Decide
Where does a Portuguese boat fly the Spanish courtesy flag in Spanish waters?
The lesson in plain words
- Custom, not law
- Beyond article 14, flag etiquette rests on long-standing customs of the sea, the cerimonial marítimo the course asks you to know in outline.
- Navies follow them strictly; on a recreational boat they show respect and seamanship.
- Courtesy flag
- In another country's waters, fly that country's flag, the courtesy flag (bandeira de cortesia), under the starboard spreader or on a starboard halyard.
- Keep it in good condition and no larger than your own national flag.
- A foreign boat visiting Portugal flies the Portuguese flag in the same way.
- Times and salutes
- In harbour or at anchor, the custom is to hoist the national flag in the morning, at 08:00, and lower it at sunset.
- To salute a warship, dip your national flag, lower it about a third and hold it until the warship answers by dipping hers, then hoist it again.
- Warships do not salute first.
- Mourning
- To fly a flag at half-mast, first hoist it to the top, then lower it to half-height.
- To take it down, raise it to the top again before lowering it fully.
- Do it when the authorities announce national mourning or as a sign of grief on board.
Key data
- Courtesy flag
- Host country's flag under the starboard spreader
- In harbour
- Hoist at 08:00, lower at sunset (custom)
- Salute
- Dip the national flag; the warship answers
- Half-mast
- Hoist to the top, then lower to half
Key points
- Courtesy flag of the host country under the starboard spreader.
- In harbour: national flag up at 08:00, down at sunset.
- Salute a warship by dipping your ensign and waiting for her reply.
- Half-mast: always via the top, going up and coming down.
Check what you have read
How does a recreational boat salute a passing warship?
True or false?
Decide each statement before you see the answer.
Hoist a flag straight to half-mast.
Salute a warship by dipping your ensign and waiting for her reply.
In harbour: national flag up at 08:00, down at sunset.
Half-mast: always via the top, going up and coming down.
The courtesy flag goes under the port spreader.
The warship salutes first and you answer.
Practice case & exam keys
Situation
You sail from Viana do Castelo to Baiona, in Spain, and anchor there. The next morning a Spanish Navy ship passes close by. Which flags do you fly, where, and how do you salute the ship?
Show the answer
At the stern, the Portuguese national flag. Under the starboard spreader, the Spanish courtesy flag, clean and in good condition. In harbour, hoist the national flag at 08:00. To salute the navy ship, dip your national flag about a third and hold it until she answers, then hoist it again.
Exam keys
- Courtesy flag: host country's flag, starboard spreader.
- Salute: dip the ensign first; the warship answers.
- Half-mast: up to the top, then down to half.