Flag flying

[rjcanter]

Can anybody tell me how to attach a flag or pennant to my DS I? I can't find any information regarding hardware or clips that would allow me to attach a flag to one of the stays. Also, if anyone can let me know the proper etiquette for flying the US Flag from my DS I (given the kind of basic rigging the boat has) I would be grateful.

[gary l. britton]

My daughter purchased a state flag and the stars and stripes for my DSI a couple of years ago. I purchased clips for flags at West Marine, I think right about a buck a piece. I attach the flags to the side stays. The American flag on the starboard stay and the State flag on the port stay, with the American flag higher than the state flag. I think that is the proper way to fly the flags.

Have fun and fair winds.

Gary
"Dancing Girls II", #3235
1966, DS I

[Bob Hunkins]

If you're handy you can build a mount that will fit on your rudder head.
I took a length of 1" aluminum strap and formed it around the base of a flag staff (a wooden dowel). I cut the strap long enough to allow it to have two flat sections that lie against each other and compress the dowel when pressed together. I drilled holes through the flat parts of the strap. I inserted the tiller bolt that goes through the rudder head through this hole. The pressure is adjusted enough to keep the flag in place, but can still be removed by hand when necessary.

If I recall from my old copy of Chapman's the proper place for the national colors is either from a staff on the starboard side of the transom, or from the leech of the aftermost fore and aft sail, about a third of the way down. (Where the gaff would be if the vessel were rigged with one). This is a pain to rig, and means lowering the sail to lower the colors. So that's probably why the flag staff on the transom came into use with the advent of the triangular mainsail.

The starboard spreader is usually reserved for flying flags of courtesy - The national flag of the foreign port you are visiting - Unlikely in a Day Sailer but not at all unheard of.

[calden]

I just rigged a flag halyard on my San Juan 21. If you want to run a flag from the spreader, one way to do it, I'll describe what I did.

Attach a small light duty block to the middle of the starboard spreader (customary to put it on the starboard.) I've put mine on temporarily with a nylon tie strap until I figure out exactly where on the spreader I want it, then I'll put it on a small eyestrap.

Put a shroud cleat on the starboard shroud down by the turnbuckle. You can get these at West Marine or anywhere, really. The one pictured here is for shroud diameters greater than 1/8", the normal size for our DS boats, so you'd have to get a different one, but it looks like this:


That's it. Run a 1/8"-1/4" line up around the block and tie it as a big loop about a foot longer than the loop in the shroud cleat. Run it down through the loop and then around the cleat. Use flag clips to attach a flag.

Like this:



Carlos

[BOATMAN]

If ypu have a DS I , I used the starboard spreader up on the jumper strut. I just hung a pulley from the spreader and it worked super for the 3 years I had the boat. I always flew my TEXAS flag.

[rjcanter]

Thanks to all of you who responded. I appreciate the ideas and advice.