I was watching a sailboat flying the Stars and Stripes the other day, and the thought struck me that if the ship were British, then it wouldn't simply fly the Union Jack, but instead would fly the Red Ensign.
I can understand if the matter of an American ensign simply never came up officially, but if the matter was raised, then were there any concrete designs discussed, and why was it ultimately decided not to adopt an official ensign?
There actually is one! Known as the "Yacht Ensign" approval for it was first granted by Congress for US flagged pleasure craft and yachts. In no small part at the urging of New York Yacht Club in the late 1840's. Unsurprisingly the design is basically just a derivative of the national ensign.
However the US Maritime community, Congress, and all have come tot he long standing consensus that the US Flag IS the preferred Ensign. From the guidelines of the US Power Squadron;
The U.S. national ensign, sometimes called "50-star" or "Old Glory," is the proper and preferred flag for all U.S. vessels.
The U.S. yacht ensign [definition] features a blue canton (the rectangle at the upper corner nearest the staff) having 13 white stars and a fouled anchor. Originally devised as a signal to identify documented yachts to relieve them of certain customs formalities, it is now flown on recreational boats of all types and sizes instead of the national ensign in domestic waters. Traditionally, the yacht ensign had a 10:19 hoist/fly ratio like the U.S. ensign. Today it is found with a 2:3 or 3:5 ratio. However, the preferred flag is the 50-star national ensign, especially since the yacht ensign must never be flown in international or foreign waters since it has no standing as a national ensign. http://www.usps.org/f_stuff/etiquett.html#us-y-ensign
