We provide high quality, fully sewn flags made of durable Military grade 155gsm woven polyester bunting. Designs are applied to the base in polyester-cotton. Guaranteed hand-sewn in the UK, these flags are colourfast and will not run when wet. They are designed for use at sea and come finished as standard with traditional British-pattern, rope and toggle.

Larger ensigns also come with a reinforced fly-end to prevent fraying.

Guidelines to our standard sizes:    

Other sizes are also available, as well as custom-made size and designs.

Contact us for more details and prices.

Almost every national flag has different proportions between breadth and length – so that the design looks correct. Flagmakers prefer to make all their flags to one set of proportions, which makes sense when you remember that in many cases lots of different flags are run up adjacent flagpoles, and that uniformity of appearance is important. However, this doesn't work for some flags and a good such example is the Luxembourg civil ensign, which is always produced in the correct proportions, since otherwise the lion would shrink to a little pussycat in the blue and white sea.

At Riviera Charts we keep a large stock of Ensigns and Courtesy Flags and can respond immediately to any orders even though manufacturers typically require two or three weeks between order and supply.

The flag flapping at the stern is not just another adjunct to the interior designer's plan for the boat, best chosen to match the colours in the dining room carpet. It is an outward and important link to the flag state, the country of which, in many legal respects, the yacht is a floating extension. You only need to read of the continuing cases of flag burning in the world press to realise that national flags remain capable of triggering heated emotional responses.

In general, in countries where there is a civil ensign different to the national flag, the ensign is the appropriate courtesy flag, but there are many exceptions to this general rule. Unfortunately not many countries make clear what their ensigns look like, nor which flag they wish to see hoisted as a courtesy flag. Malta is the gold star exception. Their Maritime Regulations are clear, concise, and include descriptions and pictures of ensign (left) and courtesy flag (right):

The Regulations clearly state that all Maltese registered vessels must fly the civil ensign, but this must not be used as a courtesy flag, and that the national flag is the appropriate courtesy flag.

Other cases are not as clear. To take the case of Gibraltar, we can find little written, but following an enquiry with the Gibraltar authorities we have established that the correct ensign is the Gibraltar defaced red, although the undefaced red ensign is an acceptable alternative. Likewise the undefaced red ensign is accepted and widely used as the correct courtesy flag. Contrary to what some believe, the Gibraltar town flag, has no maritime application even though some officers seem to be attracted to that.

The case of the Cayman Islands is equally unclear. In this case there are two alternative ensigns (www.fotw.net) of equal applicability and we are able to supply any of the two.