more lubberly than necessary. We'll present a series of short refresher articles, beginning with the proper selection and display of the national ensign, continuing March 15 with courtesy flags, officer flags and private signals and ending with a discussion of "dressing ship" in the April 12 issue, (just in time for Opening Day). Choosing the appropriate flag or ensign: Pleasure boats in the US are not actually required to fly flags of any sort. A previous rule that required documented vessels to fly the "yacht ensign" has been relaxed, so a US pleasure boat underway without a flag is not in violation of any laws or protocols as long as the boat remains in US waters. Even so, the majority of boaters are inspired by pride and patriotism to fly our national colors. One of the first opportunities to run afoul of proper maritime flag etiquette occurs at the marine supply store. There are no less than five different "ensigns" to choose from. Members of the United States Power Squadron (USPS) or the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary may fly specialized ensigns, with the one of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Ensigns reserved for circumstances where the vessel is actually operating under Coast Guard orders. Fortunately, boaters not affiliated with the USPS or the USCG Auxiliary need only (and can only) choose properly between the two most common ensigns. The safest and most versatile selection is the "merchant", or national ensign. This is the same 50-star, thirteen stripe US flag that flies on all government offices, most public buildings, and that is commonly flown at private residences on patriotic holidays. It is appropriate to fly the merchant ensign on any US pleasure craft, and as the official US flag it is the only choice for proper display when cruising on the high seas or in foreign waters. Many boaters prefer the saltier looks of the "yacht ensign", which is essentially the US national flag with a fouled anchor and a circle of 13 stars replacing the usual 50 white stars in the blue field. The ensign is sometimes referred to as the "Betsy Ross" flag. At one time, use of this flag was restricted to documented yachts in US waters, and documented yachts were actually required to fly it. The rules have been relaxed to allow any boat, Coast Guard documented or state titled, to fly the "yacht ensign" and documented vessels may now choose to fly the yacht ensign, the merchant ensign, or no flag at all in US waters. Puget Sound area boaters vacationing in Canadian waters should not use the yacht ensign outside of US territory. This breech of flag etiquette and international protocol ranks high on the list of lubberly flag flubs. US cruisers who prefer to use the yacht ensign in local waters should also carry the merchant ensign for use where it is the only appropriate flag. Following the selection of the proper design(s), a consideration of almost equal importance is choosing an ensign of appropriate size and scale for the boat. The national flag should not be so small that it is difficult to see, nor so oversized that it looks undignified or perhaps contacts the surface of the water. The standard rule of proportion calls for the length of the "fly" (the long top and bottom edges of the flag rectangle) to be about one inch for each foot of boat length. A small runabout could use an 18-inch flag, while a 60-foot yacht will require a flag about 5-feet in length to achieve a proper appearance. The dimensions of the "hoist" (the vertical left and right edges of the flag rectangle) will be proportional to the fly, so choosing the proper length will automatically provide a flag with appropriate height. In cases where no flag is available in the precise 1/12 scale, it is customary to opt for the next larger size rather than to step down to a flag that will look too small. Flags just barely too large look far better than flags rather obviously too small. Flying the ensign with honor: A popular myth prevailing among a good many shorebound Americans is that our national flag should never fly at a lower altitude than any other flags or pennants displayed at the same location. In practice, on most boats, the ensign will seldom be flown above yacht club burgees, officer flags, or private signals. Aboard commercial or military sailing vessels, the place of greatest prestige and from which the ship's officers would customarily command was the quarterdeck, located most aft. A ship's national colors would typically fly from the rigging above the quarterdeck, where the officers literally "served under" their country's flag. Commission pennants, officer's pennants, and a variety of signal flags were customarily flown at the mastheads, and all were considered of lesser stature than the national ensign or naval "jack" flying lower and aft but directly above the deck of greatest command importance. Most powerboats and many sailboats properly display the merchant or yacht ensign on a sternrail or transom staff. The staff should be of sufficient length and appropriate angle. Most likely reflecting a tradition that began when nearly all boats were hand steered with a rudder; the stern staff is customarily offset somewhat to starboard. The stern staff should not be located so that the flag will directly subjected to the engine exhaust. Sloops can display the ensign about 2/3 of the way up the "leech" of the mainsail, while multi-masted schooners, yawls, and ketches can use either a stern staff or display the ensign in the aftmost rigging in a manner similar to that of a sloop. Some power cruisers are equipped with short signal masts on the cabintop, or are rigged with spreaders for a mast and boom. It seems tempting, and almost appears logical to fly the national ensign from one of the spreaders, but unless the rigging includes a "gaff" the proper location for the US yacht or merchant ensign remains at the stern rail. Offshore sportfishermen can properly display the ensign from a hoist aft of the flybridge or "tuna" tower, a practical concession to the fact that a stern staff would be a general nuisance when game fishing from the cockpit. Next issue, Part II: Burgees, courtesy flags, officer flags, private signals. |
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Unlubberizing flags, banners and pennants, Part I
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