Flag etiquette

[jclays]

Good evening
My trawler has a single mast on the flybridge on which the radar is mounted. It has a spreader with a Starboard and Port halyard. I do not have a mount for a flag pole in the transom since there is a door dead center and built in bait tanks on either side. I also do not have a flag pole on the pulpit rail for a yacht club burgee.
Is it acceptable to fly the American flag on the starboard side halyard and the yacht club burgee on the port side halyard and the club officer flag below the yacht club burgee.
I have looked on line and not found examples or proper answers for my above question.

Thanks in advance
Jim

 

[HTurner]

https://houstonyachtclub.com/flag-protocol

 

[rgano]

In your case, US flag to stbd and anything else to port. I have a flagstaff base mounted on my center transom door as well as a second flagstaff base at the aft end of the hardtop (first two photos). When I had a boat with a real mast and yardarms, I elected to build a small platform above the yardarms and attached a gaff to it to display the US Flag underway thus freeing the yardarm flag hoists for all other signals. For the nautically picky, yes, there are two gaffs in that photo.

 

[psneeld]

I always thought the starboard spreader was for a courtesy flag... so flying a US flag there might be confusing to others.

From the link in post #2...

Don’t: Fly the American flag from the:
Top of the mast
Spreader flag halyard
Bow staff
Fishing outriggers

Other Flags
Courtesy flags: When a US vessel is in the waters of a foreign country, it Is expected that she will fly the host country’s national flag from the starboard spreader on a sailboat or from the starboard spreader of a powerboat with a mast, or the bow staff of a mast- less powerboat.

 

[rgano]

I always thought the starboard spreader was for a courtesy flag... so flying a US flag there might be confusing to others.

From the link in post #2...

Don’t: Fly the American flag from the:
Top of the mast
Spreader flag halyard
Bow staff
Fishing outriggers

Other Flags
Courtesy flags: When a US vessel is in the waters of a foreign country, it Is expected that she will fly the host country’s national flag from the starboard spreader on a sailboat or from the starboard spreader of a powerboat with a mast, or the bow staff of a mast- less powerboat.

OP has no other option at present but the stbd spreader. Courtesy flag could go under the US (possibly not acceptable as an indication of a victory over a visited country's ship). So, courtesy, if needed to port. US NEVER flown to port as the position of honor is to stbd. He really needs to establish another suitable place for the US flag as I indicated before, especially if going foreign.

 

[OldDan1943]

Check with Chapman's book.
Center flag or stern flag ... home country, starboard, courtesy flag, port side, reserve for 'communication such as calling for a tender.

 

[jclays]

https://houstonyachtclub.com/flag-protocol

Articles there didn’t help

 

[jclays]

Radar is in the center top of mast. Currently flying the US flag starboard.
Any other flag port side.

 

[soin2la]

Check with Chapman's book.
Center flag or stern flag ... home country, starboard, courtesy flag, port side, reserve for 'communication such as calling for a tender.

Unless of course you are a double ender and then half the time, your home flag is port.
https://www.bcferries.com/on-the-ferry/our-fleet

 

[markpierce]

No excuse to not have a burgee at the bow to indicate apparent wind. No excuse to fly the US flag from the spreader unless you are a foreigner entering US waters.

 

[jclays]

On a sport fisher for lack of place a halyard behind the tuna tower is acceptable. Why not a halyard on a single mast of a power boat when no other room is available?

 

[Bob Cofer]

This is 100% acceptable.

 

[jclays]

On a sport fisher for lack of place a halyard behind the tuna tower is acceptable. Why not a halyard on a single mast of a power boat when no other room is available?
I guess a the center rod holder on the fly ridge rail could work.

 

[psneeld]

There is always a solution to a problem....some better than others.

 

[rslifkin]

Mark does make a good point, a burgee on the bow makes a good wind indicator. I use mine for that regularly. Clamp on burgee holders for the bow rail are easy to add. Finding a good spot for a bigger flag pole is a little harder aft, but should be possible.

 

[Redhook98]

I have a center door down low. I just added a new pole to my aft sundeck. Problem solved.

 

[Gdavid]

My parents' Mainship 390 has a flag staff socket on the aft end of the flybridge. You could do something similar with one that mounts to the center stanchion if you would rather not put screw holes into the flybridge.

 

[OldDan1943]

Unless of course you are a double ender and then half the time, your home flag is port.
https://www.bcferries.com/on-the-ferry/our-fleet

Employ a person to move the country's flag fwd and aft as necessary?

 

[AlaskaProf]

Washington State ferries fly two ensign constantly on mast/gaff behind the bridge at each end

 

[jclays]

Thanks all.
I’ll use the rod holder on the center rail up on the fly bridge when there isn’t a rod in it. The yacht club burgers can go in the starboard halyard.

 

[OldDan1943]

The Q Flag goes on the port side.

 

[OldDan1943]

Washington State ferries fly two ensign constantly on mast/gaff behind the bridge at each end

So much for that job opportunity.

 

[HTurner]

The Q Flag goes on the port side.

The yellow Q flag should be flown instead of the courtesy ensign until the yacht is properly cleared by customs. It is flown on the starboard spreader.

 

[koliver]

Unless of course you are a double ender and then half the time, your home flag is port.
https://www.bcferries.com/on-the-ferry/our-fleet

Those double end ferry boats don't even have a stern to hang a flag from. They call it the #2 end.

 

[rgano]

Thanks all.
I’ll use the rod holder on the center rail up on the fly bridge when there isn’t a rod in it. The yacht club burgers can go in the starboard halyard.

Until you go foreign at which time the burgees go up to port AFTER the quarantine flag is hauled down from there after you clear customs/pratique, and the courtesy flag goes and stays up to stbd until you clear the foreign country's national waters. Rod holder is good for the US national flag.

 

[jclays]

Thanks all. No worries of going foreign. Im in So Californian. The only Foreign is Mexico. No desire to take my boat there. Ill charter from there.

 

[Malcolm]

Yacht Flag Etiquette

Good evening
My trawler has a single mast on the flybridge on which the radar is mounted. It has a spreader with a Starboard and Port halyard. I do not have a mount for a flag pole in the transom since there is a door dead center and built in bait tanks on either side. I also do not have a flag pole on the pulpit rail for a yacht club burgee.
Is it acceptable to fly the American flag on the starboard side halyard and the yacht club burgee on the port side halyard and the club officer flag below the yacht club burgee.
I have looked on line and not found examples or proper answers for my above question.

Thanks in advance
Jim

See the USPS Flag Etiquette web site: https://www.usps.org/f_stuff/etiquett.html

 

[Cartouche]

Good evening
My trawler has a single mast on the flybridge on which the radar is mounted. It has a spreader with a Starboard and Port halyard. I do not have a mount for a flag pole in the transom since there is a door dead center and built in bait tanks on either side. I also do not have a flag pole on the pulpit rail for a yacht club burgee.
Is it acceptable to fly the American flag on the starboard side halyard and the yacht club burgee on the port side halyard and the club officer flag below the yacht club burgee.
I have looked on line and not found examples or proper answers for my above question.

Thanks in advance
Jim

I have an 1"1/4 fitting on the stern rail keeps the flag aft of all others, and know holes to drill

 

[SeaDogAK]

If you don’t have a mast, should the (Canadian) courtesy flag go on the bow or on the starboard side of the radar arch?