knots for flag halyard

[sthompson]

I've been trying to puzzle out whether there is a quick and easy way to knot a single or multiple small flags to the middle of a flag halyard. The halyard in question is a continuous loop of light line run to a small block at the spreader and tied off to a hand rail at the deck. I don't have access to the ends, or more precisely, I'd rather not have to untie the ends each time I hoist a flag. There is plenty of slack in the loop, so ring hitching one grommet of each flag to the halyard would be easy. But I don't see how to approach the second grommet. Thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Something that lets the halyard take most of the strain rather than the flag would be best I suppose.

-Scott

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
One classic method is to seize tapered wooden toggles to the halyard, spaced for flags. The toggles are sized for a snug fit through the flag's rings. Another method is to seize short lengths of line to the flag rings, and hitch these to the halyard.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Dan Lehman]

Originally Posted by sthompson

I've been trying to puzzle out whether there is a quick and easy way to knot a single or multiple small flags to the middle of a flag halyard.
...Something that lets the halyard take most of the strain rather than the flag would be best I suppose.

If there is a relatively snug fit of line through grommet,
then you could simply tie Overhand (loop)knots qua stoppers
to keep the flag attached. (Slip knots would work if you let
the flag assume tension between knots--voiding your last condition.)

[edited to add: ]
It then occurs to me that one can use paired Slip knots / Overhand Nooses,
where, from the perspective of the line between grommets (desired by last
condition to take tension vs. flag), Slip Knots are tied at each end with their
slip-bights inserted through the grommets, to then be tied as Slip knots
vis-a-vis the line away from the flag ends (or, to be tied then as
Overhand loopknots as first described). The result is like having two
Fisherman's loopknots mid-line, with the Overhand components of these
separated on either side of the grommet(s); this will better secure the
flag to the knotted position, perhaps, than the top solution.

--dl*
====

[benz]

If you seize a small toggle to each flag grommet, you can then form a clove hitch in the flag halyard and slip it right over the toggle, so the hitch tightens up on the seizing and the toggle keeps it from slipping off. The clove is easy to adjust in place so that the flag takes no strain, and it wouldn't use up as much slack as other knots.
Keep it simple!
Ben

[Dan Lehman]

Another way to employ toggles, without pre-attachment to the flags,
is to simply have a cord on the toggle pulled through the grommet,
wrapped a couple-few times around the halyard, then brought back
through the grommet to tie off to the toggle with a cleat hitch (and
I'd back this up with a Slip-knot stopper). This implies that you have
some collection of corded toggles to go along with the flags.

--dl*
====

[Ian McColgin]

I use the push a bight through and put a slip knot in that - slippery end pointed down flag from the upper hole and up from the lower. It's just a flag and the stresses are low. The flag's bunting, not the halyard, should take the strain for the flag to look sharp and well set

G'luck.