Flare disposal?

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bedouin

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This seems to get harder and harder every year. I can't even see any details of any "flare amnesties" this year.

Does anyone know how to get rid of my collection of TEPs?

I am seriously considering not replacing them - just too much trouble
 
Carry them in the boot of your car on a cross channel ferry and declare them when boarding.

You will never see them again..................:encouragement:
 
I have found that several chandlers are happily taking old flares back and have no problems.

Having flares on the boat is very much a personal choice, but they are a brilliant way of getting the rescue services that last mile to you. Pop up a flare (but not too close to a helicopter) and the people who are looking for you will see it.
 
This is very tricky around here, the CG won't take them, not heard of any amnesties soon and for God's sake don't put them in the bin, there was a story a while ago of a bin lorry going through a village on fire via flares ignited when the crusher hit them.

I wouldn't dump them at sea either; there's the military explosive dumping ground at Hurd Deep south of the Isle Of Wight, but stuff from there gets rolled up by wave action onto beaches here now and again.

I wouldn't want a child - or anyone - to play with an old flare I'd carelessly dumped, and if that's not a deterrent they have traceable numbers !

A relative of a friend was killed by a drunk firing a flare at a boat festival, and we should all know the story of the poor sod yachtmaster instructor horribly injured with burning phosphorous in his stomach when a flare he was demonstrating proved faulty and fired backwards into him - that batch was withdrawn but they're still dangerous items.

I think this is a national problem which has to be sorted, then we'll have to go to EPIRBS and LED jobs, I will not be buying any more pyrotechnics.
 
bedouin said:
This seems to get harder and harder every year. I can't even see any details of any "flare amnesties" this year.

Does anyone know how to get rid of my collection of TEPs?

I am seriously considering not replacing them - just too much trouble
Click to expand...

If you buy your flares from a chandler you can expect them to take old ones back on a one-for-one basis. If you have more, many will take them for a fee. If you are a regular customer, many will not charge you that fee.
 
bedouin said:
This seems to get harder and harder every year. I can't even see any details of any "flare amnesties" this year.

Does anyone know how to get rid of my collection of TEPs?

I am seriously considering not replacing them - just too much trouble
Click to expand...

Abandon them in a quiet street, find them again ten seconds later, & be a good citizen by handing them in at a main police station. You didn't want kids to find them, did you?
 
Stemar said:
I keep the latest batch on the basis that they'll almost certainly work and a few more flares when I've used up the new ones could be a lifesaver. Of course, that doesn't solve the problem of the batch before last.
Click to expand...

My latest batch are already well passed their date and getting to the stage where I would rather not have them on the boat at all.

If I manage to get rid of them I may buy a small coastal set - 2 of each red and orange smoke handheld.
 
I had to dispose of a large amount of TEPs from the IOW last year, as a business, Ocean Safety in Southampton took them form us at £3-00 a flare, that was the biggest bargain I have ever been handed.

If you have a bunch of dangerous explosives and someone will deal with them for less than the price of a pint each, take it.

None of us likes to think of paying for waste disposal but when it comes to something this dangerous, it is small beer for a clear conscience.

Just my view of course.
 
I found that one ancient flare in my garage had been half eaten by a rats. Anyone thinking of visiting me for tea and biccies - for God's sake don't kick any rats you see.
 
bedouin said:
This seems to get harder and harder every year. I can't even see any details of any "flare amnesties" this year.

Does anyone know how to get rid of my collection of TEPs?

I am seriously considering not replacing them - just too much trouble
Click to expand...

Why not just contact the coastguard and find out the nearest station that takes them. I got rid of loads for the sake of a 120 mile round trip (I had about 30 flares).

Yoda
 
BarnabyS said:
I had to dispose of a large amount of TEPs from the IOW last year, as a business, Ocean Safety in Southampton took them form us at £3-00 a flare, that was the biggest bargain I have ever been handle.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum.

That is appaling!
 
Falmouth CG took mine: no charge but I had to telephone first and arrange a mutually convenient time. I took several boat's worth along, perhaps 30 flares.

But it's worth noting that you do not need to carry parachute flares on anymore provided:
- you have a VHF with DSC and
- you have a liferaft with internal flare pack.

This covers a lot of us. The hand-helds you can just let off in your back garden. What's the fuss? No need to wait for bonfire-night or Bastille day for that matter.
 
jdc said:
This covers a lot of us. The hand-helds you can just let off in your back garden. What's the fuss? No need to wait for bonfire-night or Bastille day for that matter.
Click to expand...
Letting flares off in the back garden it totally irresponsible.
 
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