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Home , Civil ensign, Flag, Yacht ensign

See Supplement 2007 A-17 WHEN ARE FLOWN All flags which a member is entitled to fly may be displayed day and night when his vessel is in com- ETIQUETTE mission, except that the national , and courtesy flags ordinarily are exhibited AND COMMENTS only 0800 to sunset. A vessel should show her ensign at night only when entering or leaving port, for a length of time sufficient for authorities to establish her nationality. COURTESY FLAG TIME OF MAKING COLORS When a yacht cruises in the waters of a foreign coun- Morning colors are made at 0800 or immediately on try, it is customary that she wear, from 0800 to sun- boarding thereafter. Evening colors are made at down, the of that at the foremost sundown, or earlier if disembarking without cer- starboard spreader or at the bow staff of power tainty of returning by then. yachts without signal halyards. For specifications on civil , which are often different from the state

Copyright 2007, Great Lakes Cruising Club ORDER OF MAKING COLORS flag, members are referred to Whitney Smith’s Flags When all flags to be raised cannot be broken out and Arms Across the World (McGraw-Hill). together, they are raised in order of seniority (see FOREIGN VISITORS below). They are taken-in in reverse order. When a distinguished foreign visitor is on board, FLAG SENIORITY the civil ensign of his country may be flown from In making colors and choosing the correct position- the bow staff of power yachts or the foremost truck ing of flags, the following order of seniority should of sail yachts, in lieu of the club burgee. When the be observed: (1) National ensign, (2) courtesy ensign, President of the is on board an (3) club burgee, (4) association flag(s), (5) officer flag American vessel, his personal flag is worn at the or private signal, (6) other signals such as guest and foremost truck of all masted yachts and at the bow owner absent, and (7) code flags for dressing ship. staff of others. (Note: When the “club” is a subsidiary of the “asso- Senior Officers ciation,” as in squadrons of USPS or flotillas of the USCG Aux, the latter’s flag is superior.) When a makes an official visit to the yacht of a member, the former’s flag should be flown from HALF-STAFFING the bow staff on power yachts and from the foremost During periods of national mourning, the national truck of sail yachts, in place of the club burgee. ensign is carried at approximately two-thirds its CLUB BURGEE WITH OFFICER FLAG normal height. All other flags remain two-blocked. On Memorial Day in the United States, the U.S. It is traditional that an officer flag be flown only ensign is half-staffed till 1220 local time (the hour with the burgee of that officer’s club. However, 1220 corresponds to the final gun of a 21-minute- when the officer flag is uniquely identifiable with a gun salute, as at Arlington National Cemetery). specific association, as for GLCC, it may be flown with the member’s burgee.

The Great Lakes Cruising Club, its members, agents, or servants, shall not be liable, and user waives all claims, for damages to persons or property sustained by or arising from the use of this report. When half staffing, the flag is first two-blocked, then lowered to its two-thirds position. It is again PRIVATE SIGNALS two-blocked before lowering. On the death of an It is the privilege of a yachtsman to devise his own owner, his private signal is half-staffed until per- private signal. These are customarily tapered swal- manently secured following his funeral. lowtail in shape and should be designed to be unique yet readily identifiable at some distance. DIPPING THE ENSIGN Inasmuch as private signals and officer flags are By statute and by tradition, the US ensign is never both personal flags, they both are assigned the dipped to initiate a salute and is dipped in response masthead position and one who is eligible to fly only by government vessels. The US yacht ensign both must choose which he desires to display at may be dipped. any given time.

Great Lakes Cruising Club — A-17 ______Page 1 Page 2 / A-17 6 staff burgee) Bow staff (in lieu of Bow staff or starboard burgee) radio antenna (Not flown) (in lieu of Bow staff burgee) (Not flown) (Not flown) 3 3 3 3 4 staff LANCE G 4 3 3 3 3 spreader Jack staff spreader spreader spreader ODE AT A C LAG F 4 3 3 3 3 LUB C Starboard mainStarboard spreader foremast Starboard Jack staff spreader Starboard mainStarboard main Starboard mainStarboard spreader Starboard mainStarboard main Starboard main Starboard spreader Starboard spreader Starboard Where Worn — Sail Yachts — Sail Worn Where Yachts — Power Worn Where RUISING 3 3 3 3 C AKES 4 L REAT Truck (in lieu of clubTruck Mizzen truck flag or officer burgee (in lieu of clubTruck (in lieu Mizzen truck or privateburgee signal) (in lieu Main truck Main truck Main truck of private signal)As for association flag or in lieu of burgee (in lieu of Truck spreader Starboard of private signal) (Not flown) Truck truck Fore private signal) spreader Starboard Bow staff (Not flown) As for association flag or in lieu of burgee Bow staff G 2 Dis when spreader Starboard 10 5 5 5 5 5 5,9 5 when owner is absentowner absent and a guest is in command ritorial waters. spreader spreader played until entry for- completed malities are Traditional yachting etiquette dictates that only one flag be worn per halyard except for signalling or dressing ship. Traditional Flag When Flown Single Masted & Ketches Yawls Schooners Mast With Mast Without ) , LMYA, USPS,, LMYA, spreader 1 8 7 Courtesy Flag (Civil 0800 to sunset when spreader Starboard Absent and night Ensign ensign of countrybeing visited waters in foreign U.S. (American vesselsonly) 0800 to sunset on Sundays and holidays Club BurgeeYacht Day and night Jack staff when not underway flag Association FlagGLCC etc.) CPS/ECP, Day and night U.S. Coast GuardAuxiliary Guide Per TruckQuarantine Flag(“Q” Flag) Main truck Day or night on first ter- entering foreign Main truck Truck best seen Where (in lieu of Bow staff best seen Where Private signal FlagOfficer Day and night GLCC Port Captain Day and night Day and night National Ensign 0800 to sunset (if fitted) of the aftermost mast When under sail: (a) Peak of the gaff except if Stern staff, Stern (U.S. or Canadian as includ-appropriate, Yachting U.S. the up the leach of aftermost sail, or from or (b) two-thirds the From at anchor or moored: When under power, stern staff. then mast has a gaff, stern staff. when the gaff from underway. Auxiliary Ensign Guest Flag Day and night

Page 2 ______Great Lakes Cruising Club — A-17 A-17 / Page 3 ior flag to port. Where multiple halyard are rigged on each side, the superior flag is worn outboard to starboard with other flags (See Flag Seniority in to its left in descending order of dignity. main text.) Never fly another flag on the same halyard as a courtesy flag. A ferent from a bow staff. is mounted in a vertical posi- jack staff The union jack should not be usually on deck. tion at the bow, (The British is also worn on a common bow staff. referred to as the “union jack”. flag be displayed only from 0800 to all flags except an officer major yachting organizations-including the sunset; however, Club, United States Power Squadrons and the Yacht York New Auxiliary-now permit all but national ensigns U.S. Coast Guard to be exhibited day and night while the boat is in commission. and York (similar to those of the New identifying affiliation Clubs and USPS), may be flown by eligible offi- Yacht Chicago of power boats cers in lieu of the Club burgee at bow staff without signal mast. color burgee to identify themselves, a Port Captain is not an offi- flag. cer and the white burgee is not flown as an officer his GLCC or Port Captain burgee as a yacht club burgee. indicates the owners is absent. 4. A which is distinctly dif- yacht is seldom fitted with a jack staff, 5. Some yachtsmen continue to prefer the custom that essentially 6. flags, being unique to the organization and thus GLCC officer 7. Although Port Captains enjoy the privilege of flying a reverse- 8. A GLCC member who is not a of yacht club may fly 9. At night a steady blue light on the starboard main spreader also 10. In the Great Lakes it is not customary to hoist “Q” flag. Yacht Club at the request of U.S. Customs Service to pro- Yacht American yachts could be vide a signal by which documented identified. Never intended to be a substitute for the national leach ensign, this signal gradually worked its way to the gaff, and was adopted even by undocumented craft and flag staff it is recognized Today when its original purpose disappeared. as the equivalent of U.S. ensign for all pleasure craft, although there are many purists who eschew its use on undoc- U.S. national umented vessels. Because it is not an official ensign, it is not flown in foreign waters. Nor by non- American vessels as a courtesy flag. (By statute, the organiza- tional ensign of the United States Power Squadrons is permit- ted to be flown by members as a substitute for the U.S. ensign in domestic waters, although the preferred location is as an association flag.) until the vessel and her personnel have completed customs immigration formalities and the “Q” flag has been secured. Many , notably former British Commonwealth coun- The two most com- tries, have up to six forms of national flag. mon are for civilian land use and maritime use. When flying a courtesy flag, use the civil ensign, not . ( has only except in rare instances, such as one flag.) ordinarily only one flag may be worn on a halyard. Where er, yacht is rigged with one starboard halyard and port halyard, the flag of superior dignity is worn to starboard and less sen- NOTES— 1.York The U.S. yacht ensign was designed in 1849 by the New 2. In some countries, it is customary not to fly the courtesy flag 3. Although several flags are prescribed for the starboard spread-

Great Lakes Cruising Club — A-17 ______Page 3 Page 4 / A-17

CHARTERING DRESSING SHIP When a yacht is under charter, the chatterer may A yacht occasionally celebrates special occasions by fly, in addition to the guest flag, all other flags to “dressing ship,” namely displaying a series of which he is entitled, except that the ensign of vessel International Code flags from waterline forward to registry must be retained. waterline aft, by way of the masthead(s). Traditionally, this practice is observed only from RADIO ANTENNAS 0800 to sunset when not underway, although that If a power yacht is not rigged with a signal mast, a limitation is often set aside by vessels on their radio antenna amidships, preferably on the star- maiden or final voyage, boats participating in board side, may be used for flying a flag (but only marine parades, and in other unique situations. A one) which normally would be worn at the mast- sequence of flags offering good dispersion of color head or a spreader. and shape is as follows:

3 1 ALTERNATE TO MASTHEAD AB2U J 1 KE 3G H 61V 5F L4 D M 7 PO r RN r ST OC X 9W Q8 ZY r 2 When it is impracticable for a sail yacht to wear her club burgee or officer flag at the masthead (truck), where r indicates first, second and third repeaters that flag may be worn at that mast’s starboard and 0 (zero) is distinguished from O (Oscar). spreader or to the left of any superior flag also worn there. When a spreader halyard is used in MULTIPLE FLAGS such a manner on single-masted vessels, an officer flag may be worn beneath the respective club’s Only one flag is properly worn on a halyard, except burgee or, preferably, on a halyard to its left. as noted above.

FLAG SIZE DIVER FLAGS Rules 27(d) and 27(e) of US, Canadian, and The yacht’s national ensign (including the US yacht International Rules of the Road prescribe that when ensign) should be one inch on the fly (not the hoist) a vessel is engaged in diving operations such that for each foot of overall length of the boat. she is restricted in her ability to maneuver, she must Essentially all other flags (burgee, officer flag, pri- show by day a rigid replica of international Code vate signal, courtesy flag, etc. ) should be approxi- flag A, not less than one meter in height, and at mately one-half inch on the fly for each foot above night three vertically arranged all-round lights, red the water of the highest mast on sail yachts and over white over red. (Large vessels show special approximately five-eighths inch on the fly for each day signals in lieu of the flag.) Exhibiting these sig- foot of overall length of power yachts. Where the nals invokes a special right of way under Rule 18. A proper size is not commercially available, use the with diagonal white stripe, recognized in next larger size. many countries as the “diver flag,” also may be flown on vessels as prescribed by local law. Code The correct proportion for the US flag is 10:19, flag A is only flown on vessels to indicate unma- although seldom is other than 2:3 commonly avail- neuverability due to diving; the diver flag is often able. The correct proportion for the Canadian flag is more properly displayed on floats and buoys to 1:2, not 2:3 as widely sold in the United States. indicate accurately the location of divers. Report by Fleet Captain James C. Acheson 12/8/00 rd RACING It is common practice that when a sail yacht is engaged in racing she secures all flags except a sig- nal flag denoting her class. At least the ensign should be restored to view as promptly after the race as is permitted by the race committee. Committee boats often are required to take in unnecessary flags when on duty so as to eliminate confusion by contestants taking instructions from signal flags; however, there should be no confusion as to the significance of the ensign and it should remain in place.

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