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Hungary - Houseflags of Hungarian Shipping Companies

Last modified: 2006-11-19 by dov gutterman
Keywords: hungary | houseflags | mahart | balatoni hajozasi |
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Mahart


image by Ivan Sache, 14 October 2000

A white pennant with the Hungarian national flag in the middle, extending all over the pennant length, and a black anchor over the national flag, shifted to hoist. The flag flies over the Mahart building in the center of Budapest (Pest side). It can also be seen very often in touristic leaflets, used as logo on a blue rectangular background.
Mahart seems to have a kind of monopoly on sailing in Hungary, so I suspect it is a national company or the privatized avatar of the former national company during Communist period. In that sense, it would have been a kind of unofficial civil ensign
Ivan Sache, 14 October 2000

MAHART = MAgyar HAjózási RT means Hungarian Shipping Co. Ltd.
Information about MAHART (in English) at <www.mahart.hu>.
István Molnár, 15 October 2000


Balatoni Hajozási RT


image by Ivan Sache, 14 October 2000

Balatoni Hajózási RT. - A rectangular flag with seven blue-white-blue-white-blue-white-blue horizontal stripes and a red canton charged with letters BH in yellow. The canton is about 40% the length of the flag and extends vertically over three stripes. My source is an advertizement in a TV-program. The German text says: "In eight large yachting harbours on Balaton lake, the largest lake in Europa, we welcome the yachtmen with various facilities of the highest standard." The advertizement shows both the Mahart and Balatoni Hajozasi RT flags and refers to Mahart Balaton Schiffahrts AG. The advertizement also says 'Alapitva 1846', which I would translate as 'established 1846'. I understand that Balaton Hajozasi RT is a division of Mahart. I wonder if it is not also a yacht-club. Mahart Balaton has a website at <www.balaton.hu>.
Ivan Sache, 14 October 2000

Balaton Hajozasi RT is indeed a division of Mahart and also a yacht-club. MAHART Lake Balaton Shipping Co. Ltd site also at <www.mahart.hu>.
István Molnár, 15 October 2000

While watching a local TV newsprogramme, there was a piece about the reduced water level in Hungary's Lake Balaton.  A brief view was shown of a vessel flying an ensign.  The ensign was too briefly seen to make a certain sketch, but it appears to be barry blue and white (three or four blue bars I think) with a redish orange canton sown with some small device in gold in regular lines.
Andre Burgers, 9 September 2003

This was most probably the flag of the shipping company and yacht club "Balatoni Hajozasi RT".
Ivan Sache, 9 September 2003

But this can't be an ensign, surely. Either andre see it errorneously, or the vessel was using the flag improperly. The standard hungarian ensign (same as the national flag) should be used.
Željko Heimer, 9 September 2003

You are quite right. It was a very fleeting view as the camera scanned past, but I did see a flag on a staff at what appeared to be the vessel's stern. Therefore in the position an ensign would normally occupy. That is why I asked the question.  Maybe they don't know the rules. They are a long way from the sea where these rules arose and apply.
Andre Burgers, 11 September 2003

But they are not so far from Danube where the ships carrying ensigns are more then common (and they have to hoist them all the daylight time, since they are always near the "coast"). The same rules for ensigns apply to rivers, and they should be quite aware of these...
Željko Heimer, 11 September 2003

During a recent visit to Hungary's capital, Budapest, pretty much all (international) cruise ships anchored at the Danube pier correctly flew their national ensign at the stern and the Hungarian flag at the bow. Hungarian vessels flew the national flag (=ensign) at the stern and some house flag at the bow.
Thorsten, 11 September 2003