I saw the earlier comment regarding flares and at Bill’s correct suggestion repost this reply under a new heading
I had a recent email exchange with the Canadian Coast Guard Safety officer in Sarnie regarding flares and safety signal technology.. He is a sailor as well. As I was in the process of arranging the the INA Sirus light deal I thought I would test the waters with CG.
Decidedly unenthusiastic was the response. It is their position that flares are more reliable. I did not get the impression that there was any work going on alternative technologies in this area and / or in changing the rules for Canadian vessels.
He expressed a view that wet weather performance was better and that they did not rely on electrical connections and keeping batteries fresh. He has a point, but I am not convinced that in this day and age it is still the case, or at the very least does not warrant closer examination. These days Duracell batteries come with 10 year life spans, not 6 months like back in the 50’s and many common electronic devices are waterproof to scuba diving depths. My guess just from using them is the visible range of inexpensive strobe lights is equal to that of a hand held flare. It is 2016 after all.
Those silly “shot gun” type cartridges are pretty much useless particularly in the day time. Having seen them used several times and you frankly need to be within a mile of the flare and looking right at it to see it for the 20 seconds it is in the air. If you think that they will summon help from the middle of Lake Ontario or Lake Huron, think again. In fact Orion recommends you wait till you see a nearby vessel before you fire them off. I hope you enjoy your wait. Can a 12 year old use a stick flare? Can you use one in the dark and control a dripping flare in a tossing sailboat in the dark while you steer or reef?
The parachute type flares dwell longer and are visible over a much greater area. But again you need to know how to use them. Smoke seems to be very effective in daytime and lasts for quite a while vs the 20 second flare gun shells.
And they all need to be replaced every 5 years … and the para’s are not cheap.
So… I buy the 5 silly shot gun type flares to be legal. I keep 6 para’s on board and 3 smoke cans in an air tight box because you just never know.
But I rely on an EPRIB and a DCS enabled hand held to summon serious help. The hand held can go in the dingy with us. I bought the Sirus light since my 7 year old grandson can easily turn a switch and hoist it up the flag halyard. It has a 10 mile range so at the top of the mast it still has a range to the visible horizon. He can also hit the switch on the EPRIB or throw the DCS button… Simple and fast. In a emergency that is key. If I am incapacitated it is good to know things are simple to use.
I did discover there are several “electronic” flares on the market. However none are approved as pyrotechnic flare replacements for Canadian vessels as mentioned above.. The Sirus / Flag offered on the INA web site was the only device that meets USCG requirements for day and night signalling that I could find.
As an organization I think we should advocate for change, finding an effective avenue to do so has been the challenge.
Thor