Description
U.S. Yacht Ensign
Flags International is proud to offer this U.S. Yacht Ensign. A special flag, looking like the national flag and ensign but with a fouled anchor in a circle of stars in the canton, was created by Act of Congress in August, 1848 as a flag to be used by licensed U.S. yachts. Initially, this was apparently not intended to be an ensign, but rather was intended to be used as a signal flag by a licensed yacht to declare herself exempt from customs duties, but its usage was required by all licensed yachts under the 1848 law (“All such licensed yachts shall use a signal of the form, size, and colors prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy.”). Due to the flag’s similarity to the national ensign, however, both licensed and unlicensed yachts started flying this flag as the ensign, and eventually the US government confirmed that it would accept this practice for yachts in United States waters; however, the national flag is the only ensign allowable in international or foreign waters. In 1939, the Secretary of the Navy approved the ruling of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy “…that a ship of the Navy should return a dip made by a yacht flying the yacht ensign and that the yacht ensign may properly be made the object of a hand salute to be rendered on boarding or leaving a yacht.”
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Also, be sure to check out all our other Nautical Flags.