Fair Leads

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Flares

This months Fair Leads first appeared as a letter to the editors of Latitude 38, the colorful-but-solid sailing monthly out of San Francisco. It is reprinted here as a guest column, courtesy of the author, Peter Hayes. Peter is the skipper of the training vessel Pegasus, a fine old Alden ketch that is one of the safest boats I've ever been aboard. And a good thing, as the volunteer staff conducts educational cruises for kids on San Francisco Bay, with occasional ventures beyond the Golden Gate. We dont all have a boatload of children to care for, but emergency equipment is something that has to work when you need it. I dont know about you, but I've never paid a whole lot of attention to the expiration date on signal flares.

And what do signal flares have to do with rigging? Well, ignoring our rigging safety recommendations is going to make you a whole lot more likely to need to do some phosphorus-based attention-getting.

   Fair leads,

      Brion Toss

Dear Latitude 38 editor,

I read Jim and Kyoko Bandy's Changes report on a mid-Pacific USCG boarding in Changes last month (p. 214) with great interest. With no comment with regard to the boarding itself, I noted that the Coasties warned them about their out-of-date flares. The Bandy's commented: "The ones I'd bought before leaving California in November of '99 were out of date already. I carry all the flares I've purchased since 1985, so I'm sure one or more of them would have worked. In fact, one of they guys [Coastie?] remarked that he thought 90% of them would still work."

Jim and Kyoko, forget about the Coasties' manners and think about when you will need to use a flare! In the dark, when it's wet, you can't see, you're in deep trouble pushing up against a rock-lined coast, you're sinking, someone's injured badly. When you need a flare, you need a flare that works, period. The Coasties were right and their warning--if heeded--may save your life.

The crew of Pegasus (of Pegasus Project) recently conducted a live-fire flare exercise at USCG Facility at Yerba Buena Island (see http://www.nautilus.org/archive-2001-Q1.html). Two Coasties demonstrated the safe and proper use of the various flares we carried or scrounged from OCSC, Berkeley Marine Center. Like the Bandy's, most but not all of the flares we tested were all expired--some of them dating back to late 80s. We fired off about 30 flares in all, including handhelds like the ones used on highways, Very Pistol flares, and Paine-Wessex high flying parachute flares (the best).

We were shocked. We didn't count, but at least half of these out-of-date flares were duds--they didn't fire at all, or fired and lobbed into the air but didn't flare, or flared only for seconds. The Very Pistol backfired after firing a few duds in the air (we junked it completely after the exercise).

Our live-fire exercise was to ensure that Pegasus captains and first mates are experienced in using flares if we ever need them. We don't plan to but if we did, with kids aboard as is often the case with the Pegasus Project, we didn't want to be learning how to use a parachute flare in the dark in an emergency. You need to know how to use flares under pressure with your eyes closed (that is, in pitch black dark when there with be neither time nor light to read the instructions!).

What we discovered is that out-of-date flares, even ones kept in dry places on the vessel, and even flares stored in a dry-box with a moisture -sealing gasket, more-often-than-not don't work.

Like all safety equipment, it shouldn't be aboard if a) you don't know how to use it and have not exercised with it; and b) it's unreliable. Do not keep and do not give away your expired flares. Fire them or dispose of them. Replace them when they are out-of-date.

And, check the out-of-date date of the replacements when you get them. A well-known marine supplier sent us new Paine Wessex parachute flares that ostensibly last for 3 years--but the expiration date was less than 12 months from purchase date! These were $50+ flares! They kindly replaced them at no cost and let us keep the nearly-expired units for our exercise. And, guess what, they all worked even though they were 2+ years old (but still within the expire date)!

We thought that the few Very Pistol flares that worked were pretty pathetic compared to the parachute flares. The handhelds can't be seen far away and are only used properly according to Coasties for close-up "we're over here" work. The high flying (1,000 feet) Paine Wessex units that shot up in seconds to great height--slowing the traffic on the Bay Bridge and resulting in a series of 911 cell phone calls in spite of the Coasties advertizing the exercise for hours beforehand--floated down for a minute or so carrying a brilliant flare before hitting the water. The Paine-Wessex parachute flares scored well on the Practical Sailor tests a few years ago. We thought them much the best of what we have aboard Pegasus. We have a stock in a waterproof box in our cockpit locker; and below decks in a dry storage area.

If you plan to rely on flares, then it pays to learn how to use them and don't keep out-of-date units. How many of Latitude readers who sail have ever fired a flare? Are you confident that you can find it in the dark and fire it safely and properly? And when did you last check the expiration date on the flares you carry aboard your vessel? The manufacturer's expiration date means what it says: expired, kaput, finis: after the expiration date, a flare is unreliable and unsafe.

The Coasties at Yerba Buena were very helpful and cooperative. They even disposed of our used flares. They will help any boater to test and learn how to use their flares. You just have to call them to set up a convenient date and time (you can raise them on 16 and be transferred, or call them by phone). Oh, and by the way, the Pegasus crew agreed that it's fun to fire these little rockets when it's not an emergency.

Peter Hayes
Pegasus Project, pegasus@nautilus.org