The rules for flying a flag on a sailboat have been codified by the United States Power Squadrons in a partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and national yachting clubs. Flying the proper flags helps identify boats and prevent confusion in busy ports. The three most important flags you'll fly are the U.S. national flag, a flag representing your sailing club and a personal flag designed to represent you as the captain of your sailboat.
National Ensign
All sailboats registered in the United States should fly the national ensign. This is the traditional U.S. flag, the well-known field of stars and stripes. Historically, the ensign was flown above the captain's cabin as a sign of respect and authority. Today, the proper place to fly your national ensign is from the peak of the gaff on your mast or the peak of the aft-most sail. If your boat is jib-headed instead of gaff-rigged, fly the ensign two-thirds of the way up the leech of the aft-most sail. You should never drape the ensign over the front, sides or back of your sailboat.
Flying the Ensign
Fly the ensign during the day from 8:00 a.m. until sunset. It should remain in place any time you enter or leave a port, as a courtesy and a means of identifying your vessel. If you plan to leave your boat in port and won't be back before sunset, always take your ensign down and stow it before you go. While you're in U.S. waters, no other flag should be flown above or beside and to the right of the ensign. The only exceptions to this rule are for Navy chaplains performing a church service and boats docking at United Nations headquarters.
Yacht Club Burgee
These flags, called burgees, are smaller than the ensign and usually triangular in shape. They represent the yachting or sailing club to which you belong. Your sailing club should have its burgee registered with the Yachting Club of America, which keeps track of all burgees in the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you are the officer of your sailing club, you'll be given a specific officer flag to fly in place of the standard club burgee.
Flying the Burgee
If your sailboat is single-masted, you should fly your burgee on the bow staff from 8:00 a.m. until sunset. If you don't have a bow staff, fly your burgee on the truck or on a pigstick attached to the truck, to raise the flag away from any equipment it might get tangled up with. If you belong to more than one sailing club, fly just one club burgee at a time. In most cases, you'll fly the burgee of the club whose harbor you're using.
Private Signal
This flag is your own to design and create. It should represent you as the captain of your sailboat. The only restrictions are that you can't use another country's ensign, in full or in part, and you can't copy someone else's existing flag.
Flying the Private Signal
You should fly your private signal from the truck of your mast or from a spreader halyard. Like the ensign and the burgee, the private signal is flown from 8:00 a.m. to sunset.
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