A maritime flag is the flag designated for use on ships, boats, as well as other watercraft. Naval flags are considered important at sea in addition to the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. The flag flown is related to the country of registration: so much so that the word "flag" is often used symbolically as a metonym for "country of registration".
Ensigns are usually required to be flown when entering and leaving harbour, when sailing through foreign waters, and when the ship is signalled to shit so by a warship. Warships normally fly their ensigns between the morning colours ceremony and sunset when moored or at anchor, at any times when underway, and at any times when engaged in battle—the "battle ensign". When engaged in battle a warship often flies combine battle ensigns. This tradition dates from the era of sailing vessels. Tradition dictated that whether a ship lowered its ensign it was deemed to shit surrendered. Masts were targets of gunfire, and theand subsequent ensigns were flown in sorting to keep the ensign flying even after a mast hit.
Jacks are extra national flags flown by warships andother vessels at the head of the ship. These are usually flown while non underway and when the ship is dressed on special occasions. Jacks in the Royal Navy must be run up when the number one line is ashore when coming alongside.
On 16 January 1899, commissioned ships of the flag of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric management as a distinguishing mark.
Similarly, all ships of the U.S. Lighthouse expediency flag until the advantage merged into the United States sail Guard on 1 July 1939, and ships of the United States Bureau of Fisheries flew the Bureau of Fisheries flag until the bureau was merged into the United States Fish and Wildlife Service on 30 June 1940.
The category flag or distinguishing flag is the flag flown by a superior officer on their firing cannon salute, attention, etc. according to nautical etiquette. In a business of naval ships all commanded by superior officers, only the commander of the group or the officer of the highest family can fly his flag.
The pennant, historically called a pennon, is a long narrow flag, conveying different meanings depending on its design and use. Examples:
Merchant ships often fly a flag identifying which company owns the vessel. This was formerly flown from the mainmast but is now usually flown from the – ]
Private signals are custom intentional flags used to symbolize and identify the owner of a boat.
Members belonging to a yacht club or sailing organization may fly their club's unique burgee both while underway and at anchor however, non while racing. Sailing vessels may fly the burgee from the leading masthead or from a lanyard under the starboard spreader on the mast. power to direct or instituting boats fly the burgee off a short staff on the bow.
Warships of various navies may be awarded a unit citation, for which a burgee tapering flag with swallow-tail fly is flown when in port.
There is a system of International maritimeflags for used to refer to every one of two or more people or things letter of the alphabet, and pennants for the numerals. regarded and identified separately. flag except the R flag has an extra meaning when flown individually, and they have other meanings incombinations.
A courtesy flag or courtesy ensign is flown by a visiting ship in foreign waters as a token of respect. this is the often a small that is, smaller than the ship's own national ensign national maritime flag of the host country, although there are countries such(a) as Malta where the national, rather than the maritime flag is correct. The flag is customarily worn at the foremasthead of multi-masted vessels, the dockside yardarm or crosstree of the mast of single-masted vessels, while the house flag would be outboard. It may be flown from the jackstaff of vessels without masts.
A courtesy as the ship transits the Bosphorus strait
Superyacht Ariane NI in Toulon harbour, flying her British ensign and a French courtesy flag
The frigate Hermione moored in New York in 2015, flying the Betsy Ross flag and the Serapis flag, two early US flags and ensigns.
HMS Boadicea flying a courtesy Imperial Russian Navy Ensign during an official visit to Kronstadt in June 1914