Need to fly a safety flag

[pequa1]

Always flew one on my Phoenix 140 and we use it on our tandem. (Bright yellow or bright orange kayaks still go unseen by those Bayliner type guys.) I need to install a mount on my new Skimmer 128 (once the doc okays it after I get the damn stitches out) but can't find one on Amazon.
I do not want one of those Scotty rodholder type things that mount on a track, vastly prefer to do an "in-hull" like I will for two rodholders behind the seat.
Basically I just want a "drop-in" without the 30º tilt but much skinnier than a rodholder.

 

[Roccus7]

When a the rare, big azz Bayliner pulls into a local seaside watering hole up here, everyone laughs at it and the "Massholes" aboard can't figure out why!! And the max water summer temp of 65 °F keeps those pesky Jetskis away too. It's boating and kayaking Nirvana up here!!!

 

[pequa1]

Ever notice how your local kayakers attach their safety flags ?

 

[Richee33]

They are an absolute necessity anywhere on the island.Boaters flying all over the place on auto pilot not being able to see in front of them because they are not trimmed up properly.So anything you can do to make yourself more visible is needed.All most of the guys over at KFA fly our club flag in red and some guys put on more than one.Anything with movement to catch the eye helps.I use a hobie rod extender in the flush mount rod hold inside I put styrofoam and push and orange curb marker into it with the flag on that.It is stiff enough to not bend in the wind and also the orange has reflective tape on it.Its only a few bucks to make if you have the rod extenders.

 

[Roccus7]

Ever notice how your local kayakers attach their safety flags ?

Never seen a safety flag up here and I've had no inclination to put them on our kayaks, no reason to. There's very little boating traffic around here, more kayaks than boats in my harbor. 20 kayaks passing my house on a Saturday is an "Invasion Fleet" and more than 2 boats passing is enough for me to hop in my boat to see if they know something I don't.

Cousin from Essex, CT was astounded when we went fishing on Sunday of a July 4th weekend and we were the only boat in sight. At least on weekdays the Lobstahmen are out hauling traps...

 

[Capt13]

Most all the guys I see out in Smithtown bay are flying flags .......

 

[pequa1]

I want to do something like a vertical in-hull miniature rodholder at the stern

 

[pequa1]

They are an absolute necessity anywhere on the island.Boaters flying all over the place on auto pilot not being able to see in front of them because they are not trimmed up properly.So anything you can do to make yourself more visible is needed.All most of the guys over at KFA fly our club flag in red and some guys put on more than one.Anything with movement to catch the eye helps.I use a hobie rod extender in the flush mount rod hold inside I put styrofoam and push and orange curb marker into it with the flag on that.It is stiff enough to not bend in the wind and also the orange has reflective tape on it.Its only a few bucks to make if you have the rod extenders.

I sometimes have trouble seeing the yakkers fishing in Sloop Channel off jones beach when i am on my boat if the guy is in a blue or green yak with no flag or paddle reflective tape. “Suicide by boater “ I call them.

 

[Richee33]

I sometimes have trouble seeing the yakkers fishing in Sloop Channel off jones beach when i am on my boat if the guy is in a blue or green yak with no flag or paddle reflective tape. “Suicide by boater “ I call them.

It really is incumbent upon the kayaker to make themselves seen and to not be in places where they will not be in the main boating channels because you are just asking for trouble.We all have to share the waters but like on land if you are on bicycle you will not riding on the LIE at rush hour.Kayakers just have to pick our times and our routes carefully so as to not be in conflict with our boater brothers.It is also very important to have an air horn or at least a whistle so you can blow to bring more attention to yourself.

 

[Rick67]

I put mine in a Scotty for the angle and to get it away from me.
We get flags made custom, $25 delivered.

 

[pequa1]

It really is incumbent upon the kayaker to make themselves seen and to not be in places where they will not be in the main boating channels because you are just asking for trouble.We all have to share the waters but like on land if you are on bicycle you will not riding on the LIE at rush hour.Kayakers just have to pick our times and our routes carefully so as to not be in conflict with our boater brothers.It is also very important to have an air horn or at least a whistle so you can blow to bring more attention to yourself.

So true. I do have a whistle on my PFD, a flag (eventually, if I can find a suitable in-hull mount for my new yak) reflective tape on the paddle and to go with a bright orange or yellow yak, a bright orange PFD.

 

[pequa1]

I put mine in a Scotty for the angle and to get it away from me.
We get flags made custom, $25 delivered.

That would definitely work. I fly "our flag" on a blaze orange taped pole, but I want to put it in a flush or in-hull mount. (On my Phoenix I had skinny rodholders on the seat which were useless for a rod but good for the flagpole.)

 

[Richee33]

mine is very similar

 

[Richee33]

I have to say that getting run over by a boat is the one thing that scares me the most out there I really have been lucky to have had mostly very nice boaters who will slow down and give us a wide berth.And then again we have had some knuckleheads come by really close and almost swamp us but those guys are few and far between in my experience.

 

[MakoMike]

Two things to keep in mind 1) every boater is responsible for damage caused by his wake; 2) you too are subject to the rules of the road, which in the case of a kayak means almost everyone has the right of way over you.

 

[Richee33]

Two things to keep in mind 1) every boater is responsible for damage caused by his wake; 2) you too are subject to the rules of the road, which in the case of a kayak means almost everyone has the right of way over you.

Very True!

 

[Rick67]

That would definitely work. I fly "our flag" on a blaze orange taped pole, but I want to put it in a flush or in-hull mount. (On my Phoenix I had skinny rodholders on the seat which were useless for a rod but good for the flagpole.)

Scotty makes a recessed mount for the rocket launcher.

 

[Roccus7]

I sometimes have trouble seeing the yakkers fishing in Sloop Channel off jones beach when i am on my boat if the guy is in a blue or green yak with no flag or paddle reflective tape. “Suicide by boater “ I call them.

Kayaks should not be allowed to be made in Green or especially Blue. I had a HUGE fight with the Admiral when I said NFW to the blue kayak she wanted. She finally settled on "Mango", make that orange...

 

[pequa1]

Kayaks should not be allowed to be made in Green or especially Blue. I had a HUGE fight with the Admiral when I said NFW to the blue kayak she wanted. She finally settled on "Mango", make that orange...

My new yak is mango. Not enough demand for yellow unfortunately so they dropped that color. Blues and greens are popular inland on quiet water.

 

[Rick67]

Kayaks should not be allowed to be made in Green or especially Blue. I had a HUGE fight with the Admiral when I said NFW to the blue kayak she wanted. She finally settled on "Mango", make that orange...

Its almost like Catch-22. If your bright and seen easy. You become a buoy to aim at. Dull and not easily seen, you have your own gravitation pull to rest that don't know what buoys are for.