Maritime Wood

Emergency or handheld signal flares can save your life. But they can also harm you. When you let off a handheld red or white flare, the steel body of the flare starts by getting red hot, then turns white hot when it gets going. None-burnt powder comes out of the top of the flare and the paint around the body peels away as it heats up.

It’s worthwhile keeping a pair of heavy duty gloves and some safety goggles in your flarebox to take some of the dangers away. We also like to remind people to keep the flarebox away from the location where you light the flare, and  think before lighting the flare where you going too throw it way. We are on a wooden boat as you probably understand a red hot flare can do some serious damage to the wooden deck. I seen flare damage on polyester boats.

The purpose of distress signaling is: first to attract attention and second, to provide a homing signal to guide the responding party to your craft. Remember, nothing can happen until someone's attention is attracted. The most effective distress signals for attracting attention are aerial flares and parachute flares because they are moving, spectacular and cover a large sighting area.

Handheld red or white signal flares, orange smoke signals and orange distress flags serve as beacons helping rescuers to pinpoint your position and keep them on course. The orange smoke and orange distress flags are only effective during the day.

What for signal flares do we need? There is a wide range of signal flares available aerial flare guns, revolvers, pistols, pocket launchers, flares, parachute flares, cracker shells, bang shells, and handheld flares from numerous manufacturers in all price class and quality.

It is therefore advised to look if the flares you buy have been U.S. Coast Guard approved for day and night use (USCG approved) and being SOLAS approved. Some of these flares may only be daytime or nighttime approved, which is directly also the best time to use them.

The US Coast Guard requires that visual distress signals must be carried on all boats which are operated on the high seas, coastal waters (including the Great Lakes), the territorial seas and all waters directly connected to the great lakes or the territorial seas up to a point where the waters are less than two miles wide. Even if sailors never plan to travel to the American continent it is still a good advice, safety of yourself and your crew is in your hand.