Adding a Orange Flag to your Lighted Safety Mast

   In a earlier post, I showed you a way to make an inexpensive lighted safety mast. This is yet another way to increase your safety out on the water - especially if your fish in the saltwater.

   While the lighted safety mast works great at night, this article will help increase your being more visible during the daytime hours, as well as being more visible at night.

   One way to do that, is to add a bright orange safety flag to your mast, to aid in being more visible during deep ocean swells, and motorized boaters from a distance.

   The club I fish with in Rhode Island highly recommends that a safety flag be used on ALL club outings.

   Starting with the Lighted Safety Mast that was featured in my last article, I will show you how to add a bright orange flag to your lighted mast.


   Parts List:

   ( 1 ) 18" x 18" Orange Vinyl-Coated Nylon Flags w/ Staffs ( 2 pk.) - $7.68/pr.
           2 pk of 18" x 18" Orange Safety Flags w/ Staffs

   ( 3 ) 3/32" x 2" long Machine Truss Fasteners - $1.18/ea. ( 4 pk. )
           4 pk of Machine Truss Fasteners

   ( 3 ) 3/32" Stop Wing Nuts - $1.18/ea. ( 6 pk. )
           # 8 Wing Nuts


   Depending on your skill level, this project shouldn't take longer than 30 minutes.

   Let's begin:

   1.)  You can find this "Safety Flag" in the safety section of a Home Depot store. It's approximately 18" x 18", a highly visible orange, and sells for under $20.

   * * * NOTE: The flag pictured was purchased at a different store, but the kit install is still the same.

   2.) Be sure to have the flag extended outward, and carefully mark 3 areas under the flag along the wooden dowel to drill your holes, making extra sure that the holes you intend to drill are centered correctly. Because the dowel is round, you may have make a "flat spot" on the dowel so your drill's bit doesn't wander while drilling the hole.

   3.) Using a 1/16" drill bit, carefully pre-drill your 3 holes straight through the center of the dowel as best you can. These will act as "guide" holes for the larger 3/32" drill bit after you're done with these.

   4.) Now, in the same 3 spots you used the small drill bit, use a 3/32" drill bit to enlarge the holes. Be careful not to drill the holes off center or the dowel may split and break.

   5.) Depending on your tools, I used small spring clamps to hold my flag's dowel firmly attached to the mast. Make sure the flag is below the top of the mast, otherwise at night, your safety light won't be seen with the flag in the way. You will need to drill through both the wooden dowel and the safety mast pole.

   6.)  I used 6 parts. I picked up ( 3 ) 3/32" x 2" long Machine Truss Fasteners and ( 3 ) Stop Wing Nuts. Push the ( 3 ) Machine Truss bolts through the safety mast and the safety flag staff. 

   7.) Attach all 3 bolts with the wing nuts.

   8.) This is what it should look like when it's done.

   * * * NOTE: This particular flag measured at 12" x 14". Because this flag doesn't show up in the Cabela's search, I substituted this flag for a larger 18" x 18" flag that can be purchased at Home Depot. The mast I used measured at 40" in length. Because the Home Depot safety flag is much larger, you may want to cut your mast to 50" in length, so that when the wind shifts in direction, the flag's bottom edge won't be slapping against the back of your head!

   

   This is the actual flag I made for a friend. She used it at Monahan's Pier in Narragansett, RI in August 2012. The swells got bigger as the weather slowly got uglier. It's nice to know you can now be seen with the added safety of a flag.