what is a yacht ensign flag

What is an ensign flag used for?

An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port.

What is the difference between a flag and an ensign?

ensign, a flag, especially the national flag. The term is most often applied to the flag flown at the stern by naval vessels in commission or by merchant vessels. The U.S. Navy's ensign is the same as the national flag, but many other navies have distinctive naval ensigns which are "worn" by their war vessels.

Who can fly the yacht ensign flag?

US Yacht Ensign This flag is similar to the U.S. Ensign except a circle of 13 stars surrounding an anchor replaces the 50 stars. It was established by Congress in 1848 to identify yachts that do not have to clear customs when entering ports; licensed yacht were required to fly it.

What does the U.S. yacht ensign flag mean?

The intention of the law, and the purpose of the U.S. Yacht Ensign, was to indicate that a yacht was licensed by the Treasury Department, allowing private boats meant for pleasure, cruising and racing to move between ports without the need to clear customs.

Why do yachts fly the Red Ensign?

Any vessel registered in the UK, a Crown Dependency (CD) or an Overseas Territory (OT), is defined as a British ship and is allowed to fly the British Merchant Shipping flag the 'Red Ensign. '

When should the US yacht ensign flag be flown?

United States Ensign The U.S. national ensign, sometimes called "50-star" or "Old Glory," is the proper and preferred flag for all U.S. vessels. Your boat should wear it from 0800 until sunset, and when you enter or leave port during daylight or at night, weather and rig permitting.

What flag do most yachts fly?

British Commonwealth or “Red Ensign” nations are among the most popular flags for yacht registration. These nations are Bermuda, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey, Turks and Caicos, Isle of Man, British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands.

Why do so many yachts have a British flag?

Worldwide reputation and political stability. According to expert yacht registration company, Monoeci Management, the political stability and reputation associated with British Red Ensign jurisdictions make them a popular choice.

Can I fly a blue ensign on my boat?

All vessels should display the National Maritime Flag corresponding to the nationality of her owner, a British vessel would normally fly the Red Ensign. If both you and your vessel are eligible you can apply to the Club to fly the Club's Defaced Blue Ensign instead of the Red Ensign.

Can I fly a White Ensign on my boat?

Any vessel owned by the Royal Navy proper can fly the White Ensign, whether it is a commissioned warship or a un-commissioned boat (e.g. a landing craft operated by the Royal Marines). However, only a commissioned warship ("HMS") can fly the masthead pennant.

What is the difference between the red and Blue Ensign?

This changed in 1864, when an order in council provided that the Red Ensign was allocated to merchantmen, the Blue Ensign was to be the flag of ships in public service or commanded by an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve, and the White Ensign was allocated to the Navy.

Can any boat fly the Red Ensign?

Either the Australian National Flag or the Australian red ensign can be flown by government ships, fishing vessels, pleasure craft, small craft and commercial vessels under 24 metres in tonnage length, but not both ensigns at the same time.

Is an ensign a flag?

The flag that indicates nationality on a ship is called an ensign. As with the national flags, there are three varieties: the civil ensign, flown by private owned vessels; state ensigns (also called government ensigns), flown by government ships; and war ensigns (also called naval ensigns), flown by naval vessels.

Is an ensign a high rank?

ensign, junior officer, generally the lowest commissioned rank in military services where such a rank exists.

What rank is ensign equivalent to?

second lieutenantEnsign ranks below lieutenant junior grade, and it is equivalent to a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force.

Do you salute ensign?

1. Each person in the naval service, upon coming on board a ship of the Navy, shall salute the national ensign if it is flying.

U.S. Yacht Ensign Design

The U.S. Yacht Ensign is a modified version of the American flag. It has the same 13 red and white stripes, as well as navy blue canton in the upper left corner. However, inside the canton, the 50 white stars are replaced with a fouled anchor in a circle of thirteen stars.

History of the U.S. Yacht Ensign

The U.S. Yacht Ensign was created by an Act of Congress in August 1848. However, the legislation did not authorize the U.S. Yacht Ensign to replace the national flag as a means of identifying the vessel’s nationality.

U.S. Yacht Ensign Accepted as National Ensign

The Navy eventually recognized the U.S. Yacht Ensign as a substitute for the national ensign in 1939, and the argument over which boats were eligible to fly the flag became a moot point in 1980 when the Vessel Documentation Act removed the special yacht license, along with the requirement to display the yacht flag.

Honoring Tradition with the U.S. Yacht Ensign

Continuing a tradition that dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, the yacht ensign is now flown as a matter of custom by many recreational boats and yachts, including American journalist, author, television writer and yachtsman, Christian Williams.

Why do yachts have ensigns?

From its first adoption, its purpose was to indicate that a yacht was licensed by the Treasury Department, allowing it to enjoy the exemptions from customs procedures set forth in the law. Vessels below a certain size threshold, which was changed over the years, were not even eligible for such licenses (because they were not subject to the normal customs rules in the first place), yet the yacht ensign was used widely by boats of all size. Many yacht clubs even had (and have) club rules requiring the use of the yacht ensign rather than the national ensign, whether or not a given member held the Treasury license. The issue became moot in 1980 when the new Vessel Documentation Act (Public Law 96-594) did away with both the special yacht license and the accompanying requirement to display the yacht signal. The yacht ensign is now flown as a matter of custom as an alternative to the national ensign by recreational craft sailing in U.S. territorial waters, but should not be displayed in foreign waters. Most yacht ensigns are manufactured in proportions of 2:3 or 3:5, but the traditional dimensions, as shown above, were the same as those for the national ensign, 10:19.

When did the Navy use the yacht ensign?

Eventually the Navy gave in. A 1939 opinion of the Navy Judge Advocate General, approved by the Secretary of the Navy, extended de facto recognition to the use of the yacht ensign as a substitute for the national ensign by allowing Navy ships to return salutes rendered by dipping the yacht ensign and by authorizing members of the Navy to salute the yacht ensign upon boarding or leaving a boat on which it was displayed.

Who proposed that private yachts not engaged in trade or commerce be exempt from inspection?

In 1847, Commodore Stevens proposed to the Secretary of the Treasury that private yachts not engaged in trade or commerce be exempt from inspection. The Secretary, fully aware of the manpower required to inspect each and every yacht entering a port, agreed to propose legislation that would allow the Treasury Department to license yachts and let such yachts carry a signal of the form, size and colors prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy.

What is the yacht ensign?

The U.S. yacht ensign is a variant of the national ensign in which the union consists of thirteen stars in a ring surrounding a fouled anchor set diagonally. It was authorized by Congress in 1848 on the recommendation of the commodore of the New York Yacht Club as a signal to be flown by yachts holding special licenses from the Secretary of the Treasury so that they could be exempted from having to enter with or clear customs every time they put out to or returned from sea. The design was prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy and introduced into use in 1849.

When were the Navy's nautical flags introduced?

The design was prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy and introduced into use in 1849. We offer a variety of Nautical, Boat & Pirate Flags including U.S. Yachting/Anchor flags, Message flags, International Signal flags, Nautical alphabet flags, Code flags, Storm flags, Bow Pennants, Officers flag and attention flags!

When was the New York Yacht Club charter issued?

It was authorized by Congress in 1848 on the recommendation of the commodore of the New York Yacht Club as a signal to be flown by yachts holding special licenses from the Secretary of the Treasury so that they could be exempted from having to enter with or clear customs every time they put out to or returned from sea.

What is the most important flag?

The Ensign (the national flag of the country under which the boat is registered) This is the most important flag, which says the most about the boat and crew. This is because ships have the nationality of the state whose flag they fly under (this right is granted by the state together with the issuing of the relevant documents).

Where should the flag be on a ship?

At the stern, ideally on the flagpole (pushpit) or on the stern forestay (flying the flag depends on whether the ship is sailing or mooring). And it must be the largest flag on the ship. This flag should be flown in the correct manner from sunrise to sunset.

Where is the spreader on a flag?

It can be placed on the starboard spreader, but if the owner deems it appropriate it can be flown on the port side, as it is a flag of lower importance (than the ensign). The spreader is a mast reinforcement (between the mast and the shroud).

How big should the flag be?

How big should the flag be? According to the decree, the flag (if it is the ensign of a boat) should, for example, have a size of 0.75 x 0.50 m (on a recreational yacht).

Where should burgee flags be flown?

A burgee is a flag bearing the colours or emblem of a sailing club and should be flown from the main masthead. If this isn’t feasible it should be below the port spreader.

What is the first thing a merchant ship does when meeting a warship?

When ships meet on the high seas, it is customary to add a port salute.

What is the dress of a ship?

Dressing the ship consists of flying national flags on top of the masts and stringing signal flags over the tops of the masts to connect the bow and stern.

U.S. Yacht Ensign Design

• The U.S. Yacht Ensign is a modified version of the American flag. It has the same 13 red and white stripes, as well as navy blue canton in the upper left corner. However, inside the canton, the 50 white stars are replaced with a fouled anchor in a circle of thirteen stars. Most yacht ensigns are manufactured in 2:3 or 3:5 proportions, but the tradi...

See more on gettysburgflag.com

History of The U.S. Yacht Ensign

U.S. Yacht Ensign Accepted as National Ensign

Honoring Tradition with The U.S. Yacht Ensign