Burying time expired flares

[xyachtdave]

I mis read this thread as 'buying time expired flares'.

Which is a shame as my latest batch (best before end of 2010) is available to the highest bidder??

To be honest I'm thinking of not buying replacements and putting the money towards an epirb or plb instead.

 

[Quandary]

I could give you a few more to make it worth your while but where on Seil can you dig down 6' without blasting. The only reason I have not buried any is because of the problem of making a hole deeper than about half a metre.
So to make your hole you are going to need some explosives, where on earth could you find some of those?

 

[webcraft]

I know where there is a decent depth of soil and a JCB.

- W

 

[lustyd]

Are there no marinas near you? The bomb squad are more than happy to visit and collect but will have their donation box handy. Although I don't see a problem occurring its still pretty irresponsible. Hope you've not bought any replacements if you don't have a disposal method?

 

[pvb]

Am considering burying a tin box full of severely time expired flares six feet down in a field.

Why not just keep them on the boat? Chances are you'll never need them and, if you do, chances are they'll work fine anyway. Like Seajet, every old flare I've tried at home has worked well. As a result, the ones on my boat are around 20 years old now.

 

[lustyd]

Why not just keep them on the boat? Chances are you'll never need them and, if you do, chances are they'll work fine anyway. Like Seajet, every old flare I've tried at home has worked well. As a result, the ones on my boat are around 20 years old now.

Of course it's just as likely they'll explode taking him and the boat with them. Why take the risk for such a low value item?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Of course it's just as likely they'll explode taking him and the boat with them. Why take the risk for such a low value item?

How old does a flare have to be, do you think, before the chances of it working as intended and the chances of it exploding are equal? The only flare I've heard of exploding was that in-date one which hit a demonstrator in the stomach.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Why not just keep them on the boat? Chances are you'll never need them and, if you do, chances are they'll work fine anyway. Like Seajet, every old flare I've tried at home has worked well. As a result, the ones on my boat are around 20 years old now.

Many years ago I used to lend my boat to a friend who was a Very Senior Coastguard. He recommended keeping as many handheld red flares as possible and not to worry too much about dates. His boats and, he said, those of his fellow coastguards, were well equipped with just-out-of-date flares handed in by cautious yachtsmen. He very kindly left me half a dozen after one trip ...

That said, I was chatting to someone at a local boatyard recently as he went through a stock of red handhelds he had found, firing them off - or trying to. Of a dozen or so, two worked proper;y, two fizzled feebly and the rest did nothing at all. They were really old, though - probably around the 20 year mark.

 

[jerrytug]

Why not just keep them on the boat? Chances are you'll never need them and, if you do, chances are they'll work fine anyway. Like Seajet, every old flare I've tried at home has worked well. As a result, the ones on my boat are around 20 years old now.

Exactly. Although mine are a little younger. If I need attention it will look like WW3 has started. I have a shed load of TEP's and the oldest go up on 5th Nov, the best go on the boat. The rockets get pride of place of course. I'm not mega keen on hand helds, you have to adopt the position and you can't do anything else useful while holding one. It would be nice if they made a red pinpoint flare which you could toss in the water like a smoke.
As for disposing of them Guy Fawkes is your friend! I don't understand why people get their panties in a bunch and drive all over the UK looking for bomb disposal units or whatever, but each to their own..

 

[lustyd]

How old does a flare have to be, do you think, before the chances of it working as intended and the chances of it exploding are equal? The only flare I've heard of exploding was that in-date one which hit a demonstrator in the stomach.

I meant just as likely to explode as need them. As I said, why take the risk? If you can't afford £100 worth of new flares then a boat is probably not a wise thing to own. If you can't work out how to dispose of them given all the available information then leaving the marina in said boat must be a massive challenge let alone navigating to a destination.

 

[lustyd]

If I need attention it will look like WW3 has started.

If I need attention my PLB and VHF tell everyone where I am to the nearest 10m anywhere on the planet. If I'm in the water the PLB will allow the rescue services to use DF equipment to pinpoint me. I carry no flares and feel safer for it.

 

[Quandary]

Of course it's just as likely they'll explode taking him and the boat with them. Why take the risk for such a low value item?

I know Webby can be the butt of some criticism at times but to refer to him as 'a low value item' might be regarded as harsh, or did you mean his boat? that would be even worse.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I meant just as likely to explode as need them.

Do flares often explode spontaneously? I've never heard of it, but I suppose it must be possible.

 

[lustyd]

Do flares often explode spontaneously? I've never heard of it, but I suppose it must be possible.

Nearly as often as people need them, yes.

 

[JumbleDuck]

If I need attention my PLB and VHF tell everyone where I am to the nearest 10m anywhere on the planet. If I'm in the water the PLB will allow the rescue services to use DF equipment to pinpoint me. I carry no flares and feel safer for it.

In some places that could be a sensible decision. In other places it my be a good idea to have the ability to alert locals as well as the official rescue services.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Nearly as often as people need them, yes.

Could you point at some evidence for that? I've heard of quite a few people using flares but I have never heard or read of the things going bang, unprovoked, in lockers. Perhaps I lead a sheltered life.

 

[lustyd]

In some places that could be a sensible decision. In other places it my be a good idea to have the ability to alert locals as well as the official rescue services.

You'd have to give me a for instance on it being better to hope a local sees a flare and acts on it in the 30 seconds its there than a signal that specifically says to a trained professional to come and look or a signal telling other boats and harbours you're in trouble. If the local sees the flare they might tell the boys to come get you. When the mrcc gets the signal they will tell the boys to come get you and exactly where you are.

 

[lustyd]

Could you point at some evidence for that? I've heard of quite a few people using flares but I have never heard or read of the things going bang, unprovoked, in lockers. Perhaps I lead a sheltered life.

Well there's the instance you mentioned earlier as a start...

 

[Sgeir]

Am considering burying a tin box full of severely time expired flares six feet down in a field.

Can anyone realistically see any problems with this?

Yes. How would you get back out of the hole?

 

[Seajet]

The fact that flares can be seen and recognised for what they are by any Tom Dick or Harry seems a major attribute to me; that and the fact they do not rely on any form of batteries.