Red Ensign Group
The Red Ensign Group (REG) is a group of British shipping registers.
The registers are operated by:
- the UK
- the Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey)
- UK Overseas Territories (Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar; Montserrat, St Helena, Turks & Caicos Islands)
Any vessel on these registers is a ‘British ship’, and is entitled to fly the British Merchant Shipping flag the ‘Red Ensign’ (or a version of it defaced with the appropriate national colour).
The registers and their categories
The registers are divided into 2 categories under the Merchant Shipping (Categorisation of Registries of Relevant British Possessions) Order 2003, as amended in 2008, and 2013:
- Category 1 registries (ships of unrestricted tonnage and type)
- Category 2 registries (commercial and pleasure vessels up to 400GT dependent on signing a Memorandum of Understanding with MCA)
Countries under each category
Category 1:
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Gibraltar
- Isle of Man
- UK
Category 2:
- Anguilla
- Falkland Islands
- Guernsey
- Jersey
- Montserrat
- St Helena
- Turks & Caicos Islands