6. Boats: c. Know the proper display of boat flags and courtesy on small boats.

Proper Display of Boat Flags

Flag display is defined by centuries of tradition. There are four places to display a flag on your sea scout boat and each location signals a different meaning to observers. The four locations are: the Stern Flagstaff, the Gaff, Starboard Spreader, and the Port Spreader. There is also a long history of dressing ships for formal occassions.

The stern flagstaff is used only for flying the national ensign (the current flag of the country where the boat belongs). No other flag should be flown at the stern. This location indicates the ship’s country of origin. When the ship gets under way the national ensign may be flown from the gaff. Otherwise, it remains on the stern flagstaff. When under way, the flag is flown 24 hours a day. When anchored or tied up, the flag is flown from sunrise to sunset.

When a sailboat us under way, the proper place to display the national ensign is at the peak of the gaff. The gaff is the spar at the top of a gaff mainsail. Some sailboats without a gaff will have an ensign sewn to the leech of the mainsail two-thirds of the way up from the foot of the sail.

The starboard spreader of the most forward mast is the place of honor aboard any boat. Primary honors go to the courtesy flags of the country being visited. Next is the flag of the officer living aboard or visiting this vessel.

This is the port spreader of the most forward mast. It is the inferior location, and because it usually is not encumbered by other flags, it is used for making flag hoist signals to other vessels. This is traditionally where the crew’s meal pennant is flown to indicate the crew is predisposed with dinner; therefore side honors will not be provided.

Traditionally on holidays and during parades, all the International Code Flags are hoisted from the bow to the top of the mast and down to the stern, in a very colorful display known as dressing ship. Reed’s Nautical Companion suggests that the most attractive combination alternates 2 letters with 1 pennant in the following order: Starting from the stern: E, Q, 3, G, 8, Z, 4, W, 6, P, 1, CODE, T, Y, B, X, first repeater, H, third repeater, D, F, second repeater, U, A, O, M, R, 2, J, Zero, N, 9, K, 7, V, 5, L, C, S.

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