Last modified: 2014-06-14 by ian macdonald
Keywords: buoy | fishing |
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I found this delightful photo in
this mornings edition of the Cape Town Afrikaans daily Die Burger. The
subtitle says that it is by AP of Ghanese fishermen off the coast of Tema near
Accra in Ghana. I have no idea what the flags are all about and why their
little fishing boat seems to be dressed overall.
A. P. Burgers, 28 February 2005
At the bow a ≅2:3 vertical tetraband of dark green, red, white
and dark green (?); the same color order with subtle design changes
(≅4:(2+1+1+2)) is hoisted at the rear. Both hoisted in high fixed
masts. Not less than four identical flags hoisted at midship in
apparently non-permanent masts, held by crewmen; squarish
“Spanish” tribands of yellow, dark green
and yellow. Near the bow, behind the four color flag, yet still a plain red
flag and vertical triband, ≅2:3, of red, white and yellow.
António Martins, 01 March 2005
I would say that the vertical band next the pole is definitely black. It
should therefore rather read black, red, white and dark green per pale from
the pole. A rather attractive flag I thought.
A. P. Burgers, 01 March 2005
Ghana seems to be a paradise for folk vexillography! These designs, more
sober than the well-known frankaa of the Asafo
companies, show striking yet simple designs. I wonder what they
mean…
António Martins, 01 March 2005
One possibility which occurs to me (but it’s impossible to tell from
the photo) is that the flags amidships, if not the ones at bow and stern,
might be on poles which are not fixed as part of the boat but are marker
flags on buoys which will be left in the water to show where nets or pots
have been dropped. Since I don’t know what sort of fishing these
craft do, I’ve no idea whether this is a daft suggestion or not.
André Coutanche, 01 March 2005
These colorful distinct flags do indeed make perfect buoy markers (not
necessarily for fishing nets), and this boat might have been in the process
of deploying or retrieving them.
António Martins, 09 March 2005