Flag Etiquette
Proper flag etiquette is an important part of our members' responsibilities as ambassadors representing Seattle Yacht Club. SYC flag etiquette is defined by three references. First, the rules and emphasized protocols listed below; secondly, the latest edition of Chapman's Piloting, Seamanship, and Small Boat Handling; and thirdly, by the United States Power Squadron. If there is a conflict, the rules below shall take precedence.
Members with sailboats are strongly encouraged to rig both port and starboard flag halyards.
Flag size
Yacht ensigns or national flags flown at the stern staff should be one inch on the fly for every foot of overall length. All other flags, including courtesy flags, are sized on the fly in accordance with overall length of the sailboat (1/2" per foot) or overall length for powerboats (5/8" per foot). The dimensions of the Canadian flag are different from ours, and the proper sized flag has a ratio of 1:2 (hoist to fly).
National flag or yacht ensign
Either may be flown in U.S. waters, but the yacht ensign should never be flown in international waters, including Canadian waters. Whether national flag or yacht ensign, it should be retired at sunset and reinstated at 0800 the following morning.
SYC burgee
The burgee may be flown on a boat only when an SYC member is aboard, however, SYC rules do allow the burgee to be flown when the vessel is unattended at our permanent moorage locations. When cruising, it is also proper to fly the burgee when the member's boat is unattended at a dock, mooring or at anchor. The burgee must be flown at all SYC Outstations from arrival until departure. Members who fail to display the SYC burgee properly will not be allowed to stay at an SYC Outstation. The burgee is not to be flown on a commercial vessel.
In the case of a sailboat in U.S. waters with port and starboard flag spreader halyards, the burgee must be flown on the starboard spreader with only an SYC Officer's flag beneath, with all other flags then being flown from the port spreader. Powerboats should think of their starboard and port antennas similarly to the flag halyards of a sailboat.
It is never acceptable to fly more than one yacht club burgee at the same time, or to have officer or past officer flags earned from other yacht clubs flown while operating under the SYC burgee.
The Cheechako pennant signifying a new member is always flown, if possible, immediately beneath the SYC burgee. If this location is not possible, then choose the next location in order of precedence. The Cheechako pennant is flown for the first twelve months of membership.
Courtesy flag (host country national flag)
Strict protocol and flag etiquette require that when a foreign national flag is flown as a courtesy flag, it be flown unencumbered (alone), on a sailboat from the starboard spreader and typically on a powerboat from a starboard antenna. However, recent custom allows that sailing vessels having only one flag halyard may fly the courtesy flag at the top of that halyard, with the remaining flags in order of precedence below it. The courtesy flag is sized in accordance with the instructions above. It is raised on crossing into the host country's waters and flown until leaving those waters. Before arriving at Henry Island, Friday Harbor or other stateside facilities, the Canadian courtesy flag should be struck.
Private signals
Article 13 of the Club By-Laws includes a section that permits members to adopt a private signal, registered with and regulated by the Club Secretary.
