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Five or six years ago I spent a boat unit on SOLAS flares and a USCG flare
gun set. Now all of those flares are several years past their expiration
date, and the flare gun has be discarded because it ceased to work.
Before I start cruising again, I’ll have to purchase at least a minimum
number of flares. Checking several sources (WM, Landfall Navigation, etc.)
it looks this will cost more than 1 boat unit (at least for the SOLAS
flares).
Anyone know of a good source for restocking a flare inventory at a
reasonable price (not that I could define what that is)?
In any case I’m set for a good fireworks display this coming July 4th.
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Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com
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Hi John,
I got my solas kit from Landfall for like $400. Comes with the bare minimum
plus the waterproof container – I added a near coastal flare kit from West
for the dinghy – and this is important – the dinghy is supposed to carry all
the safety equipment a motor vessel of that size – I know people in NY and
FL have been stopped and ticketed because they don’t have their registration
or flares or sound making device. So I got the little kit and I taped the
registration inside of that.But you should be able to get it all for around $500, I think, maybe $600.
It’s a lot, I know, but it’s one of those things that if you need it you
need it bad…Safety gear in the UK is much less expensive, the problem being the shipping
of pyrotechnics..Bob
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Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
Follow me at: http://www.tinyurl.com/WhereIsBobFine
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Thanks, Bob.
I obviously had not looked at the Landfall Navigation prices for some time.
I don’t know why I thought it would be so expensive. I must have been
looking in the wrong places. I do remember it was very expensive back when
I made my initial purchases. A 1/2 boat unit is not all that bad.On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 1:03 PM, Robert Fine <> wrote:
Hi John,
I got my solas kit from Landfall for like $400. Comes with the bare
minimum
plus the waterproof container – I added a near coastal flare kit from West
for the dinghy – and this is important – the dinghy is supposed to carry
all
the safety equipment a motor vessel of that size – I know people in NY and
FL have been stopped and ticketed because they don’t have their
registration
or flares or sound making device. So I got the little kit and I taped the
registration inside of that.But you should be able to get it all for around $500, I think, maybe $600.
It’s a lot, I know, but it’s one of those things that if you need it you
need it bad…Safety gear in the UK is much less expensive, the problem being the
shipping
of pyrotechnics..Bob
—
Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
Follow me at: http://www.tinyurl.com/WhereIsBobFine
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Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com
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I have some SOLAS flares that I bought about 20 years ago. They have been in a water-tight case since I bought them. I bet they’re still good. If I were to replace them, how the heck would I get rid of the old flares anyway? I of course keep updated flares on the boat, but not the expensive SOLAS flares. I buy new 12 gauge flares every few years. I’ve been doing this for over 30 years now and have no way to get rid of the old 12 gauge flares either. I must have close to 100 of these things now, some with dates that go back to the ’70s. HELP! my boat is filling up with flares!
In my humble opinion, if I had a choice between buying new flares or a new EPRB, I’d go for the EPRB. If your budget can handle both, there’s never enough backup choices if things go bad. Even the big flares are only good for maybe 20 miles at night, assuming there’s someone out there to see them. Its a big ocean and 20 miles isn’t all that much space. I wouldn’t bet my life that even new SOLAS flares would get my butt out of trouble in an emergency.
Regards
Rich
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John:
Assuming you have the required legal flares on board, you can get additional SOLAS flares for free from you local liferaft re-packer. When they are repacking commercial liferafts, they replace any flares that are supposed to expire before the next repack. I know Alan got a large quantity of still current SOLAS flares for free when he repacked his liferaft before his trip.
As far as getting rid of the old ones, I thought that is how you celebrate July 4th!!!
Paul
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Good tip! There are no repackers near where I live, but its worth investigating.
There are supposed to be assigned places to set-off flares on the 4th, but it never seems to materialize. Even if there were, I’d be hesitant to launch one of those SOLAS flares anywhere near anything flammable. A beach won’t work unless its pretty secluded. I can just imagine the liability involved. I don’t even want to set one off from my boat. I’ve seen boats have flares land on their decks.
Regards
Rich
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I had a rather lengthy discussion with an officer in the Coast Guard when I was in Charleston. I wanted to get rid of my flares by setting them off at sea. His reply was that was fine, but if someone saw them and reported them I'd be responsible for the cost of the rescue services initiated – I could not broadcast on channel 16 that I was setting off expired flares. I mean, I could, but the USCG doesn't care – flares reported, they're on their way. So I didn't.
The other thing is that flares are not long range signaling device. The EPIRB and flares work in conjunction – you don't want to have one and not the other. Firing off flares at random will seldom bring help.
Here's another little tidbit – make sure your registration for your EPIRB is correct. Make sure the contact numbers are correct and your contacts know where you are so they can verify your whereabouts. Without voice confirmation, you'll be announced on the radio as 'vessel at position blahdeblah, blahdeblah has set off it's EPIRB. Any vessel in the area please assist.' Just having it does not guarantee a response. You can bet I was disappointed to hear that.
All Coast Guard Auxiliary units will accept flares. They use them for training and for firefighting training. Sometimes they'll even have a training exercise to show you how to use them.
All the best,
Bob
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Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
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Paul,
Also my thanks for a good tip. I'm not sure where the closest liferaft service location is to me, probably in Charleston or Norfolk, maybe Morehead City. That is another service item I need to take of before next fall.
Years ago one of my friends got a flare party organized and sanctioned by the USCG. I don't remember how he did it, possibly through the USCG Aux. We all carried our expired flares down to the beach and fired them off. Clearly to get something like this done you would need a group with expired flares not an individual and some organization to approach the USCG. A local West Marine might be able to pull it off expecting to get a lot of the business replacing those flares.
I've often used the 4th to fire off flares, but not the expensive SOLAS rockets and parachute flares. Pretty much everyone ignores the little 12 guage or 25 mm flares, but I think a parachute flare might attract a little too much attention. Of course it fails to launch all is forgiven.I certainly agree with Bob that it is not an either/or decision on an EPIRB or flares. If you decide to fit an EPIRB (and many don't) then you should have the flares as well. The EPRIB will get help in your area, but they may never find you if you don't have a signaling device.
There was a very interesting thread on the SSCA DB a few months ago on whether cruisers should expect to be rescued and carry devices such as an EPIRB that may cause others (USCG, Air Nat'l Guard) to put their lives at risk as a result of our elective pursuit of adventure.
On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 4:36 PM, Robert Fine < ([email][/email])> wrote:
I had a rather lengthy discussion with an officer in the Coast Guard when I was in Charleston. I wanted to get rid of my flares by setting them off at sea. His reply was that was fine, but if someone saw them and reported them I'd be responsible for the cost of the rescue services initiated – I could not broadcast on channel 16 that I was setting off expired flares. I mean, I could, but the USCG doesn't care – flares reported, they're on their way. So I didn't.
The other thing is that flares are not long range signaling device. The EPIRB and flares work in conjunction – you don't want to have one and not the other. Firing off flares at random will seldom bring help.
Here's another little tidbit – make sure your registration for your EPIRB is correct. Make sure the contact numbers are correct and your contacts know where you are so they can verify your whereabouts. Without voice confirmation, you'll be announced on the radio as 'vessel at position blahdeblah, blahdeblah has set off it's EPIRB. Any vessel in the area please assist.' Just having it does not guarantee a response. You can bet I was disappointed to hear that.
All Coast Guard Auxiliary units will accept flares. They use them for training and for firefighting training. Sometimes they'll even have a training exercise to show you how to use them.
All the best,
Bob
—
Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
Follow me at: http://www.tinyurl.com/WhereIsBobFine_______________________________________________
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John Stevenson
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light them, then throw them overboard- they burn under water…
On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 6:34 PM, Alan < ([email][/email])> wrote:
Would I be insensitive if i suggested to just drop them overboard, they sink….
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Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
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When it comes down to it you could probably just burn them. I have, in my
younger days, thrown several 12 shotgun shells into the fire just to watch
everyone sitting around scramble for cover. The plastic shell melted and
there was a fizz of gunpowder and that’s about it. Without the barrel of
the gun to contain the pressure it just fizzed. I know the flare portion
would burn bright and hot but I doubt that it would cause a problem. Maybe
I can try that in the next couple of days since I live outside the city
limits. If you don’t here anything maybe things didn’t go so well.Linus
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Along the line of stupid sailor tricks – last July 4th I decided to shoot off several out of date flares. Some worked some did not. I did shoot one into the water. Boat was at anchor in Gloucester Harbor. Flare hit the water and stayed lit floating, then drifted toward my inflatable dingy….. fortunaely i had enough painter line to pull the dingy out of the way – that would have been the second popped dingy in two years (dont ask).
Eric
— On Wed, 1/6/10, Linus Martinez <> wrote:
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Ok, that's one of the funniest stories I've ever heard. It is classic. Like the exploding whale video, as a bystander you can just see what's going to happen next…
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Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
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There is something in between staying on the boat and being rescued. Check out The Last Chance Trip Line: http://www.tor.cc/articles/last.htm . This has been published in national boating magazines here and abroad, and there is no doubt in my mind that it could save a few sailors’ lives every year. For all I know, maybe it has.
Tor
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Silver Heels, P-424 #17
http://www.SilverHeels.us
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Hi Tor,
Your article is the best and hugely good advice (so much so that I drag a ladder now – not the best but better than nothing).
That said, I wouldn't call that an option between staying on the boat and being rescued. It's a potential self rescue option. But if you don't fall off, you never need the device. Like an EPIRB and life raft, it's one of those things that you hope you never use. It is a second chance, but like lifelines, not something you trust your life to.
Bob
On Fri, Jan 8, 2010 at 8:16 AM, Silver Heels < ([email][/email])> wrote:
There is something in between staying on the boat and being rescued. Check out The Last Chance Trip Line: http://www.tor.cc/articles/last.htm . This has been published in national boating magazines here and abroad, and there is no doubt in my mind that it could save a few sailors' lives every year. For all I know, maybe it has.
Tor
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Silver Heels, P-424 #17
http://www.SilverHeels.us
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Bob Fine
s/v Pelican
Pearson 424 Hull #8
http://thesailinglife.blogspot.com
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