Other flags that would be acceptable would be any registered county flag as well as a club burgee if you are a member.

Yacht flag etiquette uk. Ensign and Burgee 11 The Ensign is the national flag and denotes the nationality of the owner. In the case of a British registered vessel or a vessel under 24 metres which would be entitled to be a British. Your boats flag or ensign indicates which country your boat belongs to.

The law requires that a private pleasure yacht should display its nationality if required by wearing proper national colours Merchant Shipping Act 1995 s2. Todays white ensign as used by Royal Navy ships incorporates the St Georges Cross St Georges Ensign. The basic order of precedence of flags.

Although this might cause offence to some there is nothing legally wrong with this practice provided the rules governing the wearing of a special ensign are adhered to. The UK it will be a small replica of their National Maritime Flag. Failure of a UK registered vessel to fly an Ensign is a breach of the Merchant Shipping Act.

If a purely decorative effect is desired it is better to con-fine the display to flags of lesser status. POSITION 4 Port Signal Hoist. All Australian ships are entitled to wear the Australian Red Ensign.

In cases where a boat has more than one mast it must be flown from the forward most mast. The UK permits some boats and crews to fly blue or white ensigns. Flag and Yacht Etiquette are derived from Britain so British rules should be followed with the following comments.

The flying of this Ensign denotes the nationality of the vessel and should be flown at all. They should be lowered at the same time as your own Colours but here common-sense dictates. Other countries insist on a certificate of registration to prove nationality and they expect UK boats to fly a red flag with a union jack in one corner.