Red Ensign Yes Or No

[Jocave]

Was out today moored up minding my own business when an elderly couple walked past and the guy said "nice boat fella but you need to lose the flag" just replied thanks and carried on doing what I was doing, is there any problem with an inland boat flying this flag, it was on it when I bought it and 75% of the boats in the marina are flying it 

 

[JennyMorgan]

As it's on the stern and not on the cabin roof or pulpit then you are flying it more or less correctly and if you are a British citizen then you are perfectly within your rights to wear it (fly it) aboard your boat. Fly it with pride.

[Jocave]

14 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

As it's on the stern and not on the cabin roof or pulpit then you are flying it more or less correctly and if you are a British citizen then you are perfectly within your rights to wear it (fly it) aboard your boat. Fly it with pride.

Glad to hear it, pleased I haven't wasted the best part of a day sanding and varnishing the flag pole..

[Vaughan]

Technically, it is the boat that wears the ensign, not the owner.

A ship with a Panamanian (convenience) registry flies a Panamanian flag, whether or not her officers are British. Special ensigns (blue) may only be worn on British registered boats.

On the Broads it is accepted that hirers from other countries (especially the Swiss) will want to fly their flag - no problem!

The two "no - no's" are the Union Flag, which means you are a warship; and the "England" flag, which means you are one of the Little Ships of Dunkirk. I have a book, which lists all of those, and none of them were fibre-glass!

There is nothing to stop you wearing the red ensign on a hire boat if you wish. The reason we don't do it is simply because the hirers keep breaking them off!

[Davydine]

I like to see a red ensign worn in the correct place and can see no reason not to, it's your boat after all. When we had our sailing boat, we always flew it along with the appropriate courtesy flag when we sailed over to Holland or Belgium.

As Vaughan said the no nos are the union jack and the cross if St.George.

Personally I don't really like the jolly roger pirate flag, but I don't really know why I don't like it!

[Chelsea14Ian]

I still don't understand  why this chap made a comment about  the red ensign,on the back of the boat.Most boats that fly the Red will do the same.Our boat included.As for the jolly Roger,does make me smile as do captain  hats.Every year many will dress up, thinking they are the first to do so.Thats part of the broads

It may be this chap was on a wand up.

[WherryNice]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, those that know what it is will be glad to see it

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

[ExUserGone]

Did the gentleman in question float?

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Technically, it is the boat that wears the ensign, not the owner.

A ship with a Panamanian (convenience) registry flies a Panamanian flag, whether or not her officers are British. Special ensigns (blue) may only be worn on British registered boats.

On the Broads it is accepted that hirers from other countries (especially the Swiss) will want to fly their flag - no problem!

The two "no - no's" are the Union Flag, which means you are a warship; and the "England" flag, which means you are one of the Little Ships of Dunkirk. I have a book, which lists all of those, and none of them were fibre-glass!

There is nothing to stop you wearing the red ensign on a hire boat if you wish. The reason we don't do it is simply because the hirers keep breaking them off!

Not just hirer's that break em off I repaired the flagstaff for the BA yare patrol launch a few weeks ago as a favour  

[thingamybob]

Wear the Red Ensign with pride Jocave. I personally do not do flags but it is your right to wear the flag so do it if you want to.

[BroadAmbition]

'B.A' of course flies the Yorkshire rose from t'ar5e end, has been doing so for ten years now and will continue to do so whenever I'm onboard.  She has also flown the Jolly Roger during a fun day and another time flown a white ensign for four days when the comms ex crew members of HMS Glasgow were onboard - Naughty but all six crew were ex RN and had over 130 years service between us so we threw caution to the wind and no one said owt untoward.   I reckon we must now be on our third ensign staff by now.  The thing is sometimes we forget to take it inboard when stern moored and It's guests that that insist on using it as a hand hold / pull me up that keeps breaking them off.  I reckon on getting two sessions of whittling them down to refit the stanchion before we have to buy a new one.  Once it got broken off by a hirer who got too close with his bow when mooring up, that was outside the Pleasureboat Inn at Hickling years ago, that was the first breakage..  The current one has already had one whittling down session.

Griff

[Regulo]

Sunbird isn't a Dunkirk little ship, is fibreglass and flies the cross of St. George. And will continue to do so while in my possession. I'm proud to have won the lottery of life to be born an Englishman, and I don't care who knows it.

[Vaughan]

11 minutes ago, Regulo said:

I'm proud to have won the lottery of life to be born an Englishman, and I don't care who knows it.

I thoroughly agree with you!

Perhaps we are getting off the original question, which concerned the Red Ensign, but for me the pride of being English also extends to a great respect for our maritime traditions. In this case, the right, by royal warrant, for a vessel to wear the Banner of St George, was won in battle.

I also agree, however, with those who sometimes feel that we should not get too serious about it, on the Broads.

Flag etiquette is traditional and fascinatingly historic. For me, there is great pleasure in "getting it right".

[tjg1677]

Giddy kipper flies a small white ensign aft. Should i really do it - no. Do i care- no!.   Am i proud to fly it - absolutely and utterly.

Dont really see the point of getting overy officious about flying flags on the broads, particularly given than it is an enclosed inland waterway.  If it aint offensive and if it makes you proud, within reason fly it.

Cheers 

Trev

[ExUserGone]

14 minutes ago, tjg1677 said:

particularly given than it is an enclosed inland waterway.  

No it's not, it's all tidal and very much connected to the sea, especially so on the southern rivers seeing as norwich was a port in it's own right. (may still be I don't know)

 

[JennyMorgan]

3 hours ago, Dilligaf said:

No it's not, it's all tidal and very much connected to the sea, especially so on the southern rivers seeing as norwich was a port in it's own right. (may still be I don't know)

 

The Broads is legally a Harbour and the Broads Authority a Harbour Authority and yes, Norwich is still a 'port' / harbour so no, it's not an enclosed water way.

Trev, fines of thousands of pounds can be levied against those flying the white ensign without authority!

[ExUserGone]

Would we not be required to fly the appropriate ensign under international law being as we are technically in a harbour? I know we don't take it too seriously in the UK but some places will fine you for a faded or tattered ensign let alone failing to fly it altogether.

I would certainly never dream of flying a blue or white ensign without proper authority, flying a few wet towels and underwear off the pulpit is fine though....

[Hockham Admiral]

Conditions Governing the Issue of Yacht Permits to Members of Entitled Yacht Clubs in the United Kingdom and the Channel Islands

By Section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, it is an offence to hoist on board any ship or boat belonging to any British subject certain colours, flags and pendants without a Permit from Her Majesty the Queen or from the Secretary of State for Defence. The maximum penalty is one thousand pounds for each offence. Among the prohibited flags are the Union Flag, the White Ensign, the Blue Ensign (plain or defaced) and the Red Ensign with any defacement. The prohibition applies to any ship or boat belonging to any British Subject wherever it may be, and so extends not only to tidal waters but equally to rivers, lakes and inland waters generally.

[Regulo]

Do I need a yacht permit? I'm not a member of any entitled yacht club (that I'm aware). Am I covered by the Merchant Shipping Act 1995? Anyway my red ensign isn't defaced, so I'm legal..

[Hockham Admiral]

Regulo,  hi.

No, you don't need a permit if you don't fly a defaced red or blue.

The last sentence covers your second question....    

 

 

[macroft1]

I fly the White Rose with much pride as you can see in the pic. Complete with flat cap. The only thing missing from that shot is my Jack Russell. I was moored at Wayford and removed it as it was in the way of my fishing rod. An angler on the opposite bank shouted across "tha carnt tek that darn lad"

[JennyMorgan]

18 minutes ago, macroft1 said:

I fly the White Rose with much pride as you can see in the pic. Complete with flat cap. The only thing missing from that shot is my Jack Russell. I was moored at Wayford and removed it as it was in the way of my fishing rod. An angler on the opposite bank shouted across "tha carnt tek that darn lad"

Where were the pigeons and whippets then? To be pedantic a house flag, such as the white rose, should correctly and proudly be flown from the, if I've got it right, port spreader or yard arm.

[macroft1]

2 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Where were the pigeons and whippets then? To be pedantic a house flag, such as the white rose, should correctly and proudly be flown from the, if I've got it right, port spreader or yard arm.

I don't have either :-)

[Vaughan]

A house flag is normally flown from the mainmast head but I notice P&O ferries, which don't have a mainmast, fly it from the starboard yard (which is senior to the port yard, to be specific!).

Your house flag can also be used as "jack", when it is worn at the jackstaff on the bow, but this should only be worn when not under way. Ensigns are worn at the stern, or at the mainmast peak when under way.

And the rules go on and on. . . . . . . . . .

[Aboattime]

We fly the red ensign on the stern of Aboat Time, and we fly the Kent flag on the bow,it helps with working out the wind direction,and is a topic of conversation when fellow travellers want to know what part of The Garden Of England we come from.