Flag Etiquette

[Tom Lanzilli]

The USPS states that you should not display more than one burgee at a time on the starboard spreader.  This is where I generally fly my yacht club burgee.  I often see sail boats flying a second burgee on their starboard spreader generally representing a sailing fleet they participate in.  Most of what I read tells me this is not proper etiquette; however, this is not 100% clear in some of my readings. 

Let me know what you think, can this be considered accepted practice?

[lazybone]

Chapman's states that its not "proper practice" to fly more than one flag from a single hoist. 

[Rick Johnson]

Damn, that would make this a really long process!!!!

"England expects that every man will do his duty"

[lazybone]

Didn't we tell England to "shove it" a long time ago.

[Jon Schneider]

Yes, but we did it one flag at a time ;)

[lazybone]

Yes, but we did it one flag at a time ;)

Good one, made me laugh.

[Tom Lanzilli]

I do realize that:
-  Chapman's states that it is not "proper practice" to fly more than one flag from a single hoist.
-  The USPS states that you should not display more than one burgee at a time.

I am interested to know if other associations or yacht clubs abide by these rules.  As I mentioned I do see boats often flying more than one burgee and I am trying to understand the theory behind this practice.  Each yacht club usually has rules that determine what they consider to be acceptable.  In this case burgees stacked on the starboard spreader halyard should be in order of importance according to the event.


A good example would be if you are a member of a yacht club and also a Catalina fleet and have burgees for both. 

[lazybone]

A good example would be if you are a member of a yacht club and also a Catalina fleet and have burgees for both. 

Buy everybody at the club a drink and they won't notice what your flying. 

[sail4dale]

Seems top me I remember that only the yacht club "flag" is a burgee;  all others are pennants.  That wouls allow the officer flags, Catalina fleet pennants, etc without a conflict. 
reasonable???

[dave davis]

Rick, in your reply #2 I have a problem reading your message. Either my copy of Chapman (57 th edition)is wrong or your copy of the three lines of message is goofy. It looks like many of the flags have been turned 90%. THE top line is OK but the other two lines have many mistakes. Chapman shows several flags that spell out a message with several flags on one staff. Page 581. Sorry about that, Dave

[Rick Johnson]

Damn, ya learn something new every day (meaning me).  The signal from Nelson at Trafalgar used Popham's Telegraphic Code which was adopted by the Royal Navy in 1803.  The international signal flags we use today have been modified several times from those originals....  I had no idea that the flag codes had changed over the years.

http://www.aboutnelson.co.uk/englandexpcts.htm

[seanmcelligott]

That is interesting about the flags in use in Nelson's day.  It looks like they basically had flags numbered one through nine and a code book.  So flying the 2, 5 and 3 flags meant "England" in 1805, but only by virtue of the code book.  I guess they would also change the code book sometimes.  It is different from the international system for which there is a fixed letter for every flag.   Anybody no where I can get a set of Popham's or perhaps Howe's signal flags?  It would be nice to fly the famout signal on Trafalgar day (as they do from the Victory in England) although I imagine absolutely no one in the harbor would have any idea what the hell you were doing.

[Stu Jackson]

Sean, when in doubt, use Google (that's if you can't find it here on this website! ).