BLUEMOMENT

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Took old my mouldering old flares to Kip today and paid them to dispose of them. Some of them had an expiry date of 1993 and a couple were too manky to even see the expiry date.

As a replacement I have bitten the bullet and purchased an ODEO Mk3 LED flare from Amazon for £107. I know it won't replace parachute flares, but it is definitely a lot better than the handhelds.

Re. parachute flares - an EPIRB is the obvious answer, but mine is out of date and battery life. Am thinking a McMurdo Fastfind PLB would be a sensible and affordable replacement. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

I have a PLB which I think is the most likely device to bring me help. This is backed up with a "Spot Messenger" which has an SOS feature that should also give my position to the satellites. Plus the DSC alarm on my VHF.

I have been looking around the internet for a PLB which incorporates an AIS but I don't think such a device yet exists. That would ring remote alarms as well as alerting any AIS equipped vessel within range.

I still have some ancient flares, well out of date, which I might use in extremis but which I would prefer to get rid of.

The Odeo looks interesting.

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a PLb is personally registered, but I presume they would rescue my crew as well? I get the impression they are considered purely personal devices, but I can't see any reason why one PLB for the boat should not replace a more expensive EPIRB?

(And of course on long two-crew passages the on-watch crew can wear it)

Are there any flaws in my thinking?

I seem to remember that the PLB goes on the vessel's list of equipment for Ofcom purposes but is registered to the person plus vessel at Falmouth CG

I recently sailed with a person who took his PLB on all of the many vessels he sailed. He had informed Falmouth that his PLB would be used on a variety of vessels on a variety of oceans.

I have no EPIRB on my own boat: the PLB serves that purpose

I have not yet moved from flares, but mine "expire" next year and so I should also think about this.
For handhelds (not parachutes) I tried out our stock of time expired ones last guy fawkes. The oldest was 10 years OOD. They all worked fine.

I've noticed on the various electronic devices that some do not have changeable batteries. I noted that with lights recently when replacing our night MOB light that attaches to the life ring. I eventually found one that the batteries can be replaced in. Seems a bit nuts to be replacing the whole unit for flat batteries.

Kip took my old flares - for free - as long as I replaced them with something else - so I went with the ODEO as a replacement.

Pete Cooper wrote:Kip took my old flares - for free - as long as I replaced them with something else - so I went with the ODEO as a replacement.

I had 27 old flares though . . . Or nearer 70 if you include the mini flares they also took. And Kip don't have the ODEO at the moment, only the EDF

I got rid of a lot of really TEPs at the farewell to Clyde CG flotilla - a very useful learning experience and all but one worked. Then there was a collection at Port Edgar open day. Handhelds get let off in the garden (a bucket of water is handy), miniflares have been let off underwater, just leaves the paras until a handy firework display. Unfortunately, racing Cat rules seem to still require the things.

I am not a lover of change so I shall continue to sail with a barrel of tar on deck.