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First Navy Jack is the official jack

The current official jack (link) of the United States Navy is the "First Navy Jack". This has been since 2002, and is in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Of course, the US Union Jack is always acceptable and this directive only applies to US Navy ships. I don't know the customs on the Belle of Louisville, but was familiar with this one, as it applies to the US Navy.

There is no regulation for civilian boats as to the jackstaff flag. The NATCHEZ flies the Union Jack, as did all the Streckfus Steamers vessels. The DQ now flies the flag of the state she is passing (or the state of the recent port city in case she's between states as here Iowa/Illinois). Prior to state flags, she flew company logo pennants or flags: DQ, ONA, G for Greene Line. She had a yellow pennant with red DQ and trim in the mid '70s and it later changed to green lettering and trim. The ONA flag was blue with the logo. The Greene Line pennant was white with a green G and trim. The JULIA BELLE has a JBS pennant. In times of bad weather, the NATCHEZ puts up an old flag, sometimes the jack, but whatever is available to be further blown to shreds rather than to keep the good Union Jack up.

NATCHEZ roof flags

Incidentally, the flags that adorn the roof of the NATCHEZ are: 2 US flags; the old Spanish Castille y Leon; two versions of the old French flag: one white the other blue with fleur-de-lis; and the City of New Orleans or the state of Louisiana flag. During Carnival, all the roof flags and the jackstaff flag are Mardi Gras flags. The Saints flag has been flown on a few joyous occasions. Back in '94, I bought a German flag which we flew for a charter full of German soccer fans - that brought quite a few surprised comments from the passengers.

For a short time ca 1980 the Delta Queen sported a pennant similar to one used (at least in publicity photos) in California. The name Delta Queen was spelled out. Don't remember just how long it was but it was of goodly size. At some point it sprouted legs and walked off by to an unknown fate

I remember that flag well. It was red, white and blue, and as you said, "it was of goodly size." Bill Bauer picked it up for you at a Louisville flag maker and delivered it in time for the Great Kentucky Derby Steamboat Race. I was quite curious as to its cost, and I asked Bill how much it set the boat back. Bill said he was not at liberty to say how much its price tag was. I responded that I was a stock holder in the company and would really like to know how much it cost. Bill said, "That's why I won't tell you!" So it was really that much, Jim?

And if you look at old photos of steamboats, they frequently had a HUGE pennant flying from the jackstaff, probably just for show or at landings for advertisment, as such a flag would have been really annoying to the pilot while under way.

Belle's Navy Jack

The flag on the Belle's mast (red & white horizontal stripes with the rattler) was a gift to us from the crew of the USS LOUISVILLE. The sub's crew have several ceremonies on board the Belle over the years. The flag was a thank you. The Belle has also flown the Navy's other ensign (Blue field with 50 stars) and the Jolly Roger on that mast in my tenure aboard.

Another flown on the DQ

We can't forget this one in discussing what the DQ has flown on her jackstaff: the Presidential Seal flag when Carter rode in 1979.

Thanks, Judy, I had forgotten about that flag. Ted Osborne and I rescued it from going over the side and re-hung it after the big storm in Lake Cooper with the 70-mile-an-hour winds. Somewhere I have a photo with me and a Coke New York exec. posing with the flag before we hung it back up.

I only remembered it because I ran across that picture while looking for something else!

A passenger on the AQ asked the discovery guide why they flew a red and blue flag with a snake on it. When Clara explained that it was a swan and it was the company logo, the passenger couldn't see it and explained that to her it looked like the snake on the Navy Jack.