Reviewed by: CAPTAIN MIKE SCHOONVELD
Many Visual Distress Signaling Device kits come with a large orange distress flag in the kit for use in the day time. It’s often more apparent than signal lights, burning flares or meteor shells fired from a special gun – and the flag won’t burn out or splash down before someone has the chance to spot it.
What isn’t required or included is a flag pole from which to fly the flag! Most boats have something which could be put into use as a flag staff in an emergency but if there’s an emergency which requires hoisting a signal flag, I want to be able to give most of my attention to the problem, not to figuring out how to turn a radio antenna or a wire line rod into an emergency flag pole.
DIY people could easily build a flagpole in advance, but Tigress (the outrigger people) makes one constructed from polished aluminum, stainless steel and rugged plastic which won’t corrode or rust, even in saltwater. There’s not much to a flag staff – it’s a pole, it has convenient attachment loops to connect the distress flag (or a dive flag, American flag, a Green Bay Packers pennant….) and it has a plastic “gimbal butt” – a sort of handle on the bottom end which makes it fit snuggly in standard 1 5/8″ rod holders.
They come in two lengths – the one I have is the longer one (54 inches) but there’s a 42-incher suitable for boats with rocket launcher rod holders or a rod holder tree. Available at retail marine chandleries, big box outdoor stores or online at Amazon.com. Check out www.tigressoutriggers.com.
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