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Maritime matters that matter
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Extract from Roving Eye
Directly from my mailbag, what I take to be a joint effort by more than one individual and so well graphically proven, that I must also include the photographs accompanying the mail!
Having time on your hands, a good viewing point and friends who are equally interested in what goes on in the Port, is an ideal combination. With the subject of the “waters” still occupying a prominent position on the day to day agenda of Gibraltarians, there is an increased interest in all matters maritime. The following have all been sighted during the last week:
(a) Guardia Civil SIVE Launch RIO PISUERGA towing a Spanish sports fisherman to La Linea Marina. Innocent right of passage …was sighted off Europa Point and crossed the Bay close to South Mole, Detached and Western Arm. Was seen by RGP and Customs by Little Bay, but no action taken.
(b) Yacht KINGFISHER approaching the Gibunco Jetty to take on fuel. No-one noticed or thought to inform the vessel’s Master that the proper courtesy flag in Gibraltar waters is either the Gibraltar flag or the Red Ensign. Oh for the Look-out on the corner of the Western Arm/North Mole…
(c) Recreational Dolphin Boat GOLDFIN going about its trips around the Bay…look closely at the website and you will see it ends in .gi yet the telephone number displayed is a Spanish number! However, the said website quotes a Gibraltar phone number…how confusing!
(d) Spanish (grey and blue) Rubber dinghy seen tied up to the inside of the North end of the Detached Mole. Diving flag ALPHA fluttering on a long antenna with the Spanish ensign on top. Seen to have been told by RGP to get a move on, which they did only to return half an hour later to the same place…no RGP vessels on this occasion.
It’s about time that more people especially those that work in the Port area (officials and others) ensure albeit politely in the first instance that all vessels that come into our waters, and especially inside the harbour, flies the correct courtesy flag.
From WIKIPEDIA:(A dictionary available on line in Internet) A courtesy flag (or courtesy ensign) is flown by a ship in foreign waters as a token of respect by a visiting vessel. It is often a small (that is, smaller than the ship's own national ensign) national maritime flag of the host country, although there are countries (such as Malta) where the national, rather than the maritime flag is correct. The flag is customarily worn at the foremasthead of multi-masted vessels, the starboard yardarm or crosstree of the mast of single-masted vessels, and from the bow staff of vessels without masts.
15-11-10
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