By Marie de Picksea
The use of flags is the oldest means of communication between ships and with certain authorities. National flag, pleasure flag, or even courtesy flag, some "maritime flags" are still compulsory in both pleasure and maritime navigation, despite the advent of radio and digital communications
The national flag
It is the only one to be displayed on the stern of the ship. It is not necessary to display it permanently, but when sailing in international waters or in foreign waters, it becomes mandatory. It should also be noted that it is customary to display it on Sundays and public holidays. Beware! If it is not mandatory in French territorial waters, the French flag cannot be replaced by regional flags.
Mandatory flags for pleasure craft
Diving or underwater hunting activities from the boat in this case, it is necessary to show the "Alpha" flag(white and blue with indentations). In this case, the other boats must pass at least 100 meters away In case of distress in the case of the "Alpha" flag, the N flag(blue and white checkerboard) and the Cflag (blue, red and white horizontal stripes) must be displayed. These two flags are mandatory to have on board to comply with the RIPAM (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea).
The courtesy flag and other flags
When sailing in foreign territorial waters, it is customary to wear the flag of the country concerned on the starboard side of the mast. It is the mark of recognition by the crew of the authority of the country in its territorial waters On port sideit is possible to fly other flags: club flags, flags of regional origin, etc... It should be noted that normally the "pirate" flag is forbidden on a boat ... Finally, the Grand Pavois is worn on "special occasions". It is to show all the flags of the international code of signals, from the front to the back of the boat through the top of the mast. The Grand Pavois is shown at nautical celebrations, christenings, pardons and religious celebrations, etc...
Regatta flags
In pleasure boating, flags are certainly the most used in regattas. They are used to indicate to all competitors the important phases of the race: start, finish, recalls, etc... The codification of the regatta flags is international and defined by World Sailing (ex ISAF the world sailing federation). It is an integral part of the racing rules and applies to all sailing competitions: light, multihull, offshore races, etc...
To learn more about the regulation of flags
Flags and Flags of Vagnon | Picksea
This book is an invitation to discover the shapes, patterns and meanings of nearly 400 magnificent banners which, although they may seem familiar, are often unknown to us.
Available at 22,95€ on Picksea.com
The regulatory marine code is composed of 3 self-adhesive sheets RIPAM / Buoyage / Flags which gathers the essential of the international maritime regulations for the pleasure navigation. Available at 16,90€ on Picksea.com
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