MCA Consultation on the Future of Flare Disposal

[prv]

When looking to to replace my pyrotechnics, I am very pro pyrotechnics you will find others who are "not keen", I always ask if they will take my old ones back, if they do they get the business if they don't I leave the shop never to pass through their doors again.

I also think flares can have a useful part to play in an emergency. I have the usual combination in the grab bag (for use from the boat or the liferaft), a single hand-flare in the tender, and recently added a white illum rocket in clips under the cockpit coaming for night MOB search.

The expiry dates on mine are staggered - same with the lifejacket consumables - so that I pay about the same each year to top things up, rather than a big hit every three. It’s not so important now, but when I started the cost of an offshore pack felt like an awful lot. But this does mean I need to buy them from somewhere that sells flares in ones and twos, and all the in-person chandlers near me only offer complete packs. So I buy online (which is more convenient anyway, as I don’t like to spend my Saturdays shopping) and can’t hand in the old ones In exchange.

Pete

 

[Birdseye]

I don't know what ODT is, but when I down loaded the form, it was a word document (or opened in Word) which proceeded to ask me to log into Microsoft. I have just tried it on my other mac lap top which has word installed and it opens in Text Edit, which I can add my comments to. I still stand by my claim that this is odd. An online survey would have been more productive.

open office works as does libre office as does MS word.

 

[TernVI]

I reckon the consultation is really about boatowners being made to pay for disposal.

TBH, I don't have that much of a problem with this concept.
I have spent hours trying to get rid of old flares in the past, and being able to have someone deal with them properly at a competitive charge would be an OK service.
It's like your water bill, you use water, you pay to have it delivered, your pay more to have it taken away.
End of life costs are a real thing in a lot of goods these days, cars, electronics, fridges etc etc.

The current flare situation is bonkers, there must be tens of thousands of the damned things in sheds around the country because people have put off the aggro of proper disposal.