RYA pressing for change in the carriage requirements for flares
by Louise Nicholls, RYA 22 Oct 2013 18:17 BST
22 October 2013
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The RYA is pressing the MCA (Maritime & Coastguard Agency) to review the carriage requirement for pyrotechnic flares and to recognise the modern technologies that are now available for distress alerting and locating. Currently leisure craft over 13.7m (45ft) are required to carry four parachute flares and four hand-held flares.
"In today's modern age there is no compelling case to support the mandatory requirement of flares as a practical and useful method of initiating a distress alert and location" Stuart Carruthers RYA Cruising Manager.
EPIRBs and GPS linked DSC VHF for distress alerting and signalling lamps or EVDS (Electronic Visual Distress Signals) for final mile location provide mariners with a more effective and far less dangerous means of initiating a distress alert and more importantly a timely response. However these modern technologies are not recognised in the current UK regulations.
"The RYA has been shown no persuasive evidence that flares have search and rescue benefits that cannot be provided by modern technology.
"Couple this with the significantly reduced disposal service for flares and the argument for continuing to mandate flares becomes unreasonable and illogical" concludes Stuart.
www.rya.org.uk