How & Where to Hang CF Burgee

[SaucySailoress]

Last week my CF Burgee arrived, and it's beautiful... But it's not on my boat yet. In fact it's still in my bedroom. (if you're interested you can read all about its arrival here: Sailing « Saucysailoress's Blog)

I want to hang it on the boat, but I have a dilemma. Our flag and burgees are currently attached to the backstay with a mess of duck tape and cable ties:


Not a pretty sight, and I do believe the CF Burgee is worthy of more. And I found a pulley in my car (it's been there as long as I can remember), which lends itself to setting up a string on a stay.... Here is a picture I found on an old thread, which best describes how I am planning to make my 'flagstaff':



has anyone attached a flag line in this manner before? Was it durable and effective?

I plan to attach this pulley as high up the backstay as I can reach (or get HWMO to reach). But then I was wondering, is that where they normally go? I've seen photos of these things at the top of folks' masts - but I take it they don't stay up whilst under weigh? And also, I was wondering if it might be more protected (if less visible) on the baby stay.

[Pete7]

Ours were hanging from the starboard side spreader until the string snapped during the winter. So a quick trip up half the mast and a bit of wing walking on the spreader is required to replace the string.

You will also need to work out the seniority of the various burgees to keep the yacht club Commodores happy.

Pete

[SaucySailoress]

Screw the Commodore. To be honest we're not currently KOSA members, since I'm protesting against a chauvenistic arsehole who upset me greatly last year. But Kuwait's a small place, and we have the biggest boat, so we courteously still fly their burgee to help promote them. I also want to add the Blue Ribband for the fastest Kubbar passage ever, which we have held unbeaten for four years now!

Naturally the CF burgee will fly at the top

[svcambria]

That is exactly how I fly flags or a lower anchor light on the backstay - a small block seized up the stay about a third of the length of the stay, a cleat down at shoulder level, and split rings tied on at appropriate places to hold the flags or burgees.
Somewhere in dim memory I recall the height of a flag or burgee on the backstay should be less than the height of the flag halyard on the spreaders so a courtesy flag would fly higher than a national one.

Michael

[Unicorn Dreams]

The national flag is flown 2/3 the way up the back stay regardless of the spreader height, only the national ensign is flown from the back stay while under sail. The 2/3's way up the back stay is the position of the greatest place of honor on a sailboat.
At anchor or at dock the national ensign is flown from the stern staf and no other flag is flown from the back stay.

[Jesse]

Flags and where to fly them can get complicated and a bit prickly among some folks. National ensigns are traditionaly flown from the peak of the gaff, or 2/3 up the backstay.Burgee's, and house or owners flags are traditionaly flown on a "pigstick" at the truck or masthead. More recently they've been flown at the stbd spreader with only one burgee up at any one time. And signal flags flown from the port spreader. Courtesy flags can actualy cause confrontations with locals if they feel you are dissrespecting their flag by improperly displaying it. It is flown at the stbd spreader by itself when under sail or halfway up the forestay when moored or anchored.

[Astrid]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tte-13125.html

One normally flies only a single burgee at a time. However, the CF burgee may be considered a private signal or house flag, and as such should be flown beneath the burgee proper on the starboard or, if a courtesy flag is flying to starboard, on the port spreader. If your vessel is a ketch or yawl, the house flag may be flown from the mizzen masthead.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Jesse

.......... It is flown at the stbd spreader by itself when under sail or halfway up the forestay when moored or anchored.

Did you really mean "forestay"? I've never seen any flag up the forestay.

[SaucySailoress]

Oh my. This all sounds dreadfully complicated!! Well, I was just going to make one string on the back... And fly them all from there... but I think perhaps just the one on the back for the national flag, and one on the stbd stay for courtesy flag or whichever burgee I'm in the mood for at the time...