Aux Armes, Citoyens!

They left this am flying the French and Canadian flags. This was a slap at the US because the etiquette is to fly your national flag and the flag of the country you are visiting. One of two things happened: either it was deliberate or they didn't know the difference between the Stars and Strips or the Maple Leaf, after all they are both in the Americas'

I have pictures if someone can tell me how to upload them to this site.

Posted by: smeyer418 at April 25, 2009 1:48 PM

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbsWrRu1ctGoB

unfortunately there was no wind but believe me it was a Canadian flag as it left the pier.

Posted by: smeyer418 at April 25, 2009 3:38 PM

I am sure it wasn't a US Flag. The French Flag was on the starboard(right) side on the same type of lanyard and height on the mast. This Flag is on the ship's Port side(left) It is not viewable in any of the pictures I took. I saw it when it was run up and I guarantee it wasn't an American Flag. I commented on it when it went up...

Posted by: smeyer418 at April 25, 2009 5:17 PM

but...Courtesy Ensigns

Many countries require either as a matter law or of customary practice that foreign vessels in their territorial waters display the host country's flag. This flag is known as a "courtesy ensign." When a host country has a merchant ensign that differs from its national flag used ashore, it is the merchant ensign that is displayed as the courtesy ensign. According to The Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations, however, "a warship cannot be required . . . to fly the flag of the host nation." U.S. policy is that public vessels, including warships as well as civilian-manned ships belonging to the Military Sealift Command and other U.S. government vessels, enjoy sovereign immune status, that they are exempt from the jurisdiction of any other state.
Because complying with a coastal state's regulations purporting to require the display of its flag in its waters or ports could be construed as an admission that the U.S. public vessel is subject to the coastal state's jurisdiction, all U.S. public vessels are forbidden from flying courtesy ensigns.

and

When you visit foreign water, your boat should display a courtesy flag (the civil ensign of the country you are visiting) whenever your U.S. national ensign (the USPS ensign or the yacht ensign should not be displayed in foreign waters) is displayed. (The USPS ensign and U.S. yacht ensign should not be worn in foreign waters)

Maybe its a retaliation for the US refusal to do the same thing in foreign ports....I did however on another day see the US Flagged raised on the same lanyard.

The French flag was on the Bow at that time. It was removed just before the ship sailed.

Posted by: smeyer418 at April 25, 2009 5:26 PM