Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 14 Jan 2007 19:36:32 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

Unless you want to look the serious fool, my opinion would be to pass
on the skull and crossbones.

Your history is right - your opinion is silly and pretentious.

To fly a skull and crossbones is meaningless and fun - it supports the
fancy in us - the romance of the sea - the fun of pretending, just for
the moment, that the fantasy of "Pirates of the Caribbean" is the
reality and not the realism of fact.

To flat out state that a person flying a "Jolly Roger" isn't a serious
boater is a perfect example of being a pompous ass.

Damn man, loosen up.

A private signal is supposed to have some personal meaning. All I can
figure if a guy flys the skull and crossbone is that he and his crew
are pretending to hobble around on wooden legs, calling one another
"matey" and beginning every other sentence with "arrgh!"

If it's your opinion that "playing pirate" is consistent with being a
serious boater, you're entitled to it. If you're not playing pirate,
why flag a Hollywood pirate flag?

Sorry that I didn't bother responding to your personal attack(s) in
this thread with one of my own. Maybe I'm just too much the "pompous
ass" to get down in the mud with you, Tom.
I didn't intend to strike a nerve with anybody who cruises around with
the skull and crossbones hoisted- but you obviously assumed I was out
to insult you personally.

Damn man, loosen up.

About the only thing I can think of that would attract the attention of
the USCG by one flying a "Jolly Rodger" is what may accompany the flag,
like... trying to mount a .50 cal Browning (Ma-Duce) on the bow, or
fiddling around with a LAWS rocket.

But still, I think the flag would become second order



Chuck Gould wrote:
Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 14 Jan 2007 19:36:32 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

Unless you want to look the serious fool, my opinion would be to pass
on the skull and crossbones.

Your history is right - your opinion is silly and pretentious.

To fly a skull and crossbones is meaningless and fun - it supports the
fancy in us - the romance of the sea - the fun of pretending, just for
the moment, that the fantasy of "Pirates of the Caribbean" is the
reality and not the realism of fact.

To flat out state that a person flying a "Jolly Roger" isn't a serious
boater is a perfect example of being a pompous ass.

Damn man, loosen up.

A private signal is supposed to have some personal meaning. All I can
figure if a guy flys the skull and crossbone is that he and his crew
are pretending to hobble around on wooden legs, calling one another
"matey" and beginning every other sentence with "arrgh!"

If it's your opinion that "playing pirate" is consistent with being a
serious boater, you're entitled to it. If you're not playing pirate,
why flag a Hollywood pirate flag?

Sorry that I didn't bother responding to your personal attack(s) in
this thread with one of my own. Maybe I'm just too much the "pompous
ass" to get down in the mud with you, Tom.
I didn't intend to strike a nerve with anybody who cruises around with
the skull and crossbones hoisted- but you obviously assumed I was out
to insult you personally.

Damn man, loosen up.

Tim wrote:
About the only thing I can think of that would attract the attention of
the USCG by one flying a "Jolly Rodger" is what may accompany the flag,
like... trying to mount a .50 cal Browning (Ma-Duce) on the bow, or
fiddling around with a LAWS rocket.

But still, I think the flag would become second order


Consider this scenario.

You're assigned to a USCG safety patrol and responsible for boarding
recreational boats to inspect for compliance with safety regulations.
About the only way that your supervisor will be able to tell, for sure,
that you didn't spend the afternoon in a dockside watering hole will be
if you return with some citations and warnings written for various
infractions.

You put the glasses on three boats. The first looks pretty shipshape.
Fenders and lines are properly stowed, there's a USCG Auxiliary
inspection decal from just a year ago in the window, the national
ensign is properly displayed, and two kids visible on deck are both
wearing pfd's. The burgee flying from the jackstaff reminds you that
your commanding officer will be giving a speech at the particular
club's next general meeting.

The second is closer to, or maybe slightly below average. One fender is
hanging over the gunwale, the canvas cover on the dinghy is flapping
loose at a corner, nobody on deck is wearing a pfd, there are an
alarming number of people partying on the flybridge and you have to
wonder whether that brown bottle in the helmsman's fist contains root
beer or something stronger. There is a national ensign, properly
displayed.

The third is almost exactly like the second. But there is no ensign.
That's not a violation of course because nothing requires a boater to
fly the ensign. However, flying from a transom staff is a fresh out of
the dime store package "pirate flag" instead.

If you were hoping to write as many citations or warnings as possible,
which of these three
vessels would you choose to board? To me, the pirate flag would be a
tip off that the owner of the boat was taking an exceptionally
frivolous approach to the pastime. I'd start with the boat where all
the drunks thought they were pirates, but that's just my opinion. Your
mileage may vary.

You put the glasses on three boats. The first looks pretty shipshape.
Fenders and lines are properly stowed, there's a USCG Auxiliary
inspection decal from just a year ago in the window, the national
ensign is properly displayed, and two kids visible on deck are both
wearing pfd's. The burgee flying from the jackstaff reminds you that
your commanding officer will be giving a speech at the particular
club's next general meeting.

Yes but what if the first boat were the one flying the Pirate flag? What if
a person makes sure their boat is in exellent shape gets it checked out
regularly and follows all safety regulations? Do you feel that the CG would
still choose to inspect them and write up a warning? The three boats are not
the same so the example does not really work. I see your point, it's like
driving down the street blasting "Cop Killer" and rolling a stop sign. The
cop is going to pull you over and harass you but I don't think that the Jolly
roger has quite the same effect.

One other question for a serious lng time boater (no insult or sarcasm
intended). If a person were to design thier own "pirate" flag and fly it as
part of a group of friends that all consider themselves to be sort of an
informal club, would you see that as being in poor taste or for non serious
boaters? You say that it is okay to fly a flag from your club but could the
"Jolly Roger" or any other pirate flag be considered the flag of a loosley
associated club of people that enjoy that aspect of boating and the idea that
they share in some beliefs as a pirate. If I design my own flag and a few of
my freinds, be they boaters or not, all fly the same one and identify with it
as a mark of our binding beliefs and freindship, then couldn't we be
considered a club and therfore hold just as much validity to our flag as any
more official boating club?

I'm really curious as to how you might feel about this.

--
Message posted via BoatKB.com
http://www.boatkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/boats/200701/1

scbafreak via BoatKB.com wrote:
You put the glasses on three boats. The first looks pretty shipshape.
Fenders and lines are properly stowed, there's a USCG Auxiliary
inspection decal from just a year ago in the window, the national
ensign is properly displayed, and two kids visible on deck are both
wearing pfd's. The burgee flying from the jackstaff reminds you that
your commanding officer will be giving a speech at the particular
club's next general meeting.

Yes but what if the first boat were the one flying the Pirate flag? What if
a person makes sure their boat is in exellent shape gets it checked out
regularly and follows all safety regulations? Do you feel that the CG would
still choose to inspect them and write up a warning? The three boats are not
the same so the example does not really work. I see your point, it's like
driving down the street blasting "Cop Killer" and rolling a stop sign. The
cop is going to pull you over and harass you but I don't think that the Jolly
roger has quite the same effect.


I've never seen a boat that meets the rest of the description flying a
skull and crossbones.
Doesn't mean there isn't one out there someplace, exceptions prove the
rule by virtue of the fact that they are exceptions.




One other question for a serious lng time boater (no insult or sarcasm
intended). If a person were to design thier own "pirate" flag and fly it as
part of a group of friends that all consider themselves to be sort of an
informal club, would you see that as being in poor taste or for non serious
boaters? You say that it is okay to fly a flag from your club but could the
"Jolly Roger" or any other pirate flag be considered the flag of a loosley
associated club of people that enjoy that aspect of boating and the idea that
they share in some beliefs as a pirate. If I design my own flag and a few of
my freinds, be they boaters or not, all fly the same one and identify with it
as a mark of our binding beliefs and freindship, then couldn't we be
considered a club and therfore hold just as much validity to our flag as any
more official boating club?

I'm really curious as to how you might feel about this.

--
Message posted via BoatKB.com
http://www.boatkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/boats/200701/1

The skull and crossbone Hollywood pirate flag can be flown from any
vessel as a private signal. No problem. Nothing would prevent you from
forming a "Pirates of East Overshirt Yacht Club" and using the bogus
pirate flag as a club burgee- although traditionally burgees are
triangular to help differentiate them from ensigns, courtesy flags,
etc.

Unfortunately, the skull and crossbones carries a clear association
with rides at amusement parks and some really terrible movies. It's for
people who think its fun to play pirate. "Arrgh, matey." Mabye it's
appropriate for boaters who think it's all about mixing margaritas and
listening to Jimmy Buffet all the time as well. My opinion, as
expressed in this thread, is that most serious boaters would avoid
flying the skull and crossbone flag.

Your example of using the skull and crossbones as a club burgee would
be a poor choice in actual practice. Not because you were using a bogus
pirate flag, but because there would be other people on the water
interested in playing pirate and using the same signal.
You wouldn't be able to tell whether those people were part of your
club, or just dime store
pirates with tri-cornered hats, stuffed parrots, plastic swords, and
costume shop eye patches. :-)

I'd pick the boat with the topless girls.

On Jan 15, 11:36 am, "Chuck Gould" wrote:


You're assigned to a USCG safety patrol and responsible for boarding
recreational boats to inspect for compliance with safety regulations.
About the only way that your supervisor will be able to tell, for sure,
that you didn't spend the afternoon in a dockside watering hole will be
if you return with some citations and warnings written for various
infractions.

You put the glasses on three boats.