Unlubberizing Flags and Pennants, Part II

Burgees, Courtesy Flags, Officer's Flags, Private Signals


Once the appropriate ensign has been selected and properly displayed,
many boaters will have a number of other flags to consider; burgees,
officer's flags, courtesy flags and private signals. (A cynic might
observe that on particular occasions some boaters have been known to
hoist extremely discourteous private signals, but we digress...)

A majority of our modern boating traditions began hundreds of years ago
in the disciplines of the British or American navies, (with the
Americans borrowing heavily and directly from the British). Flags and
pennants were used to differentiate ships that belonged to different
squadrons, and the ranking officer in a flotilla would order the flag
that specified his rank hoisted on the "flagship" from which he
commanded. Battle orders were communicated by several methods, but some
of the most detailed orders could be communicated very quickly to
several nearby vessels through the use of signal flags.

Burgees:

While recreational boaters won't have any need to issue or
acknowledge strategic battle orders or organize a line of fire, we
continue to form clubs and squadrons for social purposes. Members of
such organizations fly identifying signals known as "burgees" to
express a pride of organization, facilitate mutual recognition by other
members when cruising, and to request privileges when visiting
"reciprocal" clubs. Each yacht club or organization is free to
designate the size, shape, and design of its burgee, as well as to set
specific provisions for its display. In the interest of tradition and
uniformity, some general rules prevail.

Most burgees are triangular in shape, but some are swallow-tailed.
(Many private signals are swallow-tailed, and the prevailing use of
triangular burgees helps define the specific nature of the signal). As
with an ensign, there are some protocols for appropriate sizing of a
burgee. Sailing vessels will ordinarily use a burgee that has ½ -inch
of horizontal "fly" for every foot of height in the tallest mast.
Powerboats will ordinarily select a burgee that is ½"- 5/8" on the
fly for each foot of overall length. A sloop with a 30-foot mast would
choose a burgee approximately 15" on the fly, while a 38-foot
powerboat would commonly use a burgee just under 2-feet in length.

Burgees are properly displayed on a bow staff of any power or sailboat,
or at the masthead of a sailing vessel. The burgee should fly from the
top of the foremost mast on a vessel with multiple masts, or from the
primary mast on a yawl or ketch. It is not uncommon for sailors to fly
a club burgee from the starboard spreader. While strict nautical
tradition only permits the burgee on the starboard spreader if the
masthead is occupied with another flag, many clubs concede to the
practical considerations of rigging and other equipment and now accept
a starboard spreader display.

In common practice, a club burgee should not be displayed on a vessel
unless the boat is under the command of an actual club member. If Joe
Doakes belongs to the Mugwump Shoals Yacht Club and lends his 40-foot
Nautagain pilothouse to his cousin Maybelle, Maybelle should not fly
the Mugwump Shoals burgee unless she is also a member of the club.
However, if Joe Doakes charters a vessel for a week's cruise in the
Bahamas Joe would be free to display the Mugwump Shoals burgee. Burgees
generally follow the club member, not the boat.

Burgees are routinely flown day and night, while underway or at anchor.
Specific club rules or reciprocal moorage rules may require visiting
club members to fly a burgee at all times, but absent such a condition
burgees may, (at the owner's option) be raised and lowered during
daily colors. During a color ceremony, the ensign would be hoisted
before a club burgee and the club burgee would be retired prior to the
ensign.


Officer's Flags:

Officers in Sail and Power Squadrons or yacht clubs traditionally fly a
flag denoting their specific ranks or duties within the organization.
Flags depicting the highest ranks (for example, "Commodore" in most
yacht clubs) are customarily blue with white design while flags for
junior officers (for example "Vice Commodore" and "Rear
Commodore") will usually be red and white. Non-bridge officers, (such
as fleet captain, treasurer, secretary, etc) often fly flags of office
that are white with blue design. In some organizations, the bridge
officers use rectangular flags and the non-bridge officers' flags
(except fleet surgeon and fleet captain) will have swallowtails. The
blue, red, and white color schemes reflect the old "three squadron"
arrangement of the British Navy as well as the fact that the "Admiral
of the Fleet" displayed the "Union Flag" with a prominent blue
field to indicate his rank.

Officer's flags are properly displayed at the top of the signal mast
of any powerboats so equipped. Powerboats without designated signal
masts may fly an officer's flag from a radio antenna, positioned at
the approximate height where such a flag would be viewed if the vessel
were rigged with a signal mast. When rigging prevents the simultaneous
display of both the burgee and the officer's flag, it is also
acceptable to fly the officer's flag in place of the club burgee when
underway.


Private Signals:

Some common private signals include flags, banners, and pennants that
indicate corporate or fleet ownership of a vessel. For example, the
"White Star Line" flag that flew on the "Titanic" was a private
signal. Private signals may also be a an individually created personal
design or even one of the many "novelty" typically available from
marine supply stores and featuring mermaids, wine glasses, or other
embellishments. It is perfectly legal (and often deliberately silly) to
display the "skull and crossbones" as a private signal.

Many boaters will fly state flags, team flags, or fraternal
organization flags as private signals.


Courtesy Flags:

Boaters venturing into foreign waters are expected to fly the host
country's civil flag or national ensign from a place of honor. While
the term "courtesy flag" is appropriate, it implies voluntary
compliance. Certain countries will adopt a very dim view of any boater
not observing the protocol and stories continue to circulate about
boaters fined or otherwise punished for failing to display a courtesy
flag, or doing so improperly.

Rules and customs vary slightly in different countries throughout the
world, but in general the nation's courtesy flag is displayed after
the visiting vessel has cleared customs. Prior to customs clearance, a
visiting vessel should display the yellow "Q" or quarantine flag
(although the display of a "Q" flag is not required when a boat
travels between US and Canadian waters). Courtesy flags should be
retired as soon as a vessel leaves the foreign territorial waters, and
boats motoring into home port with a courtesy flag still flying are
among the more egregious examples of lubberism in the flag and banner
category.

Courtesy flags are properly displayed at the bow of any vessel, from
the starboard spreader of the most forward mast of a sailing boat, or
from the starboard spreader of the signal mast on a powerboat. When
rigging options limit the number of locations available for flags, the
courtesy flag should displace a club burgee (or any other flag except
the vessel's national ensign).

Courtesy flags should never be flown below another flag on the same
hoist. According to strict flag protocols, flying the Canadian Maple
Leaf under the US Stars and Stripes (for example) would indicate that
the vessel was Canadian, but had been captured as a prize during an act
of war and was currently under the command of an American officer. It
is easy to understand just how our Canadian friends and neighbors might
take umbrage at such a display.


*********************
Sidebar:

(use the Skull and Crossbones image)


Not so Jolly Roger


One of the more widespread misperceptions about novelty flags is that
most (or possibly any) pirate ships ever flew black flags with a skull
and crossbones. Alas, the image seems to have originated from the same
font of Hollywood distortion that encourages us to visualize every
cattle herding ranch worker of the 19th Century armed at all times with
a matched set of Colt .45 handguns and lightning-quick reflexes.

While the grinning skull on the phony pirate flags is now commonly
called "Jolly Roger", the term is actually an English corruption of
the French "Jolie Rouge" (approximately translated as "beautiful
red" flag). Passengers and crew aboard ships unlucky enough to be
hauled down by a pirate crew flying the solid, blood red "Jolie
Rouge" were under notice that unless the ship were surrendered
immediately the ensuing fight would be to the death, without quarter.

Shortwave Sportfishing wrote:
On 26 Feb 2006 10:54:37 -0800, wrote:


Courtesy flags should never be flown below another flag on the same
hoist. According to strict flag protocols, flying the Canadian Maple
Leaf under the US Stars and Stripes (for example) would indicate that
the vessel was Canadian, but had been captured as a prize during an act
of war and was currently under the command of an American officer. It
is easy to understand just how our Canadian friends and neighbors might
take umbrage at such a display.


Tough - damn Canadians.

Great article Chuck.

Yes we are 'tough'... don't make me prove it!