Pig Sticks?

[Seven Spades]

I want to fly my burgee from the top of my mast and in the USA they are readily available and they call them "Pig Sticks"

See here for a nice selection

These are designed with a top swivel built in so that the burgee does not wrap around the stick. Does anyone in the UK sell these, because I have tried calling a number of chandlers and riggers all without success.

 

[sailorman]

I want to fly my burgee from the top of my mast and in the USA they are readily available and they call them "Pig Sticks"

See here for a nice selection

These are designed with a top swivel built in so that the burgee does not wrap around the stick. Does anyone in the UK sell these, because I have tried calling a number of chandlers and riggers all without success.

a long cane with a Rnd hd screw in the top + wire bend around the screw to form a swivel, bend the wire down the cane then bend around the cane & cut off any excess.

 

[prv]

You might get a better result looking for a "burgee staff" rather than a "pig stick", but they're not common these days as most people prioritise their VHF antenna above flaggery.

I have two masts so can put aerials on one and flags on the other, but my burgee staff was home-made as described by Sailorman.

Pete

 

[Tidewaiter2]

You might get a better result looking for a "burgee staff" rather than a "pig stick", but they're not common these days as most people prioritise their VHF antenna above flaggery.

I have two masts so can put aerials on one and flags on the other, but my burgee staff was home-made as described by Sailorman.

Pete

Dinghy specialists like Pinnell & Bax have variants on this sort of thing in stock usually in aluminum, for masthead wind indicators

 

[rob2]

I tried to find one in the UK - with no joy. But it got me thinking that in an ideal world they should be pretty long, so as to avoid snagging on masthead clutter and have a base against the mast so as to stand off for even better clearance. Haven't resolved the design issues yet, but open to suggestions!

Rob.

 

[Seven Spades]

All the US chandlers seem to sell them in 4-6' versions. I guess it is a cultural thing, we are happy to put the burgee under the spreaders yet the US yachtsmen obviously like to follow tradition and fly their burgees from the top of the mast. Seems a shame to me that the Americans are more traditional than us Brits (Is that politically correct?).

 

[rob2]

I'd have thought that 6ft would be a minimum as you'll need 3ft + burgee to clear the VHF antenna and presumably about the same secured to the halyard against the mast to get the lever required to hold it upright. Matters do improve if the VHF is on a decent length of bracket, but you definitely don't want a burgee assaulting the cups of your wind instrument - they have enough failure modes already!

Rob.

P.S. Don't begrudge the Yanks what tradition they have from their short history...

 

[michael_w]

Make your own. The local garden centre supplies the cane, The stainless steel wire can be scrounged from your local rigger. The central wire in 1x19 is perfect.

20 mins wire bending and poking about in your tool box for the other required bits.

 

[DownWest]

Me too... (I have a cousin who was younger and much smaller than her siblings, so her frequent cry became her name...) Local DIY has ally tube and the bit for the burgee to hang on was TIG stainless wire. All of 20min to make it up.
DW

 

[DownWest]

Rob.

P.S. Don't begrudge the Yanks what tradition they have from their short history...

You are on dangerous ground there.....

 

[geoffatstanpit]

I used to have my burgee up there before I got a VHF. Snag was the bottom of the stick made such a racket bashing against the alloy mast. Had to put a wooly sock on it but it kept dropping off. Probably OK on a wooden mast.

 

[prv]

Snag was the bottom of the stick made such a racket bashing against the alloy mast. Had to put a wooly sock on it but it kept dropping off. Probably OK on a wooden mast.

Certainly on my wooden mast there's no noise - but in any case I don't think the staff is moving at all. Apply more tension to the halyard!

Pete

 

[lenseman]

I made my own by going to the local fishing tackle shop in Gosport where a very helpful gent sold me a top section of a carbon-fibre fishing pole. Cost me about £8 if I remember correctly.

Cut to length as they are about 6 to 8 feet long.

 

[Tidewaiter2]

All the US chandlers seem to sell them in 4-6' versions. I guess it is a cultural thing, we are happy to put the burgee under the spreaders yet the US yachtsmen obviously like to follow tradition and fly their burgees from the top of the mast. Seems a shame to me that the Americans are more traditional than us Brits (Is that politically correct?).

Ah, the problem comes with a Hawk windex thru (note X-herring pond spelling) the VHF antenna.
Tried jackstaff,(aka pig stick??), issues arose with antenna, windex,and mast slap noise.
Do like those mizzen mast cranes used on ketches for the burgee tho. NBG for bermuda rig tho?