Flares

Daniel · 07 July 2008, 14:45

anyone bought them online recently? can these be posted OK and where from?

L4RRY · 07 July 2008, 15:02

There are alot of posting laws and 'problems' when it comes to flares, similarly with fireworks etc.

Many places advetise them online but won't post them. Probably best to head down to your local marine superstore or chandlery!

Bit cheaper that way as well!

Daniel · 07 July 2008, 15:23

problem is i dont live near the solent, thus have a choice of 1 chandlery who dont have what i want, and they certianly are not cheaper!

jyasaki · 07 July 2008, 15:59

The way I look at it, I buy new flares every three years or so. A bit more up front isn't really going to hurt that much. And since they're generally considered not exactly safe from a deliverers standpoint, shipping may be somewhat expensive.

That said, if they don't have what you want, well...

jky

Poly · 07 July 2008, 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

A bit more up front isn't really going to hurt that much.

you are joking

flares are expensive enough without paying over the odds. I can't think of anything I grudge paying the money for on the boat more... you never plan to use them, if you do use them there is a good chance they will not be seen, their all over in < 1 minute, and you can't even launch them when they expire. your approach of buying one or two every year is a sensible way of spreading the cost but for the new boater its painful to spend one bug lump sum like that...

RichardB · 07 July 2008, 17:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel

anyone bought them online recently? can these be posted OK and where from?

Flares cannot be posted (Royal Mail) due to their regulations but I believe (some) couriers will carry as they may have different rules. Of course, carriage is likely to be more as a result.

Here is an example:
http://www.sailgb.com/p/flares_packs/

Probably plenty others on-line so search around.

RichardB · 07 July 2008, 17:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

...and you can't even launch them when they expire. ...

Ah, you just need to go to a few European football matches or a French farmers demo - they love em

David G · 07 July 2008, 17:55

I got mine from here.

Good price and shipped.

http://shop.lifejackets.co.uk/acatal...otechnics.html

HTH

Orve.

MIRO Stewart · 07 July 2008, 17:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daniel

problem is i dont live near the solent, thus have a choice of 1 chandlery who dont have what i want, and they certianly are not cheaper!

why dont you ask them to order what you want?!

If it were me, I'd rather pay the extra than not have any at all.

Polwart someone on shore may not see them when you are trying to "send" a distress signal but if you have VHF and call in a mayday or hit the red buton then you can use flares to identify your position o any approaching rescuers (chopper/lifeboat)

Poly · 07 July 2008, 18:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIRO Stewart

Polwart someone on shore may not see them when you are trying to "send" a distress signal but if you have VHF and call in a mayday or hit the red buton then you can use flares to identify your position o any approaching rescuers (chopper/lifeboat)

to be clear I wasn't advocating not carrying flares or suggesting that they never help save a life or speed up rescue. I am sure that those who have needed them in anger think they are the best value ever. But at the chandlers about to part with £70, its not so easy. And if you add in personal flares or miniflares at 30+ quid a pop its a fairly significant hit. And all for something that makes your boat no faster, no more efficient, no more reliable or any more enjoyable to use and actually no safer (in the sense that having flares on board does not reduce the chance of being in distress). What I am saying is I have flares (that reminds me I think they may be about to need replaced) but of everything I have bought for boating its the one thing that I didn't come out the chandlers feeling pleased to have spent the money.

v666 · 07 July 2008, 19:33

I bought flares at one of the boat shows from safety-marine

They were posted to me and from memory the cost was about £7, thought that was good value.

walruz · 08 July 2008, 06:20

I for one value my life at just a little bit more than £100. I plan to consult the local coastguard when mine expire next year and see if I can set them off during one of their training nights. That way at least I still get to fire them having paid for them.

Ian

Poly · 08 July 2008, 11:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by walruz

I for one value my life at just a little bit more than £100. I plan to consult the local coastguard when mine expire next year and see if I can set them off during one of their training nights. That way at least I still get to fire them having paid for them.

Ian

That is always the argument. I also value my life (and imagine that most people value their's) more than the cost of satelite phone, an EPIRB, a radar SART, a liferaft, or even the combination of all of those. But I suspect most of us don't carry any of those (unless required for coding, or perhaps doing some "extreme" ribbing). I do spend the money on flares. I just don't enjoy spending it. Actually I would be much happier spending money on a sat phone, epirb etc - perhaps because there is a "gadget" factor, I don't know.

My point was - given the choice of spending £100 on flares or spending £90 on flares (for the same thing) I would always go for the cheaper option as its is a grudged purchase in the first place. In contrast, I object less to paying marginally more for most other boating stuff (e.g. my H/Held VHF cost about £10 more from the shop than on-line, likewise my anchor was more expensive than buying it online (even after shipping)) if they are available locally as I can touch it, feel it, see it before use, and if there are any problems take it back to the shop to speak to a human being - and because I believe its necessary to support local chandlers so they are there for last minute emergency purchases when something breaks.

m chappelow · 08 July 2008, 14:54

i was told a few years back that the manifacturers want to sell big bulk loads and dont want to sell just as many as the small chandler can handle and because of the fire regs bulk loads have to kept to special local fire regs ect which for the smaller retailer is too much bother for them. on cost of flares its a pity that the use by dates are only around 3 years ,given that most out of date flares will still work ,even had some still work 20 years out of date . with modern chemicals ect it would be nice for them to have around 5 years dated shelf life ,but i suppose its to cover the non ribers , ie hard boaters that dont keep them in an airtight container and just have them rolling about in the bottom of a damp locker . but its like has been said before when the boats going down and the batterys have gone its ,thens time that you wished that you had spent all that money on the flare pack , that is as long as someones looking your way. mart.

jyasaki · 08 July 2008, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

you are joking

flares are expensive enough without paying over the odds.

No, not at all.

A 4-pack of handheld aerial flares runs something like $50 US. If I pay, say, $70, that's $20 over. Amortized over three years, that comes to 55 cents a month. Or, a couple of pennies a day.

That's not even counting any time spent to find the cheapest deal, etc.

Quote:

you never plan to use them, if you do use them there is a good chance they will not be seen, their all over in < 1 minute, and you can't even launch them when they expire.

Hmm. Do you wear a helmet? A Seatbelt? Safety glasses? All those things you never hope to use, you hope they work when you need them, and you probably don't put them through their paces when you replace them (at least, I hope not.)

Quote:

your approach of buying one or two every year is a sensible way of spreading the cost but for the new boater its painful to spend one bug lump sum like that...

No, I said I replace them (all 6 that I normally carry) every three years.

If someone can spend $20K to $40K on a boat, and $4.50/US gal on fuel, spending $50 on flares once every three years should not be a hardship.

I understand the objection; but you are looking from the viewpoint that it's a waste in the first place. If it's not (i.e. you do need them, they do work, and they do get you noticed) then it's probably the best $50 you ever spent.

Quote:

My point was - given the choice of spending £100 on flares or spending £90 on flares (for the same thing) I would always go for the cheaper option as its is a grudged purchase in the first place.

I agree. I don't search out the higher price. I also don't, however, shop around all that much to find the lowest price. My point was that the savings from going online will most likely be nullified by the shipping cost and time spent searching for that lower price.

I also agree with you on supporting local shops.

jky

Poly · 08 July 2008, 17:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyasaki

A 4-pack of handheld aerial flares runs something like $50 US. If I pay, say, $70, that's $20 over. Amortized over three years, that comes to 55 cents a month. Or, a couple of pennies a day.

I suspect thats the difference - the "standard" pack of flares for coastal use in the UK (thats 2 parachutes, 2 smokes, 2 h/helds) is about $130 USD. And I don't go out on the boat every day.

Quote:

Hmm. Do you wear a helmet? A Seatbelt? Safety glasses? All those things you never hope to use, you hope they work when you need them, and you probably don't put them through their paces when you replace them (at least, I hope not.)

I wear a cycle helmet, but then its not uncommon for me to come off my bike! I'm on my second helmet this year! I didn't pay for my seatbelt as a separate item. Safety glasses are only a few pounds so not as psychologically painful an expense (and most people "borrow" them from their employer!).

Quote:

If someone can spend $20K to $40K on a boat, and $4.50/US gal on fuel, spending $50 on flares once every three years should not be a hardship.

agreed - but some of us haven't spend that on a boat in the first place.

Quote:

I understand the objection; but you are looking from the viewpoint that it's a waste in the first place. If it's not (i.e. you do need them, they do work, and they do get you noticed) then it's probably the best $50 you ever spent.

I guess I tend to think - could I spend that 100-200 dollars elsewhere in a way which would prevent me getting in trouble in the first place.

voguey · 11 July 2008, 12:06

I got mine from www.compass24.com delivered no problems

Hightower · 11 July 2008, 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by walruz

I for one value my life at just a little bit more than £100. I plan to consult the local coastguard when mine expire next year and see if I can set them off during one of their training nights. That way at least I still get to fire them having paid for them.

Ian

They won't let you. I asked if I could have a flare demo and offered my out of date ones, they can't use out of date stuff and prefer to bring their own.

4str · 12 July 2008, 04:11

So can anyone explain to me the reason for not keeping out of date flares as backups? It is my understanding that here in the US if the coast guard inspects your boat and finds out of date flares they write a ticket.

So I hide mine where I don't think they will look. And occasionally I will test a really out of date one on a wet, foggy day somewhere past the middle of nowhere. (So the flare won't be seen or has a chance of starting a fire.)

I have never had an out of date one not work up to specifications. It seems like such a waste to recycle "reasonably" out of date flares, especially since they could help in an emergency.

John Kennett · 12 July 2008, 06:46

There's no problem here keeping them as backups. It seems to be quite a common thing to do.

I've fired quite a few out of date flares and they generally work OK. Don't rely on it though - a couple of weeks ago I used 8 Pains Wessex hand held reds that were only a year or so out of date and two of them didn't fire.

John