We've finally struck our old colors and replaced them with new.

The old flag served us well for several years.

It made Red Ranger easy to find because it was a big flag.

The end of the flag, however, took a beating against the backstays.

You can see where the flag changes from "flag" to "snarl". That's the exact spot where it would flog against the backstays when the wind was from almost any direction other than dead ahead.

We had to get a much smaller flag that wouldn't beat itself to death on the rigging.

There were other kinds of stitching failures, too.

Next step: Find a Boy Scout Troop to handle proper disposal.

I vaguely recall that some troops do it as a community service.