Cheap flags

Timber · Commodore Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 922 Location: Harwich

The old saying "you get what you pay for" is certainly correct. This flag was spotted flying as a courtesy flag on an inbound vessel recently. The captain was very pleased he had bought it for a very cheap price, it was made in the Far East.
Can you spot why it was a cheap variety?

alang · Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:12 pm Post subject:

Is it that the Union Jack is upside down ?

Timber · Commodore Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 922 Location: Harwich

You are correct. The union flag is upside down. In the top left hand corner there are 2 white diagonal stripes. The upper one should be the wide and the lower one narrow.
I remember it by saying "Broardband on top"

Timber · Commodore Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 922 Location: Harwich

Here is an article I posted last year which sort of follows on a similar theme!

A courtesy flag (or courtesy ensign) is flown by a ship in foreign waters as a token of respect by a vessel that is visiting. It is a small (i.e., smaller than the ship's own national ensign) national maritime flag of the host country.

So what happens when a foreign ship arrives at Felixstowe for the 1st time and they dont have a red ensign?

They make one!

This was seen recently on an MSC ship. Looks like they used the Hong Kong flag as a base.