Last month Lily had to go back to Mexico for a week and she was very excited when she got back, because she brought a Mexican flag to fly on the boat. This way both our countries would be represented on Guiding Light.
According to ship flag protocol, each flag had a specific place it could be flown. Since Guiding Light is documented and its home port is in the USA (Golden, CO), the American flag is required to be flown in the greatest place of honor. A boat is the one place you will see the American flag flown lower than another county’s flag. This is because the place of honor on a boat is over the helm or off the back of the boat. On Guiding Light I attach it to the topping lift holding the boom up, which places it 10 feet or so over the helm.
The other two place you can fly a flag is on the port and starboard side of the mast. The starboard side of the mast is strictly reserved for the courtesy flag of the country you are visiting, or the yellow Q flag before you have checked into the country. The port side of the mast is open to any flag you wish to fly. Many people like to fly pirate flags, flags showing what they caught fishing, happy hour flags, etc. On Guiding Light we are proudly flying the Mexican flag to show support of Lily’s nationality, culture, and history!!!! Check out her raising her flag for the first time:
