Good points. Unfortunately the advice I have received is that testing or practicing with expired flares is illegal, at least in Canada. I could imagine in a sudden distress situation, particularly including heavy wind and waves, that a crew member that has never fired or even loaded a shotgun style flare gun might not be an asset.
I have added a floating GPS VHF-DSC handheld to the ditch bag to backup the installed one. They would be my first choice on Lake Ontario. Michael Brown Windburn C&C 30-1 As a side comment to the SOS signals post, there are several dimensions to be considered. One is between what is needed according to regulations and what is really needed in a real life situation. We all know by now that the gap between regulations and reality is only increasing. You need to have a set of safety devices as required by the governing bodies but that doesn't me mean they will do anything for you in a life-threatening situation. The most publicized account of how useless most of the so called offshore safety devices are can be found in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race tragedy of 1998. From jack-lines to tethers and lifejackets, to flares and even life-rafts, major flaws and failures were reported. This was an event where all major Australian SAR units off the east coast were in the air or waterborne to assist, imagine that you are thousands of miles offshore on your own, in need of help. In my opinion, we now should emply the best technology has to offer when it comes to communication. The purpose of a light or a flare is to communicate, to attract attention to our position, but it is an antiquated product which produces very limited results. Many ships will pass by and only pure luck will make them turn your way and offer help. The truth is these ships power through the night on autopilot, with their crews glancing on their AIS and radar screens once in a while, while the CPA and TCPA alarms are set for big targets. A simple VHF call with a position could save your life. For me personally, I always take into account 2 priorities, first personal survival, so I need water, food, first aid. Secondly, communication. A PLB/AIS device and a hand-held VHF are worth more than all the flares you can carry. If I were in northern waters I would choose a survival suit equipped with a PLB over a liferaft. In the tropics, a good hypalon dinghy will do, given that my EPIRB/PLB has been activated. We spend thousands of dollars on safety equipment that not only sits there idle and only needs to be replaced regularly, but it may even be useless in a real case scenario. I was once fined by a young and over-zealous Coast Guard officer for having a horse-shoe shaped lifebuoy instead of the ring-shaped one. I went to Canadian Tire and bought a plastic ring the following day, and passed by the Coast Guard to validate it. They said I was legal at that point. However, only our son could get his body inside the ring, none of us adults could have used it, but was perfectly legal. Just a few thoughts on safety onboard. Use satellite beacons, and keep your flares for the beach barbeque. Sent from my iPad
_______________________________________________ This list is supported by the generous donations of our members. If you like what we do, please help us pay for our costs by donating. All Contributions are greatly appreciated!
