Courtesy Flags Identification, Labelling and Stowage
Courtesy Flags – Jimmy Green Tips on how to identify, label and organise your flag stowage
Jimmy Green courtesy flags are all manufactured from a soft, pliable, polyester woven/knitted fabric which will not need ironing.
They are all a uniform design, half yard size with an attachment loop at the top of the hoist and a line at the bottom.
This means that they will conveniently stow together, either flat in the bottom of a drawer or rolled up in a locker with the hoist lines all tucked in.
For yachts that only require a few courtesy flags, it will probably be sufficient to allocate a suitable locker and roll or fold them neatly together.
However, for cruising the Caribbean, Pacific or the Indian Ocean (including the Red Sea and the Gulf of Persia) where there are a multitude of different flags required and therefore multiple changes, there are some simple steps you can follow to make the use and safekeeping of your courtesy flags a pleasure rather than a chore.
It is advisable to label your courtesy flags from the outset after checking them against perceived wisdom e.g. the Jimmy Green website, a comprehensive pocket Flag Book, Wikipedia, Cruising Blogs.
Some courtesy flags are memorable, but some may be difficult for you or your crew to pinpoint exactly after a long voyage and without the benefit of any Wi-Fi or 4g to check your decision.
Labelling or Marking will prevent the slightly embarrassing error of flying the wrong flag when you sail into a foreign anchorage. None of the crew are likely to relish a pressurised search for the correct flag followed by a hurried strike and re-hoist, especially if there is an amused reception committee enjoying your discomfort.
Jimmy Green courtesy flags stow neatly together lending themselves to simple organisation and identification.
Lay the flags on top of one another with the obverse face upward. This will mean that the hoist tape is to the left.
Use an indelible waterproof marker pen to write the name of the flag on the hoist tape.
Arrange them in your preferred order e.g. alphabetical, voyage plan.
