News from Abroad

A friend gets in touch to ask if I want to crew for the upcoming weekend’s celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of our neighbours, the RFYC. We’re joining in a procession of boats, y’see, to proceed past the Princess Anne who will be afloat. On another boat.
I imagine that most of the Corinthians will be raising caps as few have gone to the expense of purchasing ensigns, preferring beer at every opportunity. I do have a cap some place. And a woolly bunnet.
The instructions received:

The Salute:
The correct procedure is to dip the ensign approximately 1/3rd of the hoist.
Boats who normally wear the ensign from a staff on the taffrail, who find this not possible may adopt an alternative method of salute.
The correct alternative is to hold the staff aloft by hand and drop it to the horizontal, keeping it there until the ensign of HMS Archer starts to be raised again.
It is accepted that on some small boats, particularly shorthanded and or without guard rails, dipping the Ensign not practical.
In this case raising of caps as your boat passes HMS Archer is a suitable alternative. In this context it is a salute, rather than a subservient gesture.

Carry on!