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The American flag is the largest, most important flag on a boat as it identifies the nation of origin. It should be flown from the stern staff of all sailboats, and if an overhanging boom requires that the staff be off-centre, it should be on the starboard side. When displayed vertically, the blue field must be on the viewer's upper left. The American flag should also have a dedicated light on it at all times if flown at night and must never touch the ground.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Side | Viewer's left, left of all other flags |
| Position | Stern staff of all sailboats |
| Angle | Angled |
| Height | Slightly higher than other flags |
| Lighting | Dedicated light if flown at night |
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What You'll Learn
The American flag should be on the viewer's left
When flying the American flag on a boat, it should be on the viewer's left. This is because, when facing the flag, it should always be the first flag you see, just as we read left to right. If you have multiple flag poles, the US flag should be on the most starboard side. If you only have one flag, it doesn't matter whether it's displayed on the port, centre, or starboard. However, if you choose to run multiple flags on the same pole as the US flag, make sure the US flag is the highest one.
The American flag should always be flown slightly higher than other flags. It should also have a dedicated light on it at all times if flown at night and must never touch the ground.
The ensign flag is the largest, most important flag on a boat because it identifies the nation of origin. The preferred US national ensign flag is the traditional American flag, however, the United States Yacht Ensign may be flown in its place, provided the boat remains in domestic waters. The yacht ensign should never be used in international or foreign waters. Always flown off the stern, on a staff-pole that is long and angled, the ensign may be offset to one side to allow it to fly clear of the rigging and engine exhaust.
The United States Yacht Ensign is the 13-star "Betsy Ross" flag, with a fouled anchor in the union. Originally restricted to documented vessels of a specific classification, it is now flown on recreational boats of all types and sizes instead of the National Flag.
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The flag should be flown slightly higher than other flags
The American flag should be flown slightly higher than other flags on a boat. This is because the ensign flag is the largest and most important flag on a boat, as it identifies the nation of origin. The preferred ensign flag for the United States is the traditional American flag, although the United States Yacht Ensign may be flown instead, as long as the boat remains in domestic waters. The American flag should be flown from the stern staff of a sailboat, and if there is an overhanging boom, the staff should be on the starboard side.
If you have multiple flag poles, the US flag should be on the most starboard side. It should be the first flag, as we read left to right. When displayed vertically, the union jack portion (the stars and blue field) must be on the viewer's upper left. The American flag must have a dedicated light on it at all times if flown at night and must never touch the ground. If you only have one flag pole, it doesn't matter whether the American flag is displayed on the port, centre or starboard. However, if you choose to run multiple flags on the same pole, make sure the US flag is the highest one.
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The flag must have a dedicated light if flown at night
The American flag must have a dedicated light on it at all times if flown at night. This is because the flag must be illuminated and visible at all times. If you are flying the flag on a boat, it is important to note that the ensign flag is the largest and most important flag as it identifies the nation of origin. The preferred ensign flag for the US is the traditional American flag, although the United States Yacht Ensign may be flown instead, as long as the boat remains in domestic waters. The ensign flag should be flown from the stern staff of all sailboats, and if an overhanging boom requires the staff to be off-centre, it should be on the starboard side. If you are flying multiple flags, the US flag should be on the most starboard side and slightly higher than the others.
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The flag should be flown off the stern
The American flag must have a dedicated light on it at all times if flown at night and must never touch the ground. Whenever possible, the American flag should be flown slightly higher than other flags. If you only have one flag, it doesn't matter whether it's displayed on the port, centre, or starboard.
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The United States Yacht Ensign can be flown instead of the American flag in domestic waters
The American flag should always be flown on the viewer's left and the left of all other flags. It should be flown slightly higher than the others, and if displayed vertically, the union jack portion (the stars and blue field) must be on the viewer's upper left. The American flag must have a dedicated light on it at all times if flown at night and must never touch the ground.
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Frequently asked questions
The American flag should be on the viewer's left and the left of all other flags.
The ensign flag is the largest, most important flag on a boat as it identifies the nation of origin. The preferred ensign flag for the US is the traditional American flag, but the United States Yacht Ensign may be flown in its place in domestic waters.
The ensign flag should be flown from the stern staff of all sailboats. If an overhanging boom requires the staff to be off-centre, it should be on the starboard side.
The United States Yacht Ensign is the 13-star "Betsy Ross" flag, with a fouled anchor in the centre of the 13 stars. It should never be used in international or foreign waters.
Yes, the American flag must have a dedicated light on it at all times if flown at night and must never touch the ground. If you have multiple flag poles, choose the most starboard side for the US flag.
