Ensign staff angle

[hornblower]

Hi guys,

This is a very trivial matter indeed. The ensign staff socket that is welded to the pushpit stanchion is almost verticle and, as a result, it causes many problems. Among them, the staff seems like a perfect handhold to uninitiated crew who then find that their weight has broken it. The other is that that the ensign hangs straight down and gets caught on the outboard motor and rigging screw etc and gets destroyed in no time.

I am lashing out again on another new ensign and would love to find a socket adapter that would allow me to change the angle at which the flag hangs. Please see pics below.

I know I could buy a rail-mounted bolt on socket but it would be a neater solution if I could continue to use the one I have with a converter of sorts. You all have such great ideas and I'd like to hear them.

Thanks
H

 

[JumbleDuck]

I know I could buy a rail-mounted bolt on socket but it would be a neater solution if I could continue to use the one I have with a converter of sorts. You all have such great ideas and I'd like to hear them.

Could you steam a short section of the staff and put a bend in it?

 

[PeterBoater]

If the socket is welded to the stanchion, get a S/S welder to take the socket off and reweld it to the side of the stanchion at the required angle, and clean up the old weld with an angle grinder and polisher. Cover up the surrounding GRP to prevent marking it with sparks.

 

[Hydrozoan]

If I knew for certain who it was, I could recommend the fellow sailor who gave my welded socket a shrewd enough blow to now leave the staff canted sideways at a tolerable, but jaunty angle.

 

[hornblower]

If the socket is welded to the stanchion, get a S/S welder to take the socket off and reweld it to the side of the stanchion at the required angle, and clean up the old weld with an angle grinder and polisher. Cover up the surrounding GRP to prevent marking it with sparks.

It's a solution - but I was hoping for something simpler

 

[t21]

Hm, this is a critical boaty issue. The whole POINT of the boat is sailing about and doing some jolly flag-waving. Ensign-waving? Whatever. The correct angle for the staff to lean back is 42 degrees from vertical. I suppose 45 degrees would be ok and less confusing. 38inches from base to top of staff allows you to wear a suitably raffish 1-yard ensign which will flap pleasingly in light airs, and is long enough not to poke you in the face. Hope this helps.

Edit - you can get an external t-piece for the staff which just bolts around existing stainless, easy. That's what mine is, ole French boat. No I can't do the pictures, sorry.

 

[Stork_III]

One of these? https://www.marinesuperstore.com/flags/flag-staff-holder/nawa-flagpole-holder

 

[hornblower]

I think I know that chap he regularly charters with Sunsail

 

[hornblower]

Loved your reply

 

[t21]

One of these? https://www.marinesuperstore.com/flags/flag-staff-holder/nawa-flagpole-holder

.

No, that's not like mine and no good for the OP either. I think he's gotta get a metalwork guy at the job. But I don't see how it's gonna be a solution if he gets a correctly-raked ensign staff it's still gonna tangle in the outboard. Especially if he has a nice massive ensign this time round.

i think it best to get the metal guy to make a particular piece, not start melting existing gear ooer. Or obviously buy a piece if possible. But likely not possible. The best design would to find a bit of stainless tube on the boat that runs fore and aft so that a raked-back t-piece to that won't tend to flop. My t-piece for the staff is attached to a fore-aft oriented tube actually at 42 degrees, with free space underneath so they must have thought about it. Very serious this I hope this sorted for you and quickly. Thank goodness for the internet...

 

[hornblower]

Thanks for your input guys. Oddly enough this is more serious than it seems.

Because of the way the ensign staff is so easy to grab from the cockpit many of my less agile and less experienced crew members tend to use it has a hand-hold when trying to grab the lazyline whilst we engage in Mediterranean mooring. I jave more than once had to grab the crewmember by the brastraps, after hearing the tell tale crack of the wooden staff, in order to prevent an involuntary dive.

 

[t21]

Thanks for your input guys. Oddly enough this is more serious than it seems.

Because of the way the ensign staff is so easy to grab from the cockpit many of my less agile and less experienced crew members tend to use it has a hand-hold when trying to grab the lazyline whilst we engage in Mediterranean mooring. I jave more than once had to grab the crewmember by the brastraps, after hearing the tell tale crack of the wooden staff, in order to prevent an involuntary dive.

Phwoar! I'd leave it as it is hehe. Oh alright, stainless staff. Or tell her to go topless, another solution ahem.

 

[aslabend]

If the op is cruising in exotic places with exotic lasses, is not the correct thing to have the red duster pemenantly fixed half way up the backstay?

 

[Seashoreman]

Could you steam a short section of the staff and put a bend in it?

You said it in your signature line, haha.

 

[pvb]

I am lashing out again on another new ensign and would love to find a socket adapter that would allow me to change the angle at which the flag hangs. Please see pics below.

I know I could buy a rail-mounted bolt on socket but it would be a neater solution if I could continue to use the one I have with a converter of sorts. You all have such great ideas and I'd like to hear them.

Your simplest, cheapest and neatest solution is to buy a stainless ensign staff, take it to a stainless workshop and ask them to put a neat bend in it.

 

[hornblower]

that is a very good idea - thanks

 

[pvb]

that is a very good idea - thanks

My pleasure. I bought a stainless ensign staff for my current boat, having had a wooden one on the old boat. Couldn't believe how cheap stainless ones are relative to wooden ones!

 

[t21]

Hm, i think it might be quite awkward to put a bend as near to the end of the staff as is required, maybe? How about going to the ss shop and asking them to make the thing? They'l likely need to make the bend and THEN cut it to length I think, maybe. And put the little bits on for the ensign toggle things and close the other end. Well, i would askem first before buying the ss staff which might cost flippin loads and if the ss shop then say ah but our bending machine can only put in a bend minimum 6 inches or whatever from the end then yerknow, dang.

 

[pvb]

Hm, i think it might be quite awkward to put a bend as near to the end of the staff as is required, maybe? How about going to the ss shop and asking them to make the thing? They'l likely need to make the bend and THEN cut it to length I think, maybe. And put the little bits on for the ensign toggle things and close the other end. Well, i would askem first before buying the ss staff which might cost flippin loads and if the ss shop then say ah but our bending machine can only put in a bend minimum 6 inches or whatever from the end then yerknow, dang.

Ensign staffs are tapered, so not easy to make. Any stainless shop could do a neat bend in a ready-made staff.

 

[Daydream believer]

I needed an ensign staff for my new boat on the quick & the only thing i could find was a piece of over flow pipe. This annoyed the wife, so I have deliberately kept it for 14 years. You could use a piece of that & cut it & solvent weld a 135 degree bend in to it to get the desired angle. Being plastic it tends to give a little on impact so has lasted surprisingly well.