flares

I found a set of flares dated back to when my boat was new 2001 when I cleared out my locker , no way was I going to dump them in the seas as suggested by other yachtmens are that what they do, so I took mine to s local police station in Italy and said I found them , they where happy to take them off my hands .
We not carried flares for over 10 years .
 
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I have a plastic bag containing out of date flares hung up in my garage ready for me to (legally) dispose of at some time - had to smile recently when my fathers village had a "give your stuff away day" and he spotted and picked up as he thought they would be appreciated by me , a number of distress flares someone was giving away - yes they are all even older and more out of date than mine!

More for my collection to dispose of .
 
The rounds should be certified with a specific life but anyway you are talking about very pistol rounds, not flares. The rounds have totally different characteristics to a flare, not least that nobody's anywhere near them (hopefully) when they ignite. They also have the same issue in that they go up in the air, burn for about 10 seconds and they're gone - no precise location identifier and a window of detection that is very brief and not targeted at the appropriate audience.
 
grumpy_o_g said:
The rounds should be certified with a specific life but anyway you are talking about very pistol rounds, not flares. The rounds have totally different characteristics to a flare, not least that nobody's anywhere near them (hopefully) when they ignite. They also have the same issue in that they go up in the air, burn for about 10 seconds and they're gone - no precise location identifier and a window of detection that is very brief and not targeted at the appropriate audience.
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Besides which, who cares about your Very rounds’ shelf life? The point of this thread is to discuss the burden of disposing of flares. When you purchase a flare it becomes your property, and your responsibility.
 
Swap 'em when you buy new or pay a couple of beer tokens seems like a reasonable solution to me, but I won't be affected.

Two independently powered VHF radios and a couple of mobile phone mean the real need for a flare is when the lifeboat or helicopter is looking for me, and a laser/LED one is better for that, simply because it lasts longer - hours rather than seconds. It also meets the 10 year lifespan requirement mentioned above. Offshore, I reckon an EPIRB would be a better use for my money than flares.

I know a mobile has limited range, but ISTM that if a flare can be seen from land, it's likely there'll be enough of a signal for a 999 call. (Yes, I know there are exceptions, but mostly in places where there aren't many people to see my flare)
 
Stemar said:
I've heard of cases where people have been fined for carrying out of date flares but, that apart (and of arguable legality) surely a British registered boat that meets British requirements is legal in French waters?
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Yes i fully understand the point your making, however if I went over there and got searched and had a jerry can of red diesel on board in the stern locker and half a dozen out of date flares I know it is going to spoil my weekend regardless of the fact that both of those items in blighty no one in a uniform what bat an eyelid at.

I still need to replace my flares as they are out of date, i would prefer not too and go to an LED flare, but if pyros are a requirement for France then the pyros will have to be replaced on board
 
Under no circumstances is anyone to tie a fathom of string to the base of their out-of-date flare and make fast the other end of the string to a cleat or stanchion, fire them and drop them over the side. It doesn't produce a psychedelic underwater light show and you won't enjoy it.
 
chrishscorp said:
i would prefer not too and go to an LED flare, but if pyros are a requirement for France then the pyros will have to be replaced on board
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I've heard of FrogPlod getting out of their pram at out of date flares, but do flares have to be fireworks in France? Do you even need them in a British registered boat?

I'm genuinely interested in the answer as I hope to do the Brittany canals in a couple of years, and don't want fireworks on board. I think they're dangerous though less dangerous than nothing in the days before EPIRBS, mobile phones and ubiquitous VHF, they're certainly more dangerous in inexperienced hands than an LED job.
 
Birdseye said:
Leave on board for the new owner. Thats what happened when I bought and thats what happened when I sold. Part of a boats equipment just like the VHF
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Our buyer would have wanted a deduction to cover the cost of replacing the out of date ones
The in date were left
 
As a matter of interest, what would happen if your "British" flares (i.e flares from a British-registered boat) went out of date whilst you were in France? Could you take them to the French plod for disposal? :unsure:
 
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