Dressing overall

[ip485]

So what is the easiest way of attaching a string of signal flags?

Some suppliers indicate their flags come with a braided line forming a loop at the top and a distance line at the bottom, others with the conventional toggle.

So confronted with your pile of signal flags and a thickish halyard to the top of the mast whats the quickest way of bending on all the flags, and if the halyard is pretty thick, do you attach the flags to a much thinner line and use the halyard to hoist the line of flags?

 

[johnalison]

I just join my flags toggle-to-loop in a line. With a bit of trial and error they are now at the right length and I am too lazy to undo them. God help me if I need to send an urgent message by flags. There is an 'official' order recommended by the RYA but it is not mandatory. In fact, I copied my order from my old copy of The Yachtsman's Weekend Book. Don't make up your own order or you may say something very rude in Swahili or summat. I just attach the halyard to roughly the mid point of the line.

 

[prv]

I don't really understand what you mean by the "much thinner line". The flags buttoned together form a line themselves, one end of which is hoisted up to the masthead and the other secured on deck. Easiest would be to use a headsail halyard to hoist one length from the stemhead, and the main halyard to hoist a separate string of flags from the taffrail, though if you only have one halyard at the masthead you might be able to hoist the middle of a continuous length up the outside of the shrouds so that it ends up passing around the side of the mast just below the top. Note that the "continuous" length will actually need to be made of two runs of flags joined toggle-to-toggle with a short bit of line in the middle, otherwise half of them would be upside down.

I inherited my great aunt's set of flags, which were a full set of signals used for dressing overall plus loose duplicates of the handful she might actually want to signal with (pre-VHF). The dressing set each had a seizing around the middle of the eye, securing it tightly around the toggle to ensure the string of flags definitely couldn't separate while hoisted leaving a halyard stuck aloft. This might be a wise precaution (cable ties would be quicker than my tarred marline ) if there seems like any possibility of the toggles coming out of your eyes.

EDIT: I hoisted them on Kindred Spirit using the joined-in-the middle method, with the burgee halyard to the main masthead (along with the burgee itself) and a similar lightweight halyard that was fitted to the mizzen but rarely used.

Pete

 

[ithet]

I attach a line to the halyard then clove hitch this to the chain of flags at a couple of points and make off at deck level. Would not rely solely on the strings and toggles of a whole set of flags.

BTW I also always clove hitch burgees to a halyard rather than tie them into it. I was taught that way in the scouts.

 

[pyrojames]

i normally attach the tail of the halyard i use to the halyard shackle so the flags separate I can retrieve the halyard. I learnt that the hard way!

if you make up a continuous line and hoist it in the middle, then half of them will be upside down. This is noticeable on some of the flags.

 

[TLouth7]

You could make up a light line of the correct length with a series of small loops along it, I would recommend alpine butterflies. Then put the toggle of each flag in a loop, and rolling/clove hitch the flag's tail to the line in the conventional way.

For convenience it might be easier to join short stings of flags together; tie a loop in the tail of one for the toggle of another. These strings of flags would be attached to the line in the same way; toggle of the top one in a loop in the line, bend the tail of the bottom one to the line. This would require fewer loops in the line, but still not rely on a continuous sting of flags joined head-to-tail.

If the light line is excessively long then you can sort out the exact number of flags on each half once it is most of the way up.

 

[ashtead]

Slight thread drift but where do all these flags come from apart from great aunts of course ?

 

[Seajet]

I got my code flag set from a chandlery years ago, as I've only dressed the boat overall once - for her 18th Birthday party 22 years ago - I hadn't really thought about availability now; I still carry the set of flags ( and my ex- RN chum was very insistent on the order ) but otherwise have only ever used the yellow Q for quarantine ( years ago a friendly French customs officer said " Oh take it down, too much hassle ! " ) and a French tricolour courtesy flag on cross Channel trips.

I doubt ' I require a tug ' etc would get much of a response now.

As mentioned if I didn't refer to an almanac I'd be worried about accidentally sending ' Up Yours ' in Russian, Chinese. or Klingon

 

[prv]

Slight thread drift but where do all these flags come from apart from great aunts of course ?

You can buy complete sets of actual signal flags in chandleries, as well as singles of the commonly used ones like Q. You can also buy ready-made dressing-overall sets with the signals sewn permanently onto a strip of tape so all the issues of toggles and downhauls don't arise. Instead you get the problem of half the flags being upside down if you run a single such strip over your masthead and back down.

Pete

 

[prv]

have only ever used the yellow Q for quarantine ( years ago a friendly French customs officer said " Oh take it down, too much hassle ! " ) and a French tricolour courtesy flag on cross Channel trips.

My great-aunt used to fly "I have a doctor on board" when her sister, my granny, a GP, was visiting. Also "come within hail, I wish to communicate" to invite other crews on board for drinks

I doubt ' I require a tug ' etc would get much of a response now.

You do still see ships hoisting flag Hotel, "I have a pilot on board" on their way in and out of port. Not sure whether they fly Golf while waiting for him. I've also seen Bravo for dangerous cargo, and of course dive boats do use flag Alpha.

As you say, though, not much is likely to happen as an actual result of any of those flags (except perhaps Alpha). They're just confirming what's really been worked out on VHF or by email.

Pete

 

[Praxinoscope]

If you want to go one better than everyone else, the ‘proper’ order of dress is: E,Q,3,G,8,Z,4,W,6,P,1,I,Code,T,Y,B,X,1st sub, H,3rd sub,D,F,2nd sub,U,A,O,M,R,2,J,0,N,9,K,7,V,5,L,,C,S.
But I wonder how many can read them anyway.

 

[Seajet]

Pete,

I think ships whose Captain is pilot - rated - like ferries which makes sense with them coming and going all the time - fly ' H ' horizontally.

Like most people if a ship was bothering me I'd be doing my best to keep out of her way - how they manage in the Solent or anywhere is a mystery to me though the ' G-Captain ' site shows a few accidents; unless it was a warship flying a battle ensign coming straight at me ( yes had that, a 1980's German ) I think I'd rely on the VHF or just keeping clear rather than a flag some 17yr old midshipman has put up which may well say ' Soup of the day ' - actually I do know the code flags but don't expect anyone else to nowadays.

 

[prv]

I think ships whose Captain is pilot - rated - like ferries which makes sense with them coming and going all the time - fly ' H ' horizontally.

Makes sense. The Southampton VTS page on PECs says they should fly "the appropriate flag" - though it doesn't specify what that actually is!

Fortunately I assume Southampton sees relatively few Polish-flagged vessels

Pete

 

[Praxinoscope]

Like SeaJet I do know the code flags, but have never used them in anger and can’t recall the last time I saw another vessel using them. I also have to admit I still get very confused over the sequence of using the substitutes.

 

[ashtead]

You can buy complete sets of actual signal flags in chandleries, as well as singles of the commonly used ones like Q. You can also buy ready-made dressing-overall sets with the signals sewn permanently onto a strip of tape so all the issues of toggles and downhauls don't arise. Instead you get the problem of half the flags being upside down if you run a single such strip over your masthead and back down.
Only have a Q so far as no divers or pilots on board but thanks for info . I had hoped you might find sets at boat jumbles or suchlike eBay sites .
Pete