How big an ensign staff ?

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Boo2

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We've done "how big an ensign" a dozen times and I've settled on a 1 1/4 yard one for my UFO34, but how long an ensign staff would you pick for mounting at the top of the transom ?

Boo2
 
The size that just fits the ensign's hoist and prevents it trailing in the water. However, buy whatever size you want.
 
DipperToo said:
Make sure that the ensign cannot cover the stern light! Easily overlooked. I have seen many boats where this is the case, and it would confuse at night to see a stern light suddenly changing to appear red!
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Good reason to wear a blue ensign, then!
 
Following naval practice, the ensign is not worn during the hours of darkness, so won't obscure lights. Around 3 X hoist sounds good - you can distinguish between full hoist and half mast.

Rob.

P.S. flying it off the backstay for a while gives you some idea what height you want it...
 
rob2 said:
Following naval practice, the ensign is not worn during the hours of darkness, so won't obscure lights.
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Surely worn day and night at sea? Especially if in foreign waters. It's in port that we have the whole Colours rigmarole.

Pete
 
High enough that the lowest point of the flag is higher than the Eberspacher exhaust. Don't ask me how I know this, I believe it's probably treason to set fire to the flag. Not that I would, oh no.
 
prv said:
Surely worn day and night at sea? Especially if in foreign waters. It's in port that we have the whole Colours rigmarole.

Pete
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I go for not flown at all at sea unless in foreign waters.

If we're being that pedantic then when underway your ensign shouldn't be flown from the taffrail anyway. Advice for Bermudan yachts is I believe to fly it 2/3 of the way up the leech of the mainsail.

No problems with stern lights then.
 
Woodlouse said:
I go for not flown at all at sea unless in foreign waters.
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Hmm round the Solent no ensign is one of the thing I look for to see if a boat is racing...

Personally I would say depends allot on the boat and lay out take a boom stick along and try different heights till it looks good and satisfies suggestions above...
 
My father began his sailing career with a singlehanded trip round the Thames Estuary in his brother in law's 18 ft half decked boat in 1919, and ended it with a singlehanded trip from Walton to Pin Mill and vv in 1985 when he was 82.

He once remarked that, when he was learning to sail, "Wearing an ensign in home waters was considered "tripperish"".

Good enough for him; good enough for me - the ensign is worn in foreign territorial waters only.

But if you really must, fly it from the leech of the mainsail when under way and above all don't let it drabble in the water in port.
 
Woodlouse said:
..... Advice for Bermudan yachts is I believe to fly it 2/3 of the way up the leech of the mainsail. ......
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I always thought (assumed) that was only applicable to vessels where the boom passed over the stern e.g. on some ketches, gaff rigged yachts and yawls. If you can fly from the stern (taf rail) then that is the preferred place. Now, I am no flag snob and being wrong on this is likely! On the Rival I have a windvane and a wind genny and I currently fly the ensign from the back stay. What you are saying suggests that I could fly it quite high on a line from the boom end to the mast head.
 
Woodlouse said:
I go for not flown at all at sea unless in foreign waters.
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Certainly some sense in that.

In Kindred Spirit we flew the ensign from the peak of the mizzen gaff, so if the mizzen wasn't set (too much wind, or motoring, or in port) then we didn't have an ensign up at all.

I did carry a second ensign which could be hoisted to the mizzen masthead in those circumstances, for use abroad.

Pete
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
I always thought (assumed) that was only applicable to vessels where the boom passed over the stern e.g. on some ketches, gaff rigged yachts and yawls. If you can fly from the stern (taf rail) then that is the preferred place. Now, I am no flag snob and being wrong on this is likely! On the Rival I have a windvane and a wind genny and I currently fly the ensign from the back stay. What you are saying suggests that I could fly it quite high on a line from the boom end to the mast head.
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Have a look at pictures of navy ships at sea and note where if anywhere they are flying their ensign.
 
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