Excellent Job!! Thank You! I really needed this and only realized it AFTER viewing it.

Excellent info, as always! As you mentioned at the start, different countries, different rules. Here in the Netherlands, the national flag goes on the stern, the courtesy flag on starboard spreader, the rest on the port spreader. For royal ships, there are more rules, plus we have rules for special days (on 4 May, you lost the flag to half the stick, remembrance day, and on certain festive occasions, you can fly an extra orange pennant above the national flag).

Really well explained. Thank you for answering this question.

Thank you. A very informative episode.

Most traditionally the national flag was flown from that gaff of a sailing vessel. These days very few sailing vessels have gaffs. TM retired but still interested in flags

Good info except for a small inaccuracy about the US national ensign. The only US national ensign (a flag to be flown in international and foreign waters) is the US national flag. The US Yacht Ensign has no legal status since 1980, but even before that it was only required to be flown by licensed US yachts in *domestic* waters. It was never approved to be used outside of the US.

Nice video, a quick note in the UK the ensign flown can be as the direction of the KingéQuenn. For example a club can have an ensign approved by the UK monarch. As for the ensign flow from the backstay as far as I understand this is from the gaff rig days when the flag was flown from the gaff. there is no backstay on a gaff rigger. Great instructive videos. Hopefully we can hire your services... As per my comment in your previous video. The 'A' flag is the "owner" of the divers, the red with white stripe is the location of the diver(s). At least that is my understanding. Cheers.

These are very helpful and wholesome videos. Thank you for being so informative! 🦦

Informative as always! And hello from the Port of Blaine. So looking forward to this season, and hopefully we'll be sailing in you waters.

here we have the Q-Flag on port side spreader and not starboard In general - thank you very much for your sharing a lot of informations!

I have also seen burgees on the bow of large yachts.

Good video!

That's what I like a lot, fundamentals of seamanship... shame we can't have the international signal code, along with the emoticons. Have a nice day Cap 🙂

The 'Red Duster' for British merchant vessels (Canadian ships would also have flown it years ago).

The tapping wasn't distracting until you mentioned it. If you're making a video and someone makes noise, PLEASE ignore it.

Thank you

The US Marines flew the Canadian flag upside down at Atlanta in the 1992 Baseball world series, creating the 'Flag Flap'. A couple days later, the Marines were in Toronto and corrected their error/

Thank you for clarifying that the Yellow ‘Q’ flag is raised and flown upon entering foreign territorial waters and that the countries courtesy flag is then flown ‘in place’ of the ‘Q’ flag after clearing into the country. The ‘Q’ flag and ‘Courtesy’ flag should not be flown together as we see in so many KZfaq sailing vids.

Note on the UK red Ensign. Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. It is illegal for a civilian vessel to fly the Union Flag (Union Jack) and it carries a penalty of £1000 fine. Civilian, non-government vessels may only fly the Red Ensign (A Blue Ensign is sometimes permitted with a warrant). White Ensign is for the Royal Navy and Royal Yacht Squadron only. With a Blue Ensign reserved for non-military Government vessels. No other colours are permitted. Also a club burgess (or a warrant Burgee if flying a Blue Ensign) should be flown from the Masthead.

The actual US ensign is the regular stars and stripes flag, not the one with the anchor encircled by stars. If you go in internaitonal or foreign waters with the latter you could get in trouble (waters!).

Thank you for sharing. I have always been intrigued by flags. I have a question: have you seen proud owners flying their self-designed yacht flag other than club flags?

Thank you for this. Just a couple of questions: If your mast has more than one set of spreaders, which should be used? I am in Canada on Lake Ontario, and I have heard that if your boat is not registered you are not permitted to fly the national flag. Is this so? Even if you're visiting a US port?

I have seen many charter yachts and privately owned vessels putting up a Pirate Flag, skull and crossbones. What is the etiquette regards flying these flags please??

I am Canadian and have crewed on American sailboats in U.S. waters. I have flown a Canadian crew flag on a halyard, but probably incorrectly, and on the wrong side of the boat. What is the recommendation for flying a flag for foreign crew? Thanks!

Great video - thank you for posting it , My question is about having guests (with foreign nationality), say UK citizens sailing with me in USA. I have heard that I could fly Union Jack on the PORT spreader. Is that true? If so, how would you fly it, or any other flag in conjunction with a radar reflector, which I always fly from from Port spreader. Flag just below the radar reflector?

A: Alfa B: Bravo C: Charlie D: Delta E: Echo F: Foxtrot G: Golf H: Hotel I: India J: Juliet K: Kilo L: Lima M: Mike N: November O: Oscar P: Papa Q: Quebec R: Romeo S: Sierra T: Tango U: Uniform V: Victor W: Whiskey X: X-Ray Y: Yankee Z: Zulu

Actually most people EXCEPT North Americans and maybe Canadians would recognise the Alpha flag as the diver down flag. The red and diagonal white stripe dive flag is an American invention originally used mainly for inland use because lake boaters rarely used signalling flags. Originally the design existed of two horisontal red stripes with a white strip between them. Discovering that they had redesigned the Austrian flag they changed it to its current design. It is not used a lot outside the US and Canada.

What is flown at the bow?

Is flying the Jolly Roger (pirate 🏴‍☠️ flag) frowned upon? Obviously we are not real pirates but my kids like to fly it. Is it illegal to fly in any position? Thoughts....

Correction: Because the starboard spreader is the official communication spreader, so you have your Q flag here. The Club burgee, if not flown from the masthead, it should be first at the port spreader. The port spreader is for all the not official flags, but for all the happy flags, ie House flag/burgee or, in port/at anchor, Kids-want-to-play flag (commonly known as Pirates flag), Join-us-for-a-drink (Beer flag 🍺 at lunchtime or G&T glass flag 🍸 after dinner) etc. PS: 1. Nobody "frowns upon" a Pirate flag! 😉 2. Bring your own booze 😀

Beaucoup de municipalité et organisme devrait regardé cette vidéo j'en vois dès fois que les drapeaux ne sont pas sûr les bon mâts