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Wave
The Flag (18-6) by Dusty
Miller
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 Boating
is perhaps the oldest form of transportation. Up until
the birth of automobiles, the rail system and commercial
airlines, no other vehicle has taken people as far away
from home. As a result traditions that surround boating
are ancient and, while many are still acknowledged,
they have changed significantly over the years.
Take flags for instance. In ancient times, when a boat's
rigging would appear over the horizon, a flurry of flags
would run up to the yardarm indicating the port of origin,
destination, cargo, the ranking officer, guests or other
information.
Today, this tradition is still recognized. Flags on
pleasure boats indicate the country of origin and pay
respect to the country being visited. The flag of the
former is flown at the stern and the latter is raised
on the mast. In some cases, boats will add one or more
burgees to the display. This might identify the yacht
or cruising club the captain belongs to, the Power Squadron
or the rendezvous attended. The burgee is flown alongside
the courtesy flag or sometimes at the bow.
While the rules are not as strict as they once were,
there are still places where flags should not be flown.
One common error is to fly the flag designating the
country of origin or Power Squadron on the VHF antenna.
Not only is this out of place, it's unsafe. After one
good blast of wind and your antenna could be sitting
on the front deck with your radio out of commission.
One other rule that still applies, but is often ignored
is the country of origin flag. This should be flown
at the stern and lowered at sundown while at your homeport
- but not while cruising on foreign waters.
Another boating tradition that is still honored is the
practice of waving at passing boaters. When vessels
on the waterways were few and far between, the sight
of another vessel was an event. Sailors would spend
months, even years, at sea and feel the isolation and
distance from home. If they passed close enough, the
two could exchange news through flags or megaphones.
At the very least they would wave and acknowledge the
camaraderie of men living common lives. Today, the wave
is courtesy, a way to recognize a fellow boater.
However, courtesy should extend much more than a simple
wave. Here are some examples. ...
(Read full article in the magazine.) (Page
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