RHYC Blue Ensign
RHYC Blue Ensign
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Defaced Blue Ensign?
All vessels should display a National Maritime Flag corresponding to the nationality of her owner, a British vessel would normally fly the Red Ensign. If both you and your vessel are eligible you can apply to the Club to fly the Club’s Defaced Blue Ensign instead of a Red Ensign providing you have a Club Burgee and are a current Member.
What is the Club Burgee?
The Club Burgee is a smaller navy blue triangular flag that identifies your vessel as belonging to you as a Member of the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. It displays a gold rampant Lion.
When should I fly the Club Burgee?
You should fly the Club Burgee when you the owner is either on board, in the vicinity of or in command of your vessel. The presence of the Club Burgee shows the vessel is under the control of a Club Member. The Burgee can be flown on vessels owned by someone other than you, so long as you are the person in command of the vessel. Traditionally, the Burgee is flown at the main masthead. A Burgee must match the special Ensign and it should always be higher than the Ensign.
Why fly the Defaced Blue Ensign?
A very limited number of yacht clubs are granted the ability for their members to fly the Defaced Blue Ensign by the Royal Yachting Association. Currently there are only 42 yacht clubs within the United Kingdom whose members are permitted to fly the Defaced Blue Ensign. To fly the Defaced Blue Ensign is considered an honour and a privilege for Club Members.
Eligibility Criteria?
To fly the Defaced Blue Ensign you must meet the following criteria:
You must be a fully paid-up Member of the Royal Harwich Yacht Club. You must be a British citizen.
Your vessel must have a length of at least 7m and be:
Registered in your name on the General Central Register of British Ships (for small ships), or Registered in your name on General Central Register of British Ships.
The vessel may only be used for private, non-commercial use and must have no promotional commercial branding or sponsorship.
You cannot be an Introductory Member in the first year of Membership of the Club.
You already fly the Club’s Burgee.
So long as you meet the criteria above applying is easy, you will need to fill out a simple form here or (available from the RHYC office), provide the original copy of your vessel’s registration paperwork and evidence you are a British citizen. There is a small charge for providing the warrant at £36. This covers the RYA/M.O.D permit costs and lasts about 5 years.
Rules for flying the Defaced Blue Ensign
The Defaced Blue Ensign can only be flown when the owners of the vessel are on board and in command. The Defaced Blue Ensign must not be flown between the hours of sunset (or 21:00 if earlier) and sunrise.
The Ensign would normally be flown from the stern and must not be flown without the Club Burgee or the permit being onboard the vessel. The positioning of the Ensign will vary from vessel to vessel, but in general the Burgee should be flown from the mast of a yacht, or highest point if there is no mast. The Ensign should be below the Burgee.
Where do I purchase?
Ensigns of various sizes are available for purchase only from the Royal Harwich Yacht Club Office. They are all embroidered and stitched from ‘Flagmakers UK’ and are made from the highest quality MOD grade flag fabric. They come complete with headband, rope and toggle. There are different sizes depending on the size of your vessel.
What happens if I leave the Club or sell my boat?
If you should sell your boat the permit must be surrendered to the Club so it can be logged for auditing purposes with the MOD.
If you should resign from the Club as Members you must also surrender your permit and you will no longer be permitted to fly the ensign.
Occasionally the office will accept flags back as offered donations to the Club and we will offer a reduced ensign to Members which the proceeds from the sale is the amount donated from the original owner
