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Portugal — flags of use at sea

Last modified: 2009-09-12 by antónio martins
Keywords: ensign | pilot |
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See also: External links:
  • Page about naval insignia at the excellent site of Asociação Nacional de Cruzeiros, quite well informed and researched — I wouldn’t be surprised if its author is some retired Navy officer. Apparently unchanged since 1997.
    António Martins, 10 Apr 1999

Portuguese ensign

Portugal
image by Vítor Luís and António Martins, 23 Sep 2004

The naval ensign (pavilhão nacional) of Portugal is the national flag (bandeira nacional).
António Martins, 03 Feb 1998

All ships must hoist the national flag at the bow

  • all the time when sailing
  • from 8 a.m. to sunset when docked or moored.
António Martins, 10 Apr 1999,
quoting from the A.N.C. website


Pilot flags

Pilot signal

Portuguese TV showed the main building of some port with a flag flying there. It was a white flag with a blue border and a large blue "P" on the center.
João Madureira, 04 Aug 1998

Strange to see the flag flown on land…
Jorge Candeias, 04 Aug 1998

According to Flaggenbuch [neu39], Pilot Flag, can be used as ensign on pilot vessels. 2:3 white flag with blue border and blue letter P in the middle. Practically the same design as in the Album 2000 [pay00] (except maybe for the minor difference in border width and minor letter stylization).
Željko Heimer, 02 Dec 2002

Shown also in National Geographic Magazine 1917 [gmc17], but not in Webster’s New International Dictionary [wbs24].
Phil Nelson, 30 Dec 1999

Pilot call

According to Flaggenbuch [neu39], International Signal used for pilot call.
Željko Heimer, 02 Dec 2002


European civil ensign

It has became more and more common to see ships hoisting what could be called a European civil ensign, made of the European Union flag with the national flag of one of the member countries in canton.
Ivan Sache, 17 Jan 2001

No such thing for Portugal, to the best of my knowledge.
Jorge Candeias, 21 Jul 1999


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