Red Ensign Group
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The Red Ensign Group is a collaboration of United Kingdom shipping registries that include British Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies. It takes its name from the Red Ensign ("Red Duster") flag flown by British civil merchant ships. The group’s stated purpose is to combine resources in order to maintain a reputation for safety and quality across the British fleet. As of 2016 the Red Ensign Group ranked seventh in the world as measured by gross registered tons (GRT).[1] Sir Alan Massey of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency commented ".. keeping [ships] inside the REG family means that you still have some influence over their quality and performance... We can take administrative measures against members of [it] if we want to so as to ensure that safety is brought up to the necessary standards..."[2] The vessels also receive British Consular assistance and protection.[3]
The Red Ensign Group has two categories:
- Category 1 (ships of any type, length, or tonnage): United Kingdom, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, and the Isle of Man.
- Category 2 (commercial ships and yachts of up to 150 GRT, pleasure craft up to 400GRT): Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, Montserrat, St. Helena, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
A ship registered in any country within the Red Ensign group is entitled to fly the Red Ensign, or it can choose to fly the Red Ensign defaced with its home port national colors.[4] As an example in 2011 the home port and registry of RMS Queen Mary 2 was changed from Southampton, Great Britain to Hamilton, Bermuda, a UK overseas territory.[5] Despite the registry change she continues to fly the undefaced Red Ensign rather than the Bermuda Red Ensign.[6]
Official site: http://www.redensigngroup.org/ The Red Ensign Group
References
- ^ Donkin, Richard (September 18, 2012). "Flagging: Red Duster is still a symbol of security". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "Promoting the UK as a globally competitive location for shipping". UK Parliment House of Commons Select Committes - Transport (26 March 2014). UK Parliment. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "In a Tight Market, Flag States Offer Added Value". The Maritime Executive. August 5, 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "Red Ensign Group". Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ Drake, Shawn (October 26, 2011). "Queens of Bermuda as Cunard Line Switches Registry". Maritime Matters. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
- ^ "FAQs - Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Registry". Retrieved 14 October 2016.