LED and Laser Distress Flares - do you rely on them?

[prv]

So who has used flares in anger and why?

Not in anger, but I’ve fired quite a few recently-expired hand flares as a means of disposal. I do wonder how many of those who regard flares as alarming or dangerous have actually tried it. Apart from the “pop” as it gets going, which may be unexpected the first time (and a good reason for trying it out in advance) it’s really not that big a deal.

Pete

 

[GHA]

See posts #22 and #24 above.

When was that incident? Do you think modern weather forecasting would have made a difference if it was a while ago, or anything else you do differently now that would mean less of a story?

Seems to be a tendency to focus on kit after bad things happen more than trying to stop bad things happening in the first place...
ta

 

[duncan99210]

It happened about 16 years ago. The forecast was spot on and if we hadn’t been knocked down we’d have been in Guernsey a few hours later. The only that could have been done differently was to ensure that the strapping for the batteries was capable of keeping them secure in a knockdown. Not sure what you mean by ”focus on kit”?

 

[GHA]

Not sure what you mean by ”focus on kit”?

Seems like people like to leap ahead to MOB kit etc at the expense of making sure that it isn't needed in the first place. Imho any time/money spent on "disaster recovery" (like flares, MOB etc) should only happen once you've realistically spent a load of time/money sorting whatever systems/habits/kit could push the probabilities towards the disaster not happening in the first place.

 

[ip485]

I dont suppose there will ever be an agreed answer to this. It is a real marmite discussion.

I do think the drift is towards high intensity LED replacements - and I suspect these will get even better as time goes on.

I am fed up throwing away flares regularly, and I am therefor happy to rely on other means of alerting and drawing rescues services to me, God forbid it should ever be required, but very happy for those that arent.

I have no doubt that pyrotecnics purely from the view of drawing attention to your plight probably have the edge, but for me flares are the very last means of bring the rescuers the last 1,000 of metres to me, if all else has failed.

 

[Sandy]

So who has used flares in anger and why?

Probably the only useful thing to come out of this thread, do something positive onboard to try and have a boat which won't need to use flares....

Twice.

1. A white flare to let a pilot of 22 Squadron RAF see where a Mountain Rescue Team were on a dark and stormy night with a very seriously injured casualty.
2. An orange smoke to guide another 22 Squadron RAF pilot in. Another very seriously injured casualty who would not have survived a six hour bumpy ride in a MacInnes stretcher.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I have also recently thought about getting a laser flare and getting rid of the pyrotechnics, as they now need renewing (should have done it last year) but didn't go anywhere... Maybe I should keep them onboard just in case (or they could join the others in my shed.

 

[GHA]

What power do the laser flares put out?
I've a laser onboard from a Hong Kong market that's 10,000mW. Sets fire to your jeans Just too scared to turn it on but I'd certainly get noticed!

 

[Sandy]

I've a laser onboard from a Hong Kong market that's 10,000mW. Sets fire to your jeans

I wonder what that would do to a liferaft?

 

[GHA]

I wonder what that would do to a liferaft?

nothing.

 

[Sandy]

nothing.

Odd, can set fire to jeans but not liferafts. Physics can be so confusing at times.

 

[LadyInBed]

I do think the drift is towards high intensity LED replacements

I've never really thought of them as flares.
I have two waterproof strobes with velcro arm bands onboard for attaching to LJs.
I have no idea as to the intensity of the strobes compared to 'high intensity LEDs' but I reckon a strobe reflected off a sail at night would do a pretty decent job.
(I also have a laser flare)

 

[JumbleDuck]

So who has used flares in anger and why?

To help Port Askaig lifeboat locate me in appalling condition in the Sound of Islay (their estimate was waves 25' from trough to peak) which is a tad awkward in a 21' boat. We were only a couple of miles from the lifeboat station - they asked me to fire off one as they left and another as they got near.

 

[JumbleDuck]

where are these general public that can see a flare even a quarter of the way across the Channel?

Walking along the cliffs? Have sandwiches and tea from tartan thermos flasks in a car park? Dogging? I don't care where they are or why they are there, but if they are there I want them to think "Coo, that's a bright light" not "Oh, a sort of flickering".

 

[JumbleDuck]

I am fed up throwing away flares regularly, and I am therefor happy to rely on other means of alerting and drawing rescues services to me, God forbid it should ever be required, but very happy for those that arent.

My coastguard friend was emphatic that I should keep flares past their use-by date, on the grounds that a flares with an 80% chance of working may save your life but a flare you threw away definitely won't. He said that his own boats, and that of his colleagues, were well stocked with flares handed in by nervous yacht owners, and indeed supplied me with a carrier bag full.

My current policy is to buy them in packs and to keep the most recently expired pack as well as the current one.

 

[Stemar]

What power do the laser flares put out?
I've a laser onboard from a Hong Kong market that's 10,000mW. Sets fire to your jeans Just too scared to turn it on but I'd certainly get noticed!

Mine has a bunch of bright - very bright - LEDs, so no risk to liferaft or jeans, though jeans are probably the worst trousers you can wear on a boat or anywhere else a flare might be useful - they don't protect from the wind and when they get wet, they stay wet and chill you.

 

[oldmanofthehills]

What power do the laser flares put out?
I've a laser onboard from a Hong Kong market that's 10,000mW. Sets fire to your jeans Just too scared to turn it on but I'd certainly get noticed!

Im not sure a 10 watt laser is that much power. About an average old 6v torch bulb (and they never set fire to my trews), or one of my living room small ceiling lights.

If it is strobed it can produce much brighter pulses which helps. A laser can more readily focus all the brightness in a single direction but then it can only be seen from that single direction.

Having lit flares I reckon they produce more than enough heat and flame to cook your dinner on or boil a full kettle so maybe nearly 500W, and the smoke byproduct is kind of handy as well

 

[Gary Fox]

Very few of us ever needed a mayday signal fortunately. I would never use a red flare of any style pyro or elctro for a pan pan. Even a white flare might cause confusion. My 2 pan pans were within distant sight of a lifeboat out sunday morning practicing so locating me was easy by voice instruction with much aid

If a white flare 'causes confusion', that's not a reason to dumb down in case a confused person might mis-interpret it.
Let's stop using red, amber and green traffic lights, in case they might cause confusion.

 

[GHA]

Im not sure a 10 watt laser is that much power.

It flippen well is!!! Too wary to turn it on for more than a moment but it till bounce off building way off in the distance, crazy bright! No way would you miss that from miles around. Just not very legal...

 

[oldmanofthehills]

If a white flare 'causes confusion', that's not a reason to dumb down in case a confused person might mis-interpret it.
Let's stop using red, amber and green traffic lights, in case they might cause confusion.

Using a white flare for a pan pan might cause an uninformed person on the shore to call out the lifeboat. It would not call out aid from club or other shore facilities so I am not sure it is appropriate, if there is any other means to gain assistance. Maybe if nothing happens and one has no contact, then one is approaching a more urgent situation, so it would become appropriate