Drapeau Marin

Regulations and lexicon of the boat flag

First of all, it is important to make a point on the lexicon to use. In navigation, we use the term "flag" for ships and not the term "flag". There are two meanings. The first one is the material meaning of the flag, it is the flag of the country of the ship which is displayed on the stern. The second meaning is a legal term that gives the nationality of the ship, the country in which the ship was registered.

It is then important to use the right terms for the movements of the flag. On a boat, unlike a sail, a flag is sent up, not hoisted. Just as you hoist it, you do not lower it. This is one of the main confusions (without incidence) when you talk about movements on ships.

Two flags should not be overlapped, except in rare cases for special maritime signals. But a ship can obviously fly several flags.

The different flags to display on your ship

We will detail here the different flags that you will be confronted with and that you will have to display on board a pleasure boat.

The most important and well-known flag is the national flag. It represents the country where the boat is registered. This flag is MANDATORY on every vessel outside the territorial waters(Articles 240-2.03 - 8 and 240-2.12 of the Division 240) and is fixed at the back of the boat on a specific flagstaff or mast. It must be displayed:

• At sea in international waters
• In port in France from 8:00 a. m. to 8:00 p. m. on Sundays and public holidays at least, and every day at the same time in port abroad
• When leaving and entering a port

The size of this flag is proportional to the size of the ship that flies it. In the case of the French flag, the flag represented must have 30% blue, 33% white and 37% red in order to keep the colors of the national flag proportional when the flag is flying in the wind. In addition, it is customary that the size of the flag is such that it brushes the water when the wind is absent. Please note that the European flag does not replace the national flag.

The courtesy flag is a smaller flag than the national flag. It is sent when entering the territorial waters of a foreign country as a sign of respect for the country visited. This flag will therefore be in the colors of the said country. It is flown as a whole under the first tier of starboard spreaders and is flown and retracted at the same time as the national flag. In French law, this flag has no existence, but it is customary to fly it and may be codified in the legislation of the visited country and thus be mandatory. Be careful not to confuse the national flag of the visited country with the maritime flag of the visited country. Some countries use the national flag, such as France for example, while others, such as the United Kingdom for example, do not use the flag of the country as a maritime flag. It will be the latter that foreign vessels will have to fly.

The club flag and the owner's flag are two other flags you can fly on your boat. The first one is in the colors of your club and is usually installed at the top of the mast. The second one is totally free, you can create it yourself and let your creativity run free. It is sent under the starboard (or port if used) spreaders and means that the owner is on board.

Finally, the "Q" flag is a flag to be used when requesting the right to enter and dock in the waters of a foreign country. This is not necessary in the European Union, but is still in force outside. Once you have docked, you must then go to the customs office to complete the administrative formalities.

The boat flags at Nautisports

At Nautisports, we offer a wide choice of countries in our flags for Plastimo vessels. Many states that you can display in addition to the French national flag on your yacht are represented. In addition to the flags, we also offer a Plastimo orange flame made of resistant nylon with a length of 2m which is compulsory when you tow a boat.

We have the fast delivery 48H for these flags in polyester fabric of very good quality and resistant which will remain in very good state even after several years. These flags are very resistant and the length can vary according to the model. You will have the right to a free delivery in withdrawal point from 150€ of purchase on our site, very accessible amount because we propose many useful articles to the navigation other than flags and flags which you will be able to take on board.

After reading this article, you will know how to recognize the flags of the ships you will meet and which ones to send on your boat. This code applies to all vessels registered in France but applies in a similar way internationally according to the legislation and law in force. You will be able to practise your nautical sport and to sail on your pleasure boat without concern.