Want to properly practice shooting flares? Here’s how
Nov 18 2011 in Currents, Seamanship by Deborah Bach
Most boaters will never fire off a flare from their boats, but it’s a good idea to know how in case you ever need to.
And properly staging a practice run is easier than you might think — you just need to let the U.S. Coast Guard know.
That’s what the operator of a 38-foot vessel named Down Time did. A flare exercise will be conducted on the boat at 11:30 a.m. today, Nov. 18, in Hood Canal. The coordinator of the exercise notified Coast Guard District 13, which then added the item to its weekly Local Notice to Mariners, a list of channel conditions, obstructions, danger areas and other on-water happenings of interest to boaters.
Advance notification prevents the Coast Guard from being called out to the scene for a false emergency, and lets boaters who read the Local Notice to Mariners know not to be alarmed if they happen to be on Hood Canal and see flares being shot from a boat today.
The Down Time crew did exactly the right thing, said Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound Ensign Anthony LaBoy.
“We want to know about anything that’s out of the ordinary — diving, flare shoots, whatever,” he said. “If it’s nothing, it’s nothing, but we’d rather know and be able to tell (mariners) it’s nothing.”
Although there are no specific rules for staging an exercise, there are regulations against signaling a false distress. If a boater launches a flare as practice without notifying the Coast Guard and a search and rescue effort is launched in response, the boater could face a fine of us to $5,000 for signaling a false distress, plus be liable for any costs incurred by the Coast Guard as a result.
LaBoy said boaters wanting to stage a flare practice should choose a low-traffic area and notify the Coast Guard, which can advise whether the location is appropriate.
“That really helps,” he said. “Then we’re not sending people out on a search and rescue mission when it’s not search and rescue.”
Boaters planning to stage a flare practice exercise can contact Coast Guard District 13’s Puget Sound Waterways Management Division at 206.217.6051 or by email at sectorpugetsoundwwm@uscg.mil
not a football fan said on November 27, 2011
Friends don’t let friends buy hand flares that don’t say SOLAS on them. Once you have seen the difference between the USCG approved birthday candles and the SOLAS grade distress signals you’ll understand why.
I know that it is possible to do legal flare shoots in Seattle, just do it from a state owned facility with its own police department…
Ahoi said on November 22, 2011
Last year my son and I had reason to use flares in a real life situation at night. The updated flares we had were the hand held type. We fired off the entire package, four or five and although flying almost directly over us the coast Guard helicopter didn’t see them. Additionally they gave us the impression they could easily light the boat on fire and some of the sparks burned our hands. I had a canister of outdated launch type flares in a locker and told my son to give them a try. The helicopter was flying away from us when the first one went up beautifully. I had my son wait until they turned back before firing the second and they altered course immediately and shortly were hovering over us, their bright lights illuminating the scene. This was the first time in my life I ever needed flares but would never be shipmates with hand held flares again. Although they cost more when you really need them the launching flares are cheap at any price.
Capt Bob said on November 19, 2011
Helpful information. What about outdated flares, etc. Marine stores, fire departments, manufactures, etc. don’t seem to have an answer.
Don said on November 18, 2011
We planned this training over a month in advance. After receiving approval from the USCG we contacted adjacent county emergency services (911, Jefferson and Kitsap County) to be sure they were aware. We also contacted the local Fire District who would receive 911 calls to ensure they were aware. The marina we run out of was informed. All agencies including the USCG were very cooperative. The exercise was very useful for hands on experience with visual distress signal divices as well as demonstrating which devices were most effective. I can see how a large municiple area like Seattle would have a problem with this, perhaps clubs could coordinate training with outings to more rurl areas like I operate out of.
Don Coleman
Captain of Down Time
Pacific Adventure
Deborah Bach said on November 18, 2011
Interesting, Bill. So they city doesn’t allow it at all?
Bill Ray said on November 18, 2011
Great to know the CG is cooperative!
However there are local authorities with opinions on these flare shoots — we know from trying to do them in Seattle that the city will not allow them. On the other hand Friday Harbor Power Squadron does one every year from a beach and the San Juan fire dept comes out to help them.
Bill