Burgee/Flag clips

rshowarth · Post by **rshowarth** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:08 pm

What do you use to fasten your burgee or flag to your stays?

I fould this item on e-bay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=012

Anyone have a similar or alternative clip/fastening system?

Rachel · Post by **Rachel** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:43 pm

Edited to say: Oops! I just noticed you said "to attach to your stays." I missed that important bit and blathered on about attachments to flag halyards and staffs. Silly me! I guess I'll leave it since it's on the general topic, although I realize it doesn't apply to stays at all (I've never flown a flag from a stay)

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I probably sound cranky, but those "Stay-Grips" look annoying to me. I bet the plastic wouldn't last in the UV light, you'd have to pay shipping from Great Britian, and..... who needs a trademarked product to hold a flag on? It's like those "fender gripper" things. (This isn't directed at you; I'm just grousing.)

I've used fixed eye snap hooks, and then cow-hitched them to the flag halyard for the flags that go on the starboard flag halyard (that way you can adjust them for different flags' hoist sizes just by sliding them up and down) - those weren't bad at all. I've also used those things that look like part of a screen door spring with a little black plastic insert - hated those!

I think an ensign can be permanently mounted to its staff (unless you have dual citizenship ;-). At least in my experience, we would either roll the ensign around the staff and cover it with a purpose-sewn Sunbrella "sock," or else just bring the whole staff/flag combo belowdecks. We had our ensign tied to eye-hooks that were screwed into the flagstaff ( the ensign came with embedded strings for tying). Recently someone suggested using split rings for a semi-permanent attachment on an ensign that has grommets instead of strings - I could see that working well.

Rachel

rshowarth · Post by **rshowarth** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:57 pm

Thank you Rachel.

Looks like I need to install a flag halyard or simply tie on some snap hooks.

Summersdawn · Post by **Summersdawn** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:35 am

I've used a timber hitch before. It works well.

keelbolts · Post by **keelbolts** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:32 am

I know few people still do it, but on a sloop your flag, when under way, should be flown at your gaff or at about the same height on your main if it's jib-headed. I can't imagine it would do much for your sail shape if you're not gaff rigged. Having said all of that, mine ends up tied to my backstay with some small stuff and a couple of rolling hitches.

CharlieJ · Post by **CharlieJ** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:42 am

Basically what we do- off the backstay. When I had a ketch I used the mizzen topping lift to fly the flag.

Of course, when under power, the flag SHOULD be at a stern staff, mounted on deck-grin

I have the socket on Tehani- but no flag staff.

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:38 am

I just lashed a stainless ring to my backstay for a flag halyard:

Flies more or less 2/3 of the way up the backstay:

rshowarth · Post by **rshowarth** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:02 pm

Nathan-

Very nice. It looks like you used whipping line to attach the stainless ring to the stay. I like it better than my solution which were Flag Clips fom Hamilton Marine. [Link]

Do you have a line to take the flag up to the ring? If so, where do you cleat the flag halyard?

Or is it permanently flown from the stay and never taken down?

Hirilondë · Post by **Hirilondë** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:03 pm

I never thought to take a picture of the small wooden cleats I made and lashed to my shrouds to tie off my spreader flag halyards. I should have know that anything concerning a boat can and will come up as a subject here. You can also buy metal cleats that use a u-bolt to clamp to a shroud. Tying a running half hitch followed by 2 half hitches to the shroud itself holds well.

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:05 pm

The boat matches the trees.

Post by **dasein668** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:50 am

No, I have a stainless shroud cleat and I only run up the flag when I'm aboard.

Figment wrote:The boat matches the trees.

Weisenheimer.

keelbolts · Post by **keelbolts** » Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:07 pm

dasein668,
Very nice. Located properly and elegant in its simplicity. So much better than what I've been doing. I see a ring in my future.