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Flares no more?


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8 minutes ago, Jon said:

I’m betting there was a few diehards that keep their bucket of tar until they couldn’t row out to their boat anymore 

“Can’t trust them new fangle flare things you know”

And none of those fire extinguisher things

a bucket of sand, painted red, marked FIRE for the fighting of...

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1 hour ago, Jon said:

I’m betting there was a few diehards that keep their bucket of tar until they couldn’t row out to their boat anymore 

“Can’t trust them new fangle flare things you know”

Given that sailing is generally an anachronism in and of itself, that's a reasonable assumption.

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22 minutes ago, KM... said:

That explains it all, your knowledge of modern flares is woefully lacking. It's no wonder your view of them is so WTF.

As I have had quite a bit of experience with them I can very easily see the big easy cheap value they can provide in some situations. Which is the same experiance that tells me in many places up the NE coast my phone is useless and I need something to fill that gap.

 

KM, we have differing views, lets accept that.

I think my knowledge of modern flares is fine, I have personally set off a large number.

I've no problem you taking flares up the NE coast. But as I said earlier, a big trip for me now is to Kawua, normally sailing between Weiti GH and Rakino - but I'm still compelled to carry flares. I don't see a benefit in that. I'm getting the feeling we are debating apples and oranges.

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1 hour ago, Fish said:

KM, we have differing views, lets accept that.

I think my knowledge of modern flares is fine, I have personally set off a large number.

I've no problem you taking flares up the NE coast. But as I said earlier, a big trip for me now is to Kawua, normally sailing between Weiti GH and Rakino - but I'm still compelled to carry flares. I don't see a benefit in that. I'm getting the feeling we are debating apples and oranges.

There's no legal requirement to carry flares in NZ as a recreational boater. 

YNZ require you to carry flares for racing because World Sailing requires adherence to SOLAS and COLREGS requires flares. 

Ultimately your sailing club can contract out of any YNZ regulation if they undertake the necessary assessment and determine what replaces it.  Cat 3 still requires an inflated dinghy or a liferaft. Coastal Classic is a Cat 3- race. The minus is important.  The night race to Kawau used to be a Cat4+ race (adding a inflated dinghy or liferaft). 

You could ask your club to remove the requirement for flares and replace them with something else suitable.  Ultimately this is a club level decision.

YNZ have to take the highest most common ground and that's SOLAS - so they require flares.

The fundamental problem is, that dispite all the research and testing over the past 15years there exists no SOLAS approved EVDS and their won't, until they are included in the treaty. 

 

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As most of you know, these electronic flares are now legal in the US - I have one on my boat. It is quite bright and floats. 

No way in heck would I ever hold up a magnesium flare on a pitching boat as it drips molten metal, and I am trying to fix something and/or render assistance at the same time. 

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The electronic flares are approved for NZ use for racing / recreation, you still need to carry the smoke flares. 

They were allowed as alternatives a round a couple of years ago. Check the rules for the exact criteria.

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On 31/03/2021 at 2:43 AM, erice said:

they mean epirbs

got epirbs broadcasting your lat/long to satellites and you can have a helicopter overhead in as little as 20min

at least according to some motorbike guys who broke a leg in a remote south island valley 

Was with a mate of mine when he broke an arm in a remote South Island Valley... really remote. Took 6h for the heli. 121MHz, though... after that I bought a 406.

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Honestly, I'm happy to include the flares. Sure I'll go through the other tools in the box before firing off a flare. but having them available in a shitty situation is likely better than not having them available. Having said that, electronic alternatives should also fill the gap from a regulatory perspective. 

I used to give each crew member a glow stick to pop in the pocket of their jacket. Now I make sure each crew member has a headlamp or such in their pocket, and each crew member has a PLB or an MOB AIS, provided by me.

During the day, I think the smoke is indispensable. 

Also, who here carries a danbuoy? A flag on a stick on a float thingy?

There must be some kind of thing like that that can inflate and be kept in a jacket pocket, surely? I mean it's hard enough to spot a craypot buoy from 50 m in a bit of swell, chances of spotting your mate?

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8 minutes ago, DrWatson said:

There must be some kind of thing like that that can inflate and be kept in a jacket pocket, surely? I mean it's hard enough to spot a craypot buoy from 50 m in a bit of swell, chances of spotting your mate?

Used to carry one of these when I was diving - tiny when rolled up but but pretty effective..

 

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37 minutes ago, Dagwood said:

Used to carry one of these when I was diving - tiny when rolled up but but pretty effective..

 

Very nice. I'll take 8, please. I'll have to go for the hire purchase option...

 

Screen Shot 2021-04-06 at 22.16.41.png

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