Jolly Roger Flag
 

hey folks -
As they say in the radio business - first time caller, long time
listener....
this is more of a light topic - but I was recently in one of the many
local marine store in my neighborhood for the first time - (there are
quite a few in Seattle).
We happened upon the section of the store that sells flags for your
boat, some serious, some not so... commodore flags, diver flags, and
even jolly roger flags.
My friend and I joked about getting one for my small 18' foot runabout
boat - but we were warned that flying such a flag regardless of size of
boat would garner unwanted attention from coast guard, police, and
fellow boaters. We heeded the warning, but thought it was odd to hear
such a thing in todays times.

Has anyone heard of such a scenario when people flew a jolly roger flag?

Jolly Roger Flag
 

wrote:
hey folks -
As they say in the radio business - first time caller, long time
listener....
this is more of a light topic - but I was recently in one of the many
local marine store in my neighborhood for the first time - (there are
quite a few in Seattle).
We happened upon the section of the store that sells flags for your
boat, some serious, some not so... commodore flags, diver flags, and
even jolly roger flags.
My friend and I joked about getting one for my small 18' foot runabout
boat - but we were warned that flying such a flag regardless of size of
boat would garner unwanted attention from coast guard, police, and
fellow boaters. We heeded the warning, but thought it was odd to hear
such a thing in todays times.

Has anyone heard of such a scenario when people flew a jolly roger flag?


I haven't. Especially on an 18' runabout.

A friend of mine has a 26 ft. small cruiser with a tall radio antenna.
On the top of it he has tied on some chicks G-string bikini bottom.
When it gets ratty, he changes it out for another. Seems like a never
ending supply, and, maybe he's been lucky, but no flack from any gov't
authorities.

Jolly Roger Flag
 

wrote:
hey folks -
As they say in the radio business - first time caller, long time
listener....
this is more of a light topic - but I was recently in one of the many
local marine store in my neighborhood for the first time - (there are
quite a few in Seattle).
We happened upon the section of the store that sells flags for your
boat, some serious, some not so... commodore flags, diver flags, and
even jolly roger flags.
My friend and I joked about getting one for my small 18' foot runabout
boat - but we were warned that flying such a flag regardless of size of
boat would garner unwanted attention from coast guard, police, and
fellow boaters. We heeded the warning, but thought it was odd to hear
such a thing in todays times.

Has anyone heard of such a scenario when people flew a jolly roger flag?

The Jolly Roger is now considered a "private signal", not a pirate
signal.
Flying one from just about any boat won't get you into any trouble at
all with any sort of law enforcement suspecting you of being a pirate,
but it will tend to label you as a sort of boater who doesn't take the
activity seriously and *that* might, possibly, get you a closer look by
harbor patrol or the USCG. Experiened boaters will give you a wide
berth, not because they think you're a pirate but because if you're
going to do something as lubberly as fly skull and crossbones who know
what other goofball move you have in store.

And in fact, the skull and crossbones version of the "pirate flag" may
never have flown on any pirate ship before Errol Flynn started shooting
movies in Hollywood. The private signals of some of the more infamous
sea raiders (Blackbeard, etc) have been recorded by historians and they
have two things in common: Each is fairly unique to the ship or captain
that flew it, and none is exactly the skull and crossbones that we call
the Jolly Roger.
Darts, hourglasses, Satan, skeletons, etc were popular motifs. The dart
and the hourglass was intended to communicate, "time is running out,
surrender your ship and live or we will take it by force and you are
likely to die".

The term Jolly Roger is itself a corruption of the French term for
"Colorful or beautiful red banner". The last thing you wanted to see if
approached by a ship of seagoing thieves was the red banner hoisted
aloft; it meant that once battle was engaged there would be no quarter
given and that no prisoners would be taken; a fight to the death of one
side or the other.

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

Jolly Roger Flag
 

Hmm, I wouldnt fly one myself but why would a Jolly Roger make anybody
look any more foolish than some of the faux sailing stuff people do.
Every time I see someone wearing a captains hat I groan inside thinking
"What a doofus". "Burgees" put me in that mind too although I can
understand part of the reason for having them. Every time I see
someone trying to look "Yachtie" I want to burn and pillage.
Chuck Gould wrote:
wrote:
hey folks -
As they say in the radio business - first time caller, long time
listener....
this is more of a light topic - but I was recently in one of the many
local marine store in my neighborhood for the first time - (there are
quite a few in Seattle).
We happened upon the section of the store that sells flags for your
boat, some serious, some not so... commodore flags, diver flags, and
even jolly roger flags.
My friend and I joked about getting one for my small 18' foot runabout
boat - but we were warned that flying such a flag regardless of size of
boat would garner unwanted attention from coast guard, police, and
fellow boaters. We heeded the warning, but thought it was odd to hear
such a thing in todays times.

Has anyone heard of such a scenario when people flew a jolly roger flag?

The Jolly Roger is now considered a "private signal", not a pirate
signal.
Flying one from just about any boat won't get you into any trouble at
all with any sort of law enforcement suspecting you of being a pirate,
but it will tend to label you as a sort of boater who doesn't take the
activity seriously and *that* might, possibly, get you a closer look by
harbor patrol or the USCG. Experiened boaters will give you a wide
berth, not because they think you're a pirate but because if you're
going to do something as lubberly as fly skull and crossbones who know
what other goofball move you have in store.

And in fact, the skull and crossbones version of the "pirate flag" may
never have flown on any pirate ship before Errol Flynn started shooting
movies in Hollywood. The private signals of some of the more infamous
sea raiders (Blackbeard, etc) have been recorded by historians and they
have two things in common: Each is fairly unique to the ship or captain
that flew it, and none is exactly the skull and crossbones that we call
the Jolly Roger.
Darts, hourglasses, Satan, skeletons, etc were popular motifs. The dart
and the hourglass was intended to communicate, "time is running out,
surrender your ship and live or we will take it by force and you are
likely to die".

The term Jolly Roger is itself a corruption of the French term for
"Colorful or beautiful red banner". The last thing you wanted to see if
approached by a ship of seagoing thieves was the red banner hoisted
aloft; it meant that once battle was engaged there would be no quarter
given and that no prisoners would be taken; a fight to the death of one
side or the other.

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

Jolly Roger Flag
 

Pillage, THEN burn.
JR


Frogwatch wrote:

Hmm, I wouldnt fly one myself but why would a Jolly Roger make anybody
look any more foolish than some of the faux sailing stuff people do.
Every time I see someone wearing a captains hat I groan inside thinking
"What a doofus". "Burgees" put me in that mind too although I can
understand part of the reason for having them. Every time I see
someone trying to look "Yachtie" I want to burn and pillage.
Chuck Gould wrote:

wrote:

hey folks -
As they say in the radio business - first time caller, long time
listener....
this is more of a light topic - but I was recently in one of the many
local marine store in my neighborhood for the first time - (there are
quite a few in Seattle).
We happened upon the section of the store that sells flags for your
boat, some serious, some not so... commodore flags, diver flags, and
even jolly roger flags.
My friend and I joked about getting one for my small 18' foot runabout
boat - but we were warned that flying such a flag regardless of size of
boat would garner unwanted attention from coast guard, police, and
fellow boaters. We heeded the warning, but thought it was odd to hear
such a thing in todays times.

Has anyone heard of such a scenario when people flew a jolly roger flag?

The Jolly Roger is now considered a "private signal", not a pirate
signal.
Flying one from just about any boat won't get you into any trouble at
all with any sort of law enforcement suspecting you of being a pirate,
but it will tend to label you as a sort of boater who doesn't take the
activity seriously and *that* might, possibly, get you a closer look by
harbor patrol or the USCG. Experiened boaters will give you a wide
berth, not because they think you're a pirate but because if you're
going to do something as lubberly as fly skull and crossbones who know
what other goofball move you have in store.

And in fact, the skull and crossbones version of the "pirate flag" may
never have flown on any pirate ship before Errol Flynn started shooting
movies in Hollywood. The private signals of some of the more infamous
sea raiders (Blackbeard, etc) have been recorded by historians and they
have two things in common: Each is fairly unique to the ship or captain
that flew it, and none is exactly the skull and crossbones that we call
the Jolly Roger.
Darts, hourglasses, Satan, skeletons, etc were popular motifs. The dart
and the hourglass was intended to communicate, "time is running out,
surrender your ship and live or we will take it by force and you are
likely to die".

The term Jolly Roger is itself a corruption of the French term for
"Colorful or beautiful red banner". The last thing you wanted to see if
approached by a ship of seagoing thieves was the red banner hoisted
aloft; it meant that once battle was engaged there would be no quarter
given and that no prisoners would be taken; a fight to the death of one
side or the other.

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




--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth

Jolly Roger Flag
 

Frogwatch wrote:
Hmm, I wouldnt fly one myself but why would a Jolly Roger make anybody
look any more foolish than some of the faux sailing stuff people do.
Every time I see someone wearing a captains hat I groan inside thinking
"What a doofus".

I agree up to a point on the captain's hat. There's nothing wrong, IMO,
with wearing a cap with a bill to shade the eyes from sunlight. I guess
this could be a Hooter's cap, a Yankees cap, or a cap splattered with
white paint and embroidered with the phrase "damn seagulls!"! I wear a
simple, black, "Greek fisherman's" hat that isn't the least bit ornate.
Now, make that a high white hat with a shiny black bill, a fouled
anchor on the crown and even the first suggestion of "scrambled eggs"
and I'd be agreeing with you whole heartedly.


"Burgees" put me in that mind too although I can
understand part of the reason for having them. Every time I see
someone trying to look "Yachtie" I want to burn and pillage.


Burgees serve a very practical purpose, as they identify members of
various power squadrons and yacht clubs and convey some particular
privileges as a result. We've been in and out of clubs over the years,
but we're in again and will probably stay with the club we joined about
a year ago. My club dues are about $500 a year, but I easily saved that
last summer by taking advantage of free reciprocal moorage as we cruise
through our regional islands. You need to fly a burgee to get the
recip. My club also owns and leases some "outstation" properties where
members can stay free of charge, but once again members are required to
fly a burgee when doing so. A burgee also expresses a certain amount of
pride in belonging to a specific organization- not unlike an NRA or
Ducks Unlimited bumper sticker. When a person belongs to a very large
club or squadron, and particularly when a person is a new member, the
burgee helps to identify other members of the same organization and
that can be a good "ice breaker" in a strange port.

Jolly Roger Flag
 

I fly one to and from the Contraband days festival over in Lake
Charles, LA every year on my trip from Houston. I was flying it when a
Navy ship passed us... didn't seem to bother them. Matter of fact, I
imagine the bridge crew got a chuckle out of that. Same with the USCG
escort boats. We didn't get any more or less attention from them
either.

Jolly Roger Flag
 

"Tim" wrote in message

I haven't. Especially on an 18' runabout.

Well I guess you don't know me. I do just that. Considering I'm in a
business that relieves boaters of the contents of thier wallets, it's all
the more funny.


A friend of mine has a 26 ft. small cruiser with a tall radio antenna.
On the top of it he has tied on some chicks G-string bikini bottom.
When it gets ratty, he changes it out for another. Seems like a never
ending supply, and, maybe he's been lucky, but no flack from any gov't
authorities.

Authorities? I'd be more afraid of flak from my wife!

-W

Jolly Roger Flag
 

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 15 Jan 2007 07:29:54 -0500, Gene Kearns
wrote:

On 14 Jan 2007 17:50:27 -0800, penned the
following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

hey folks -
As they say in the radio business - first time caller, long time
listener....
this is more of a light topic - but I was recently in one of the many
local marine store in my neighborhood for the first time - (there are
quite a few in Seattle).
We happened upon the section of the store that sells flags for your
boat, some serious, some not so... commodore flags, diver flags, and
even jolly roger flags.
My friend and I joked about getting one for my small 18' foot runabout
boat - but we were warned that flying such a flag regardless of size of
boat would garner unwanted attention from coast guard, police, and
fellow boaters. We heeded the warning, but thought it was odd to hear
such a thing in todays times.

Has anyone heard of such a scenario when people flew a jolly roger flag?

Does that mean I have to quit flying my, "Surrender the Booty" flag?

Yep - it's not "proper" and you obviously aren't a serious boater
because serious boaters only fly flags that are recognized by yacht
clubs and pompous dorks.

ARRRRR, matey.....

Arrrrr - make Chuck walk the plank...
You asked for it-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcT6M...elated&search=

Jolly Roger Flag
 

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
Chuck prefers stodgy moss growing, proper attire and decorum - no
humbuggery.

"Humbuggery?" Actually Tom, for this thread I think the better term
would be "Skullduggery"