Expression - choosing what mast to hang my pennant from

[Robin Craig]

The pennant is in reference to your own identifying pennant from the sailing world. If you were a Toronto Yacht Club member you are entitled to fly their pennant from your rigging. If you cam aboard my boat and I was a member elsewhere we would fly yours as well, usually lower.

Others of our ilk would see the pennant and know a TYC member and a Howe Island Yacht Club member were aboard.

In the days before cell phones, it would have been enough for someone in an anchorage to come over and start a conversation and usually social mingling would follow and gin and tonics and a meal ensued.

Does that help?

I have witnessed, as a ships agent, a ship being arrested and a writ attached to the mast and a seal put on the fuel supply to the engines, but thats another story....