How to fly the US flag?

[rbgarr]

There was a big to-do in our local newspaper's 'Letters to the Editor' section about where to fly the US flag on a mast with a gaff and yardarm.

What say you? On the gaff... the (flag's) right on the yard... or at the top of the mast? Are there any exceptions? :confused:

(Don't worry. There won't be a test on Monday morning. ;) :D )

[Doug Tutty]

Finally, a question I can answer, with a reference from an American: To quote my copy of Chapman's (1977 edition, p. 467, caption of photo): "Never fly the American flag from the masthead of a mast equipped with a gaff [Picture showes typical shore-type pole, with yardarm], as illustrated here. Just as on a ship, the gaff, even though lower in height, is the place of honor." The text on the page discusses the source of confusion stemming from 1848 when the [New York Yacht Club] Yacht Ensign was approved, which is flown as a signal (to show that they were exempted from entering and clearing customs) and hence flown from the signal haliard, on the starboard spreader (or yard-arm).

[Nicholas Carey]

On a gaff-rigged yacht, the ensign/national flag is traditionally flown from the leech (often the flag is sewn to the leech) at the head of the sail. If the yacht is has multiple masts, the ensign is flown from the aftermost mast. The owner's house flag or club burgee is flown from the masthead (if multiple masts, the mainmast).

On a marconi-rigged yacht, the ensign/national flag is flown from a short staff at the transom, and again, the owner's house flag or club burgee is flown from the masthead as above.

[rbgarr]

Rereading my original post, I realize I left out an important part of the question, at least as far as the newspaper brouhaha is concerned: Where is the US flag flown ON A SHORESIDE MAST with a gaff and yard arm?

[Clipper]

From the Gaff.

[ahc]

So if you want to fly Old Glory from a gaff rigged sloop, you sew her to the leech at the top edge?

[Lucky Luke]

Where to fly the US flag??? Just the same as any other National flag , mate!
Yep, on a gaff-rigged boat, it's from the Main's gaff when she is sailing (or aftermost gaff, but not the mizzen for a short masted yawl), on the staff if she has her sails down (unless the main in brailed: then, still from the gaff ). Looks gorgeous on a schooner!
But don't forget one thing, if you leave the American waters: the courtesy flag must ALWAYS be flown higher that the National flag (and on Stbd., please). Some peole are VERY sensitive to that! Then, the speaders are sometimes too low, and the National flag must be set lower: that's why 3/4 or 2/3 up is common...and that suits a bermudian sail very well too!
Wish you nice cruising.

[ 10-05-2003, 10:36 AM: Message edited by: Lucky Luke ]

[NormMessinger]

Reference references references.

We here all know, don't we, where the ensign should be flown but our word ain't gonna win the arguement in RB's newspaper.

Reference references references.

[rbgarr]

References do indeed seem to be the nub of the newspaper debate. Custom and tradition (as described in Chapman's for example) seem to argue for the flag/ensign on the gaff...at sea.

However, a specific reference to the official US Code seems to argue otherwise with regard to masts with gaffs and yardarms ashore.

See http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/lobby/5691/etiquette.html especially paragraph 175, section (c) where a specific exception to any flag flying higher than the US flag is during a chaplain's services ( and then only at sea, not ashore!)

In an earlier paragraph there's also a lot of time spent discussing the relation of the UN flag to the US flag.

Who knew? I didn't.

[PaulK]

IMHO that the guys who wrote the passage you refer to about "nothing higher than the US flag" left out "on the same hoist". The Navy's "Bluejackets' Manual" that I have here only speaks of holding colors on vessels NOT Underway, and calls for hoisting the national ensign smartly to the top of the FLAGSTAFF. Such staffs are usually mounted on the transom, and might be fifteen or twenty feet high. Signal flags flying from the mast would be much higher. I recall seeing a US Navy destroyer anchoring for the bicentennial OpSail in the Hudson River, with the captain apparently unsatisfied with the set of his anchor. Each time the anchor went down, the US ensign was hoisted smartly to the top of the flagstaff. (They were not underway.) Each time they lifted the anchor to edge forward to reset it, the large ensign at the transom was lowered, smartly, and a much smaller one appeared, immediately, at the gaff on their mast, because the vessel was under way. If the shoreside location wants to resolve the issue, they can get an eight foot flagstaff and be done with it. Otherwise, the ensign belongs on the gaff. Just think - if we pass an amendment to protect our flag, insulting it by flying it in the wrong position could be punishable by a prison term ;)

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
No particular comment about the US flag per se, but here we generally follow the UK in matters like this, and the following summary of advice we gave a client recently with regard to his ketch seems to apply --

For two-masted gaff-rigged boats, the place for the (red) ensign is the mizzen peak. At anchor, you'd fly it from a jackstaff at the stern. (I've seen a jackstaff set on the rudder-head, which can be okay but depending on the particular vessel can also look damn' stupid.

You'd dip it to a passing naval vessel (or the senior one of a squadron or in harbour,) holding it at the dip until the navy ship responds.

Apart from the ensign, as owner you might want to have your own house flag (also called a distinguishing flag,) to be flown whenever you yourself are on board (or in the near vicinity, and still in command.) House flags are generally square or nearly so, and can be essentially any design you like. Strictly speaking, a house flag should be flown from the mizzen masthead, leaving the main masthead for a club burgee (which is normally triangular.) But if you don't intend flying a club burgee, I think the main masthead is a better place for the house flag. At either masthead though, you should fly it on a pennant staff rather than simply hauling it up to the top sheave, so that it can fly clear of the masthead at any angle of wind. (See our website for sketches of jack and pennant staffs.)

If you're cruising overseas it's customary to fly a small version of your host country's ensign at the starboard spreader. If your vessel is one of those few without spreaders, I think you'd fly it at the mizzen masthead, but I confess to being not entirely sure.

Finally, since the main peak is thus left free after all that, you can fly whatever pennant you like there. So there's no reason why you couldn't make it a long decorative streamer-type one if you like. But I guess you wouldn't want it to reach as far aft as the mizzen mast in case of mishap.

You can find summaries of flag protocols in various books, but I generally tend to follow what Eric Hiscock showed in Cruising Under Sail from about 1950.

When a string of flags is flown all the way from the stemhead (or bowsprit) to taffrail (or bumkin) via the masthead(s), the ship is said to be "dressed overall." This is done on special celebratory occasions, like Australia Day, or at a regatta or a sail-past. And you could certainly dress your boat for launching if you wanted. The flags used are those of the International Code. The order they're flown in is immaterial, but they should be arranged so that square flags and pennants are evenly spaced, and colours well contrasted. (In the UK, but I don't know what's done here in Oz, the pilot jack is suspended below the bowsprit with a weight on the end of the line. Their pilot jack used to be the Union flag with a white border, but as far as I know we don't have an equivalent.) Ensigns, burgees, and house flags are not included in the line, but the ensign is flown normally on the jackstaff. Another ensign can be flown at each masthead, along with the house flag, burgee, and pennant as usual, but in that case the ensign is flown above the other flags (meaning your house flag would be flown on the ensign's masthead halyard, not on its pennant staff.) Finally, sailing yachts are only dressed like this when at anchor. Under way they simply wear the masthead ensigns in addition to the flags usually flown.

Also, I should mention that the red ensign is the merchant one, flown by private ships, the blue ensign is the national flag, normally flown only on shore, while the white the ensign is reserved solely for naval use. They're pictured at http://www.flags.net/ASTL.htm (This follows what was original UK usage, but UK ensigns and their use are now somewhat different. You can see the current situation for the UK at http://www.flags.net/UNKG.htm )

Mike

[Nicholas Carey]

Originally posted by ahc:
So if you want to fly Old Glory from a gaff rigged sloop, you sew her to the leech at the top edge?Of the aftermost sail.

Or you rig a halyard from the end of the gaff (aftermost) down to the end of its boom and hoist the flag on that halyard.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

.
And in the early days of bermudan rigs they used to stitch the ensign to the leech three-quarters of the way up from the clew. Right about where the end of a gaff would have been, in other words....

Just how more unseamanlike-looking you could get would be hard to imagine. :rolleyes:
.

[Meerkat]

US Navy warships never fly a flag from the transom (except, perhaps on special occasions, although I don't recall ever seeing it done when I was in). At anchor, the Navy Jack is flown from a short staff (jack staff) at the bow (and is saluted first before the quarterdeck after requesting permission to come aboard). Under way, the national ensign is flown from the starboard side of the ship's mast on it's own hoist.

I've always understood that a (single masted) sailboat flew the national ensign from the starboard shroud, with a courtesy flag flown above in foreign waters (and that some countries get very upset if you don't do it that way).

A bit of trivia: the navy jack was an array of 50 stars on a blue field (as in the union portion of the national ensign) from 1960 until 2002. In 2002 the design was changed back to the first design ever used, a flag with 13 red/white stripes with a serpent on it and the inscription "Don't tread on me" below.

[ 10-06-2003, 03:54 AM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[Paul Scheuer]

US Navy warships never fly a flag from the transom (except, perhaps on special occasions, although I don't recall ever seeing it done when I was in). At anchor, the Navy Jack is flown from a short staff (jack staff) at the bow (and is saluted first before the quarterdeck after requesting permission to come aboard). I think I remember saluting the flag on the fantail when boarding. Was I doing it wrong ? Did I forget? Did it change since the 60s.

[Don Z.]

Originally posted by Meerkat:
US Navy warships never fly a flag from the transom (except, perhaps on special occasions, although I don't recall ever seeing it done when I was in). At anchor, the Navy Jack is flown from a short staff (jack staff) at the bow (and is saluted first before the quarterdeck after requesting permission to come aboard). Under way, the national ensign is flown from the starboard side of the ship's mast on it's own hoist.

I've always understood that a (single masted) sailboat flew the national ensign from the starboard shroud, with a courtesy flag flown above in foreign waters (and that some countries get very upset if you don't do it that way).

A bit of trivia: the navy jack was an array of 50 stars on a blue field (as in the union portion of the national ensign) from 1960 until 2002. In 2002 the design was changed back to the first design ever used, a flag with 13 red/white stripes with a serpent on it and the inscription "Don't tread on me" below.Anyone want to tell the Captain of the USS New Jersey that the national ensign is not flown from the flagstaff on the fantail?
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/016331d.jpg

The proper place for the national ensign is as displayed in the photograph. See Marine Corps Order P10520.3B, the Marine Corps Flag Manual, et al.

BTW, until Sept 11, 2002, the oldest ship in the fleet (at the time, the USS Saratoga) was authorized to fly the Rattlesnake Ensign as the jack. On that date, the 50 star jack was replaced throughout the fleet with the Rattlesnake. It will remain so until the war ends or SecNav changes his mind.

[PaulK]

Have to agree with Don Z about flags, but always thought USS Constitution, based in Boston, was the oldest ship in the fleet (1797?) . This is the Woodenboat forum, after all...

[PaulK]

Have to agree with Don Z about flags, but always thought USS Constitution, based in Boston, was the oldest ship in the fleet (1797?) . This is the Woodenboat forum, after all...

[John E Hardiman]

I'm tired of this!!!!

Go here (http://www.tpub.com/content/advancement/14325/css/14325_119.htm) and the next few pages for the proper display aboard US warships.

And here (http://www.tpub.com/content/advancement/14325/css/14325_256.htm) and the next few pages for proper honors and etiquette.

mumblemumble...sand crabs...mumblemumble

[Paul Scheuer]

Just like the BJM said.

Don Z any connection with USS Saratoga ? My ship from 1962 to 1964..

[Don Z.]

First, I need to apologise. It wasn't the Saratoga, it was the Kitty Hawk. Sara was being decommissioned in San Diego last time I was there, and I have Sara on my mind...

To answer the question, yes, the Constitution is older, but the order actually reads "oldest ship in active service". Constitution has not sailed in harm's way in an awful long time...