Maritime flag facts for kids

A maritime flag, also known as a naval flag, is a special flag used on ships, boats, and other watercraft. These flags are very important at sea, and there are strict rules about how and when they should be flown. The flag a ship flies usually shows which country it is registered in. Sometimes, people even use the word "flag" to mean the country a ship belongs to!

Understanding Maritime Flags

Different Kinds of Ship Flags

Ensigns: A Ship's National Identity

The Red Ensign, as currently used by the United Kingdom's Merchant Navy

An ensign is like a ship's national ID. It's the main flag that shows a ship's country. Ships must fly their ensign when they enter or leave a harbor, when sailing in foreign waters, or when another warship signals them to do so.

Ensigns have been part of seafaring traditions for a very long time, both for private ships and navy ships. When ships want to show respect, they might perform a "flag dip" with their ensign. Ships usually fly their ensigns from morning until sunset when they are docked or anchored. Warships fly their ensign all the time when they are moving. In battle, they might even fly a special "battle ensign" or several ensigns at once.

Historically, if a ship lowered its ensign, it meant the ship was surrendering. Masts were often targets during sea battles. So, ships would sometimes have extra ensigns ready to fly, just in case one was shot down.

Jacks: Flags for the Bow

Jacks are smaller flags flown from a short pole at the very front of a ship, called the bow. They are usually flown when a ship is in port or during special celebrations, but not when the ship is moving. Jacks first started on warships. However, some other types of vessels also use them now. Sometimes, a jack might look exactly like the ship's main ensign.

In the Royal Navy, jacks are raised as soon as the ship is tied up to the shore.

Special Flags for Government Ships

The flag of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, flown by all commissioned ships of the NOAA fleet as a "distinctive mark."

Some government ships, like those used for scientific research or coastal surveys, fly special flags. These flags help people know what kind of government service the ship belongs to. For example, ships of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States fly their own flag. This helps distinguish them from U.S. Navy ships, even though they might fly the same national ensign.

Other services, like the former United States Lighthouse Service and the United States Bureau of Fisheries, also had their own special flags for their ships. These flags showed their unique roles in serving the country.

Rank Flags: Showing Who's in Charge

Rank flag of a rear admiral of the Indian Navy.

A rank flag is flown by a high-ranking officer when they are on their main ship or at their headquarters. This is why a commander's main ship is called a flagship! Long ago, before radios, these flags were used to give orders to other ships. The flag showed which ship to watch for signals.

Today, rank flags still show that an important leader, like a president, prime minister, or a navy admiral, is on board. When this flag is flying, other navy ships know to show special honors, like saluting. If several high-ranking officers are together, only the highest-ranking officer's flag is flown.

For example, in the United States Navy, admirals fly rectangular flags with stars on them, depending on their rank.

Pennants: Long, Narrow Flags with Meaning

The church pennant of the Royal Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy and the Royal Australian Navy

A pennant, sometimes called a pennon, is a long, narrow flag. Different pennants have different meanings:

• A commissioning pennant is flown from the top of a warship's mast. It shows that the ship's captain (and the ship itself) is officially in service. In the Royal Navy, it's a small St George's Cross with a long white tail. In the United States Navy, it's red and white with stars. These pennants can be replaced by the flags of admirals or heads of state when they are on board.
• A church pennant is flown by navies like the Royal Navy during religious services on ships or at naval bases. It often includes symbols from different national flags.
• A gin pennant is a fun tradition! It means that the officers on one ship are inviting officers from other nearby ships for drinks. It's usually a small, discreet flag.

Company Flags: House Flags

House flags, c. 1900

Many merchant ships fly a special flag called a house flag. This flag shows which company owns the vessel. It used to be flown from the mainmast, but now it's often flown from the jackstaff at the bow.

Private Signals and Club Burgees

Private signals are unique flags designed to identify the owner of a private boat.

Burgee of Barrachois Harbour Yacht Club, Nova Scotia, Canada

Members of a yacht club or sailing group often fly their club's special flag, called a burgee. They can fly it when their boat is moving or anchored. Sailing boats usually fly the burgee from the top of the main mast or from a rope on the side. Power boats fly it from a short pole at the front.

Signal Flags: Communicating at Sea

There is a special system of International maritime signal flags. Each flag represents a letter of the alphabet, and there are pennants for numbers. Each flag also has its own meaning when flown alone. They can also be combined to send messages.

Courtesy Flags: Showing Respect Abroad

A courtesy flag is flown by a visiting ship when it is in another country's waters. It's a way to show respect to the host country. This flag is usually a smaller version of the host country's national maritime flag. It's typically flown from a high point on the mast or from the jackstaff at the bow if the ship has no masts.

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  A courtesy Turkish flag is raised aboard the destroyer USS Truxtun as the ship transits the Bosphorus Strait

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  Superyacht Ariane NI in Toulon harbour, flying her British ensign and a French courtesy flag

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  The frigate Hermione moored in New York in 2015, flying the Betsy Ross flag and the Serapis flag, two early US flags and ensigns.

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  HMS Boadicea flying a courtesy Imperial Russian Navy Ensign during an official visit to Kronstadt in June 1914

Rules for Flying Flags: Flag Etiquette

USS Chesapeake flying the Stars and Stripes below the White Ensign after her capture by HMS Shannon

There are many traditions and rules, called flag etiquette, about how to fly flags on ships.

Where to Fly Flags on a Ship

The most honorable place on a ship is the back, or stern. That's why ensigns are usually flown from a flag pole at the stern or from a special arm called a gaff. Even if another flag is flown higher up on the ship, the flag at the stern is always considered the most important.

When a ship is in port, the ensign should always be flown from the staff at the stern. When a ship is at sea, the ensign used to be flown from the mizzen gaff (a part of the sail rigging). Today, some ships fly it from a backstay.

For motor boats without masts, the ensign should always be flown from a staff at the stern. Courtesy flags are usually flown from the jackstaff at the bow. This might seem backward, but because a boat is steered from the stern, that area holds a special place of honor.

Merchant ships often show respect to passing warships by "dipping" their ensigns. The warship will then dip its ensign in return. It's also customary for merchant ships to fly the courtesy flag of the country whose waters they are sailing in.

If you see two flags flying on the same pole, one above the other, it has a very specific meaning. It shows that the ship has been captured or has surrendered during a conflict. The flag of the captured ship is flown below the flag of the capturing ship.

Special Occasions: Dressing Overall

USS Constitution, dressed overall, fires a seventeen-gun salute in Boston Harbor, 4 July 2014.

When ships are in harbor and want to celebrate a special event, they might be "dressed overall." This means they fly many flags and pennants from all their masts and rigging, making the ship look very festive!

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