Ensign fixing

[PaulGooch]

Just bought a 3/4 ensign for the boat, it's never had one so i'll need to make a socket and staff out of some stainless. The ensign has a toggle at the top and a short cord at the bottom. What's the deal with the toggle ? How's it fixed to the staff ?

 

[sailorman]

Just bought a 3/4 ensign for the boat, it's never had one so i'll need to make a socket and staff out of some stainless. The ensign has a toggle at the top and a short cord at the bottom. What's the deal with the toggle ? How's it fixed to the staff ?

i have a curved teak staff with a hole in the truckle (to take the loop with the toggle removed) a screw is passed through to hole & loop. the bottom end is made off to the staff

 

[johnalison]

Almost all flags you buy will have a toggle, although some will have a loop at the top instead. If nothing else, a toggle shows which is "up".

Many ensign staffs have a block at the top and a cleat at the base. I have used a piece of line as a halyard for the ensign, with a loop to go over the toggle, and the other end tied to the ensign loop, with the two lines tied off at the cleat, and so the ensign remains attached to the staff, which is removed when I leave the boat, or at sunset when I remember.

The widely available staffs with a metal collar at the base are a great improvement on those without as the staff can be fitted snugly into a socket without risk of the wood swelling. I get the impression that you intend to make a pole out of stainless, which is unusual but no doubt practical, in which case you can have whatever design you wish.

 

[PaulGooch]

Thanks for the replies. Maybe the toggle is meant for hoisting it up a halyard, hadn't thought of that. Think i'll just take it off and use the loop. A stainless staff would look ok on my boat as it's a mobo with mostly stainless and very little wood.