Flagpole accessories in Spain: halyard, cleat, snap hooks

A flagpole is more than a tube: it has a system for raising the flag, parts that hold it, an ornament at the tip and an anchor at the base. The accessories decide how the flag is raised, whether it can fly at half-mast, whether it stays unfurled without wind and how long it lasts. This guide describes the most common ones according to Spanish makers and the Flag Regulation.

For raising the flag

• Halyard: the rope used to raise and lower the flag. It can run outside or inside the pole.
• Pulley or sheave: the wheel at the top through which the halyard runs. The Flag Regulation provides for flagpoles at State establishments a disc or truck with a sheave at the top for the halyard.
• Cleat: the fitting to which the halyard is tied. Banderas VDK includes it in its external halyard system.
• Counterweight and locking door: on flagpoles with an internal halyard, the halyard and a counterweight run inside the pole and are reached through a lockable door, which according to ClickBanderas makes the flag harder to steal.
• Pulley and crank: Banderas VDK offers an internal halyard system with a pulley and crank for raising the flag.

For holding the flag

• Snap hooks: attach the flag to the halyard. Under the Flag Regulation, the top snap hook is fixed before the end of the sleeve, so that its top coincides with the top of the flag, which is reinforced at that corner so it does not fold.
• Rings and reinforcing tape: according to ClickBanderas, a flag for a halyard flagpole has rings and a reinforcing tape on the side, with double stitching all round.
• Rotating arm: an arm mounted at the top on a rotating base with bearings. According to Banderas VDK, the flag’s sleeve slides onto the bar of the arm and a counterweight at the bottom tensions the fabric, so the flag stays unfurled even without wind.

At the tip

• Finial: the ornament on top of the flagpole. According to Banderas VDK, it is mounted on a bush and a rotating head, shaped like a gold onion or a white or coloured mushroom.
• Spearhead (moharra): the metal tip of indoor staffs and military flags. Under the Flag Regulation, the spearhead of military staffs is of matt steel and bears the emblem of the relevant service.
• Ribbon in the national colours: on the flags of military units, tied to the staff just below the spearhead and ending in a gold fringe.

At the base

According to ClickBanderas, the three main anchoring systems are:

• Direct embedding in concrete: the most common and robust for permanent installations.
• Bolted base plate: where the ground is already paved; according to the maker, it requires calculating the loads to size the plate and bolts.
• Portable weighted base: for fairs and events, not recommended by the maker for flagpoles over 4 or 5 metres outdoors.

Banderas VDK fixes its fibreglass flagpoles with bolts set in concrete and two hinged plates at the base, which allow the pole to be set vertical with bolts and nuts and make assembly easier. The ferrule is the metal piece that protects the lower end of indoor and military staffs.

Other accessories

• Crêpe or black ribbon: to mark mourning on poles where the flag cannot be lowered. The guide to flags in mourning explains its use.
• Lighting: spotlights at the foot of the flagpole or lights at the tip, for flags that fly at night. The guide to flag lighting covers this.

The guide to flagpole mechanics explains how these parts work together.