Flares siting on the fence till!

[BlackPig]

I have been flowing the 'are flares still a valid form of calling for assistance' argument. I have been leaning towards "the not any more" camp. until doing a sea survival course in the Clyde. We let off some white flares (done with coastguard knowledge) The coastguard had three calls about us in the short time we were letting them off. I would assume the callers were all non sailors (us knowing white was not a distress signal). And in an area used to "that lot messing about" not a bad response from Joe public.

 

[snooks]

A few years ago when we were testing white parachute flares for Yachting Monthly, the CG had 9 calls over the 10 mins we were setting them off.

I was amazed quite a few years ago when we has cause to let off a red flare at the mouth of the river Dart. The CG were inundated with calls that a red flare had been spotted in the mouth of the River Dart, and it was only alight long enough to attract assistance of a boat near by - they hadn't replied to the VHF or seen us waving, pop the flare and they were over to us in no time at all

 

[Seajet]

I think one thing perhaps not mentioned enough is that hand flares ( well all the ones I've seen, in the flesh or video, or tried ) create a lot of dark smoke, no matter whether they're red or white by intention.

This should get attention by itself, though because of this I've always thought it's not surprising people think 'distress' even for a white, indeed if in daytime trouble & I ran out of red smoke I'd be quite optimistic using a 'white'.