Will this Replace Flares?

[psneeld]

I feel like flares are always going to have their place... those laser flares are interesting, but can't imagine they'd be seen or have close to of an impact as shooting off a flare in the middle of the night. Having both would be ideal though...

Unless you are using parachute flares...realize how little time they are actually significantly visible out of a night...and how many you have.

 

[FF]

"Unless you are using parachute flares...realize how little time they are actually significantly visible out of a night...and how many you have."


You bet , we carry at least a dozen 35mm parachute flairs. Not as pricy as some would think as the can be decades old and still work.

We carry also what ever is currently dated & legal to show to the coasties or local louies.

On most ships the 3rd mate has the task of having the emergency gear up to date.
Simply asking may get a few dozen parachute flairs , you will need to purchase your own pistol..

 

[SteveK]

The OP light is no longer on the Weems & Platt website, still selling on amazon.

I wonder why a masthead light cannot be modified to output the SOS, we all have one and plenty of batteries.
I looked and could not find a night time view of the light, preferably at least a mile away. In my area a light blinking sos would not get my attention unless it was in field of vision. Traditional flares can be seen with peripheral vision.

Surprised this is an approved replacement.

 

[ssobol]

... I wonder why a masthead light cannot be modified to output the SOS, we all have one and plenty of batteries....

Maybe the boat sinks or capsizes.

 

[SteveK]

Maybe the boat sinks or capsizes.

Well, yes, but it would work until it did not, right. Once the boat sinks, an epirb is better than holding up a light by hand, having it take away your night vision, no thanks

Actually, this may be better than epirb, McMurdo Smartfind S10 Personal AIS Beacon

 

[ssobol]

Well, yes, but it would work until it did not, right.

Or the flooding water shorts out your electrical system, even if the boat doesn't sink.

 

[SteveK]

Or the flooding water shorts out your electrical system, even if the boat doesn't sink.

You are playing with me.
A light and the batteries do not immediately stop working under water.

 

[Group9]

If you have ever dealt with Search and Rescue....you wouldn't be too impressed with either lights or flares as primary alert tools.

They work fine in a small percentage of cases.. thats my experience.

The USCG has to require something for alerting nearby resources....but the options are not good.

I have to say, the one time, I was ever in distress, flares were what got the Coast Guard to us. We were sailing at night in about 25 knots of wind, and got dismasted when a stay broke. Of course, the VHF antenna was on top of the mast and ten or fifteen feet below us when we needed to call for help. The handheld didn't reach anyone.

We fired two flares, and a few minutes later, I see a barge and tow heading directly for us. I fired the last two flares at the barge because I thought he didn't see us and thought we were about to be run over. He had actually seen the first two flares and was coming over to investigate. He called the Coast Guard for us who came out.

I don't know who else reported them, but when they arrived, the Coast Guard asked us how many flares we had shot several times, confirming it was us who shot all four flares.

 

[psneeld]

I have to say, the one time, I was ever in distress, flares were what got the Coast Guard to us. We were sailing at night in about 25 knots of wind, and got dismasted when a stay broke. Of course, the VHF antenna was on top of the mast and ten or fifteen feet below us when we needed to call for help. The handheld didn't reach anyone.

We fired two flares, and a few minutes later, I see a barge and tow heading directly for us. I fired the last two flares at the barge because I thought he didn't see us and thought we were about to be run over. He had actually seen the first two flares and was coming over to investigate. He called the Coast Guard for us who came out.

I don't know who else reported them, but when they arrived, the Coast Guard asked us how many flares we had shot several times, confirming it was us who shot all four flares.

My experience...they can be attention getters like with the tug and barge....


But in such a tiny percentage of cases I have experienced (and much of it was in fairly congested waters).


If you are more than 5-10 miles from the nearest pair of eyes, hand held flares are all but not seen over the horizon or lost in the surface haze....and gun fired 12ga meteors that go up 200-400 feet or so are just a few second red flash or smudge on the horizon which many people would not automatically assume is a flare. yet on the other hand...every red light over the water at night is a flare to some people (or boat fire).


In survival training..one of the biggest discussions is how many flares do you "use" or "waste" in the blind...and how many you use when you can at least see a possible rescue resource?

 

[Cigatoo]

My thoughts. I am a coastal cruiser 3-4 miles off shore at the most.
1 The light / electronic flare keeps me in compliance. Orange day markers etc.
2 12 gauge flares that will be outdated this year that I will keep.
3 My EPIRB will save my bacon when I am in a jamb.
4 Handheld vhf as backup to the Standard Horizon radio / DSC
5 AIS transceiver
Your thoughts are welcome.

 

[psneeld]

My thoughts. I am a coastal cruiser 3-4 miles off shore at the most.
1 The light / electronic flare keeps me in compliance. Orange day markers etc.
2 12 gauge flares that will be outdated this year that I will keep.
3 My EPIRB will save my bacon when I am in a jamb.
4 Handheld vhf as backup to the Standard Horizon radio / DSC
5 AIS transceiver
Your thoughts are welcome.

DSC main VHF radio.... as soon as you have a serious issue...hit the distress button (assuming it is registered and GPS linked)...better to get a conversation started with someone/USCG (even if you miss responding occasionally while you attend the emergency).

 

[PPandE]

I'm late to this conversation but when offshore I've always made sure that my aviation band handheld VHF was charged and handy. Even with a handheld, if you can see a plane you can talk to it, even those tiny little blinking lights that look like they are orbiting the moon. All commercial flights are supposed to monitor 121.5 MHz (same as an EPIRB) and regional air traffic control frequencies are published.

 

[rgano]

Having set off hundreds of flares and distress rockets over the years, I have come to the conclusion that for my own purposes, pyrotechnics are simply too dangerous to be used on small craft, especially if I were to hand one off the anybody else, wife included, while attended to something important like the VHF radio. I would NEVER have flares associated in anyway with an inflatable raft. I would rather stap one of these battery operated items to the mast where it can be seen. Contrary to statements here, even Joe Bob in his bassboat will understand that SOS flashing from a very bright white light in the middle of nowhere means trouble.

The total kit, in order to conform with USCG requirements includes the useless Mayday Flag; although that is better than a flare in daylight. What you really need in daylight is a SMOKE flare.

My waterproof flare box has the SOS light, 12-ga pistol and flares and a smoke flare, but NO handheld flares.

Last year I looked into my kit as I do every July to find the cheap guts of the SOS light battery compartment corroded through. I coated the new one with silicone grease.

I wish I could find lithium batteries in the c-cell size to prevent alkaline batteries for ruining things like my SOS light - well before the battery expiration date.