Bad Form

[Wonderwall]

24 minutes ago, trambo said:

Certainly not worried but why not just do things correctly? If your going to fly a flag(s) have some thought about it and show your pride in doing so.

Fred

I'm coming to the broads later this month.

I sometimes fly a Saltire, or Hibernian flag. Just for a bit of fun , you know. I'm on holiday, l like to loosen up a bit.

Maybe you could point me in the way of the list of flag flying rules on a holiday cruiser , on an inland waterway. I don't want to upset anyone with bad flag etiquette. 

[JennyMorgan]

25 minutes ago, Wonderwall said:

I'm coming to the broads later this month.

I sometimes fly a Saltire, or Hibernian flag. Just for a bit of fun , you know. I'm on holiday, l like to loosen up a bit.

Maybe you could point me in the way of the list of flag flying rules on a holiday cruiser , on an inland waterway. I don't want to upset anyone with bad flag etiquette. 

No different for a hire boat or a private boat:

http://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollectionDocuments/cruising/Web Documents/Regulations and Safety/FLAG ETIQUETTE AND VISUAL SIGNALS - PART I.pdf

[Polly]

We had our usual flag roll with us on hired Bootlegger. We didn't fly the red ensign but we did use our signal flag bunting to dress overall. The big NBN flag was flown from the shrouds and we used more signal flags to name the tent 'Iain's Bar'

[JennyMorgan]

Some of us wouldn't be seen dead in white socks, others of us wouldn't be seen trailing fend-offs or having a blue one dangling from the stem head, others wouldn't wish to be seen with a Red Ensign on the stem head or cabin top, all a question of values and or outlook. Personally I see getting it right as being part and parcel of the fun of boating, each to their own.

 

[Timbo]

13 minutes ago, Wonderwall said:

I'm coming to the broads later this month.

I sometimes fly a Saltire, or Hibernian flag. Just for a bit of fun , you know. I'm on holiday, l like to loosen up a bit.

Maybe you could point me in the way of the list of flag flying rules on a holiday cruiser , on an inland waterway. I don't want to upset anyone with bad flag etiquette. 

About three or four posts earlier Wonderwall.  Flying a Saltire means 'my vessel is stopped and making no way through the water'. While flying the Saltire, technically, you'd have to maintain your position while not impeding the course of any other vessel on the water.

I suppose in a way, this random flag malarky on boats is a bit like going on a touring holiday in your car and putting blue flashing lights, wide load signage, writing 'Ambulance' in mirrored writing on it and then ringing the AA and the RAC to tell them you've broken down, then rewiring your indicators so they flash randomly while you press the car horn and your reversing lights come on intermittently while you give an assortment of hand signals through the car window, hoping a continental lorry driver or the police approaching you will assume you are on holiday. Mind you...have you seen my driving? 

There are some quite large vessels that still ply the Broads that will be looking and checking for signals. Not just boats but aircraft too. This quick snapshot of maritime traffic on the Broads shows a considerable number of the Brundall Navy...all tucked up in their berths you will notice, but also The Coastguard helicopter at Salhouse who will also respond to any signals you happen to be flying.

I agree some of us can crawl up our own bum with being pedantic. The majority of us are on holiday while out on the water, but the Broads are still used by working vessels and consequently the rules, although much less stringent, will apply.

Apart from which I'm looking for a really good pirate flag...just to annoy the hell out of MM! 

[JennyMorgan]

Timbo, will this one do? If not Gracie might like it!

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, Viking23 said:

My son visited Gibraltar a few years back, and bought me a Red ensign.

However, I said to him, as I was not a resident of Gibralter, or a visitor from Gibralter, it would be wrong to fly this on a GB owned private cruiser in GB?

Was I right? 

Richard

Yes. Ideal for decorating your 'man-cave' though.

[Viking23]

13 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Yes. Ideal for decorating your 'man-cave' though.

You are so right... especially when looking at it over the top of a glass of dalwhinnie malt, served neat in a cut glass tumbler.

The above oberservation is currently taking place, and might need a second opinion.

 

Richard

[thingamybob]

The Red Ensign is the only correct and proper flag to fly on a British vessel. A few years ago if you flew anything else on the Thames the lock keepers would tell you off and tell you to take the offending flag down.

However, a few years ago I did see a narrow boat with a load of lively lads on board with a blow up doll straddled on the bows. Not sure what the Thames regulations makes of that.    

[JennyMorgan]

25 minutes ago, thingamybob said:

The Red Ensign is the only correct and proper flag to fly on a British vessel. A few years ago if you flew anything else on the Thames the lock keepers would tell you off and tell you to take the offending flag down.

However, a few years ago I did see a narrow boat with a load of lively lads on board with a blow up doll straddled on the bows. Not sure what the Thames regulations makes of that.    

The lock keepers probably wondered if she needed an inflation job!

[Wonderwall]

4 hours ago, Timbo said:

About three or four posts earlier Wonderwall.  Flying a Saltire means 'my vessel is stopped and making no way through the water'. While flying the Saltire, technically, you'd have to maintain your position while not impeding the course of any other vessel on the water.

I suppose in a way, this random flag malarky on boats is a bit like going on a touring holiday in your car and putting blue flashing lights, wide load signage, writing 'Ambulance' in mirrored writing on it and then ringing the AA and the RAC to tell them you've broken down, then rewiring your indicators so they flash randomly while you press the car horn and your reversing lights come on intermittently while you give an assortment of hand signals through the car window, hoping a continental lorry driver or the police approaching you will assume you are on holiday. Mind you...have you seen my driving? 

There are some quite large vessels that still ply the Broads that will be looking and checking for signals. Not just boats but aircraft too. This quick snapshot of maritime traffic on the Broads shows a considerable number of the Brundall Navy...all tucked up in their berths you will notice, but also The Coastguard helicopter at Salhouse who will also respond to any signals you happen to be flying.

I agree some of us can crawl up our own bum with being pedantic. The majority of us are on holiday while out on the water, but the Broads are still used by working vessels and consequently the rules, although much less stringent, will apply.

Apart from which I'm looking for a really good pirate flag...just to annoy the hell out of MM! 

As much as I like you, and truly respect you as a genuinely nice guy and top poster on here, that is over the top wind and p&&h for a boat on the broads.

I do not mean to offend, nor stir an argument, but I strongly feel you , and others are over egging the pudding here.  

Its the Norfolk broads. It's playtime , ......surely????????

[Timbo]

23 minutes ago, Wonderwall said:

As much as I like you, and truly respect you as a genuinely nice guy and top poster on here, that is over the top wind and p&&h for a boat on the broads.

I do not mean to offend, nor stir an argument, but I strongly feel you , and others are over egging the pudding here.  

Its the Norfolk broads. It's playtime , ......surely????????

Oh, no offence was taken at all. I'm certainly 'egging the pudding'. I think long gone are the days when I could recreate this photograph of my Royal Tudor.

I'm told that was back in '63 or '65. I do have photo's of some quite large coasters taken on later holidays in the 1970's and 80's.

I suppose what I'm trying to get across is that yes, it is a holiday destination and yes, boating should be fun and relaxing and as I said, people can crawl up their own bums on subjects like this. It attracts the pedantic and geeks does a subject like this, myself geekmesieter extraordinaire. But, there are sensible more stayed reasons for the regulations. The Broads is one of the most relaxed areas on following boating rules and regs because it is a holiday destination but its always, just from my point of view, knowing what's what....just in case. The inherent danger of a water environment is all part of the fun!

[Paul]

10 hours ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

The union flag becomes the Union Jack,once it's on a Royal Navy  Ship

This is a common misconception, the name Union Jack predates the flag's use only on Navy ships by more than a hundred years. The "British Flag" was first introduced in 1606 at which point it was required to be flown by all English and Scottish ships at sea, naval or merchantman. The first use of the word Union is believed to be circa 1627. The use of the word Jack to describe a small flag flown from the bowsprit was commonplace before 1600. It is not recorded when the name Union Jack was first used but it predates the introduction of the Jack staff in the 18th century, the staff taking it's name from the flag, not vice versa. The Admiralty has always referred to the flag as the "Union Jack" since is foundation in 1709, regardless of the flags position, and the UK Parliament decreed the name of the national flag as the "Union Jack" in 1908.

The idea that the name Union Jack should only refer to the flag when being flown from the bows of HM Warships is quite modern and without foundation. 

[JennyMorgan]

So what else is 'bad form' in the boating world? Just suggestions you understand! Wonky Waterlines, Engerland St George flags, stiletto heels, headlights, steering wheels on the right, bunting rather than signal flags, pirates, running engines before ten o'clock on a Sunday morning and not using and abiding by the encyclopedic Ashley Book of Knots.

[BroadAmbition]

Dragging fenders in the water 

Ropes left haphazard on deck

Rowlocks on towed dinghys not stowed

Riding in towed dinghys 

Fishing from the back of moving craft

Running engines alongside during the quiet hours 

Griff

[MauriceMynah]

It's pretty difficult to say whether something is bad form or not, unless you define what "bad form" is.

For example, Doing something illegal whilst not knowing it was illegal is hardly "bad form" it is ignorance, where doing something that you know to be illegal, could well be described as "bad form" or worse. Trolling under power by someone who often does it at sea can hardly be "bad form" if the fisherman was unaware of the different rules.

I see flying the Saltire in much the same light. OK, so there is a £1000 max fine for doing so, but in reality how likely is that to be enforced? How likely is it that someone who happens to know the marine meaning of flying this would respond ? ... not really likely at all.

I see the Union Jack flown upside down many times. Not once have I thought anybody was in distress. I've just "tut tutted" my way passed. It's not "bad form", it's ignorance.

[Guest ExMemberKingFisher]

1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said:

So what else is 'bad form' in the boating world? Just suggestions you understand! Wonky Waterlines, Engerland St George flags, stiletto heels, headlights, steering wheels on the right, bunting rather than signal flags, pirates, running engines before ten o'clock on a Sunday morning and not using and abiding by the encyclopedic Ashley Book of Knots.

You mean this sort of thing?

[MauriceMynah]

Oooh, you're a hard man K.T.

[stumpy]

A couple of years ago we were heading down towards Acle Bridge when we saw one of Clive's finest wearing what must have been a 3 yard white ensign. After a quick briefing to Kathy in the stern we dipped our red - to my pleasure a junior rate scuttled to their stern and responded. Big thumbs up all round. We met them later in the week at Sutton and a few tots and waxers were had with the  Lt. Commander in charge. Happy days! 

[ExSurveyor]

How many infringements is this worth

It was only worn whilst on our home moorings with grandchildren onboard.

[lurcher]

Many years ago i used to fish from there,often taking shelter in the burnt out remains of the Riverside hotel,happy days.

[WherryNice]

Do boats fitted with car wing mirrors fit the bad form bill?(btw mirrors are useful I know but it never really looks 'right' to me)...

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

[Polly]

I haven't noticed any such to be honest.

[ExSurveyor]

2 hours ago, WherryNice said:

Do boats fitted with car wing mirrors fit the bad form bill?(btw mirrors are useful I know but it never really looks 'right' to me)...

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app
 

Oh dear,  me again, guilty.   yep I have got a wing mirror on my Calypso and one on the Topliner.  They are surplus to requirements now as I have rear and side cameras fitted. 

They are kept folded in but I keep them in case the cameras fail,  completely blind to the rear and starboard without.

[lurcher]

"wing mirrors"always makes me smile.they've been mounted on the door for decades yet still its wing mirrors

my last car with genuine wing mirrors was a mk2 Cortina.