Flagstaff erection

Flagstaff Erection

Prepared by:P/CI (NPCC) Sim Guo Chen

For use in St. Joseph's Institution NPCC only

Objectives• Practice to have a flag raised during a camp• Flagpoles not always available at campsites• Necessary to improvise a flagstaff from the

materials available at the campsite• Marking of territory• Inculcate values• Practical application of knots and lashings and

pioneering knowledge• Component in the Campcraft competition held by

NPCC HQ once every two years


Materials Needed• 2 x long poles/spars (preferably of similar sizes)• 3 x pegs (plus an additional peg or mallet to peg in

the last peg)• 3 x 5.5m manila hemp/nylon ropes (between 0.75-

1.5 cm/0.5 inch in diameter) (for guylines)• 2 x 3.0m manila hemp/nylon ropes (between 0.75-

1.5 cm/0.5 inch in diameter) (for lashing)• 1 x 1.0m - 1.5m twine (for manharness

knot/whipping)• 1 x long nylon rope (for flag line/halyard)• 1 x pulley (optional)


Factors to Consider

• Maximize height• Maximize stability• Maximize resources• Ease of construction


Recommended Procedure

• Use round lashings to tie the two long poles together. The thicker pole should be the bottom of the flagstaff. The length of the overlapping portion should be at least one-third the length of the entire flagstaff and at most 1m.


Recommended Procedures

• Use clove hitches or constrictor knots to secure the three 5.5m manila hemps to the middle of the flagstaff, between the two lashings. They are the guylines. The clove hitches/constrictor knots should be adjusted such that the working ends are 120 degrees apart from one another, leaving no gaps between each hitch/knot. One end has to exit in the direction that is directly opposite where the flag line will be, so that none of the guylines will subsequently interfere with the flag when it is being raised or lowered.





• If there is a pulley, use the twine to whip it to the top of the flagstaff. If there is no pulley, a loop can be improvised by tying a manharness knot or whipping. If the manharness knot is to be used, the ends of the manharness knot will be whipped tightly to the top of the flagpole.



• Use a long piece of nylon rope as the flag line, running it through the loop/pulley. Ensure that it is smooth.

• Raise the flagstaff with one person holding it.• Hammer the three pegs into position. The distance

between the pegs and the base of the flagstaff will be the same as the distance between the base and the middle clove hitch/constrictor knot and at an angle of 120° to one another, forming an equilateral triangle.



• Adjust the flagstaff until it is vertical, and then secure the 3 guylines to their pegs simultaneously using the tent guy loop.


Securing a Flag to the Flagpole• A flag has two loose ends used for securing it to

the flag line. The looped end usually represents the top of the flag.

• Secure one end of the flag line to the loop using a sheetbend.

• Secure the other end of the flag line with a fisherman’s knot (for ropes of equal thickness) or a sheetbend (ropes of different thickness).

• Pull one end of the flag line slightly before raising the flag to check that it is upright.

• Raise the flag and neaten the rest of the flag line.


Rationale• Length of overlapping

– 1/3 of entire flagstaff to 1m– Assume same density– Anything less is maximizing height and resources at expense of

stability due to high centre of gravity (CG)– Anything more is maximizing stability due to lower CG at the expense

of maximizing height and resources• Thicker spar will be at the bottom

– larger base area and heavier weight and thus lower CG so it will be more stable

• Heavier spar will be at the bottom due to lower CG – more stability

• Longer spar will be at the bottom as it will be supporting the weight of the whole structure– Since the support is higher than the CG it will be more stable


Rationale

• Positions of crosses of constrictor knot with respect to the nature of constrictor knot– All on the lower pole to prevent obstruction with

flagline– Clove hitch should be on poles and not in the

middle– Tengential pull– Downward force– No overlapping


Rationale

• Position of constrictor knot– In the middle portion of the overlapping portion– Anything higher will have more stability at the

expense of ropes– Anything lower will use less rope at the expense

of stability– Compromise of 2 factors


Parts of a Flagstaff


References

• NPCC Outdoor Training Handbook


Documents

Flagstaff erection