Marinas are constructed to keep yachts owned by sea lovers. It's interesting to see different types of yachts tied along the harbor. Aside from all those yachts, the nautical flags that these yachts use are also great to look at.
Actually its not just yachts that use
nautical flags, all types of ships use these normally for identity purposes. In military ships for example, these may be used to imitate alphabet signals and it may also identify the status of their fleet.
A universal flag system made up of different colors, markings and shapes were developed after the First World War. This system is currently adopted by majority of countries around the world. A uniform system was developed and adopted to avoid confusion among seafarers across the globe.
Long time ago,
nautical flags are used to communicate with other ships across the sea. Aside from communication, they are also used as signals for different purposes. Greeks and Romans were noted for their exceptional use of them during wars. Different symbols and combination may be used to tell other ships of a command coming from a general among others. However, the invention of the radio and other advance communication devices forced these nautical flags to formally retire into the mainstream.
From its militaristic purpose it evolved into something aesthetic. Today, these flags are usually used by yacht owners for aesthetic purposes only. It's a common way to fully personalize their yachts nowadays. Usually they design logos and later on commission flag makers to make them one.
New technology may have made them almost obsolete, but I think it wouldn't be much of a trouble if you got one stored in your yacht, there's nothing wrong for keeping something analog. Who knows? Maybe someday these flags may even save your life.
by:
The Flagman
