Simon Everett is the god of Hell Fire and he gives you… a very thorough guide to the light and smoke based distress system.

The distress flare has been around for over a hundred years and even in this technologically advanced world of ours, a flare is still a universally recognised signal of alarm. Upon seeing a flare in the sky, even the most ardent of landlubber has a good chance of thinking something is amiss, and will hopefully contact the emergency services. Well, this last bit may be wishful thinking, but many rescues over the years have been instigated in this way, which is slightly reassuring.

When to use Flares

The use of flares when in distress needs careful forethought. First and most importantly - they should not be the sole means of calling for assistance. A VHF is still the best piece of equipment for raising the alarm, following up with flares simply to pinpoint your position. If other boats are in the vicinity, a Mayday or Pan Pan call on the VHF should have eyes scanning the water and the flare signal is then used to identify the correct craft and give a good indication of where on the water it is.

Why VHF first? Because you’ll have a limited number of flares on-board and even the best SOLAS rockets burn out quickly, making them hard to spot. As their life is so short, a pair of flares should be fired in succession to maximise your chances of being spotted. People who just catch the last of the burn of a flare will often question what they have just seen and continue to look in the general direction, the appearance of a second flare will confirm what they saw in the first place.

The type of distress signal you choose to use depends on the time of day, or more correctly, the visibility. If it is thick fog there is little point in letting off your flares as only you will see them. At night, red burning flares will be seen far better than an orange smoke signal and during the day an orange smoke might be more visible than a red flare. You have to decide at the time which is most suitable according to the situation. In any event you should try to establish whether there is anyone around to see your flare before you fire it. Here is a list of the flares available and when they should be used…

Image courtesy of Chemring Marine

For the full guide to using, storing and disposing of flares, buy the November issue of Sports Boat and RIB, available from 3^rd November. To buy the current issue, click here.