How to get a burgee to the masthead?

FullCircle

FullCircle

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I have a modern Jeanneau 35 with a masthead rig.

I would like to fly the burgee from the masthead, so I am looking for practical proposals to rig something that can be hoisted into place with a staff without there being 3 tons of spaghetti flapping around.
I have 2 genoa halyards and 2 spinnaker halyards already rigged, so its quite crowded up there.
I also have the usual masthead paraphanalia, VHF, WIndex, Wind Transducer and Tricolour.
Any pointers please.
 
I use a long burgee staff, and got rid of the windex. The burgee is a better indicator of wind IMHO. But I do have a dedicated burgee halyard opposite the topping lift, so along with the staysail, the genoa, the 2 spinny, the main and the topping lift, there are rather a lot of bits of string up there!

The burgee staff has a stainless rod swivel for the burgee to weathercock on. Ideally you want to be able to get the burgee above the VHF and far enough away from the wind trans so they don't all try to beat each other up, hence 6' plus staff length.
 
"I also have the usual masthead paraphanalia, VHF, WIndex, Wind Transducer and Tricolour.
Any pointers please. "

Sounds as if you already have lots of pointy things up there. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have seen an aluminium socket sewn into the headboard of a mainsail, so that a buggeree is attached when the main goes up. I guess that if you want to display a flappy flag when not sailing, you could make up a small holder to attach to the shackle of the main halyard and to the halyard tail. No extra bits of string in both cases.
 
< why? >

I would like the facility. Thank you.


It will save me from having to swap from one spreader to the other when I am visiting foreign parts.

I like the idea of a socket in the main headboard, very neat. Might need to put an extra track slider in to prevent twist in high winds.
 
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It will save me from having to swap from one spreader to the other when I am visiting foreign parts.


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/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

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No doubt Sailorman will be along - equally in good humour - with photographic evidence very soon. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Jim

Only decent place for a burgee and as Pyro James has said much better than an arrow for wind direction. Have similar arrangement as he had detailed.

There was a post here some while ago - maybe a year - with a design for a burgee pole. Got a copy at home (currently at work) if you want it.

My latest adaptaion is to hoist a 4 foot by 6 foot burgee to masthead when dressed overall using a boathook as the burgee pole! Can't get it all the way up though (might be a sign of age!)

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A burgee staff mounted on the headboard will probably quarrel with the backstay or its crane.
A traditional staff hoisted on a continuous external halyard gives a useful indication of mast bend.
The flagstaff should not be metal, if there is a vhf aerial parallel to it.
It (the staff) may blackout a significant sector of your navlights, ok, you may take it down an night, but I can imagine failing to do this. Then what do you use for a wind indicator at night? A thin grp rod might be ok though.
How about a mega wind indicator with your flag painted on a solid fin? It has to be worth it just to wind up the traditionalists?
I wouldn't have anything other than a combined vhf and windex, at least for use at sea.
 
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It will save me from having to swap from one spreader to the other when I am visiting foreign parts.

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There's no need for that. If the masthead isn't available as in your case, the starb'd spreader is the place for a burgee. Signal flags and courtesy ensigns are relegated to the port spreader. Right?
 
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It will save me from having to swap from one spreader to the other when I am visiting foreign parts.

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There's no need for that. If the masthead isn't available as in your case, the starb'd spreader is the place for a burgee. Signal flags and courtesy ensigns are relegated to the port spreader. Right?

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Whilst this may be technically correct as the burgee should be in the most senior place available it can be viewed as a snub on the country you are visiting and as this whole things is about etiquette (or however the word is spelt) why should one want to risk affending anyone!

Anyone for a post about anchors?
 
Neil - Forum pennant is just about visible at Port Yard in pic above.

If I had Burgee at Stbd, Coutesy ensign at Port would then need inner signal halyard too if don't put more than one flag one each one and that would be another few yard of string. Oh it is just too complicated I need a lie down! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
Yep. Only once have I seen a courtesy flag at the port speader, and that was on ships heading down the St Lawrence Seaway between Canada and the US. US flag to Starboard, Canadian to port. I can't remember if the vessels coming up had them reversed!
 
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If the masthead isn't available as in your case, the starb'd spreader is the place for a burgee. Signal flags and courtesy ensigns are relegated to the port spreader. Right?

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Wrong /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

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Whilst personally I agree with Guapa I have had a long explanation from a very experienced sailor to justify Burgee to Starboard and Courtesy Ensign to Port and Reeds seemed to go along with this. I am sure there are other volumes that would confirm Coutesy to Starboard just I don't carry them.
 
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