A little bit about nautical flag etiquette. When sailing a boat in a foreign country, you display the flag of the ship’s country of registry at the stern of the boat. The size of the home country flag is based on the size of your vessel, for our sailing yacht – in the category 40-45’ in length, a 24X36” flag is appropriate. In addition to your country of registry, once you have cleared immigration, you must display a courtesy flag of your host country. Courtesy flags are all the same size, 12X18”. They are to be raised on the starboard spreader and should fly higher that other personal or club pennants and flags. In 2010, the land formerly known as Queen Charlotte Islands, was given back to the Haida people and renamed Haida Gwaii. While it remains a part of Canada and considered by Canada to be a Canadian National Park, it is governed by the Council of the Haida Nation who never ceded the land to Canada. After we attended our online orientation, registered and were granted a reservation to visit, they mailed us a small flag along with our visitor badges. We assume it should be flown as a courtesy flag and placed it below the Canadian courtesy flag on the starboard spreader.
Sailing Perception 
4 responses to “Excruciating (sailing) Minutiae vol. 2”
Interesting lesson on ship flag protocol and the Haida Nation al flag. Thanks1
LikeLiked by 1 person
Showing respect to a host is good manners, plus could pay dividends!
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing these details about flag etiquette and the protocols you follow. That is a beautiful Haida Nation flag. You may have quite a collection by the time you finish this chapter of your lives. Do you carry specific nautical flags for communication?
LikeLike
Thanks for the question! We use the Q flag (Yellow Jack, Quebec) solid yellow flag when entering a foreign country or returning to the US from a foreign country. It indicates we have not yet cleared customs and immigration. It is hoisted in the same place as the courtesy flag – on the starboard spreader. Once cleared by local authorities, you replace it with the courtesy flag. Historically, the “Q flag” indicated “quarantine” and one yellow flag meant there is no illness aboard your vessel. Funny how recently that became relevant again!
We also carry 2 other flags for communication; the blue and white checkered “negative” and the blue/white/red/white/blue striped “affirmative”, although we have never used them.
LikeLike