Every week, we present you with a question about your boating license. Whether you're looking to validate your knowledge or discover new and unexplored areas. This week, we tackle a question on safety at sea.
Hand-held flares and lights
Pyrotechnic equipment on a boat is only to be used in case of distress. It is used to attract the attention of rescuers and guide them towards you.
Parachute rockets are mounted on a boat and rise to about 350 m above the ground, before opening a parachute and braking the descent with a glowing light. The fall time is around 40 seconds and the range is around 25 miles. So it's a way of alerting distant helpers.
The hand fire is used when help is within visual range. It is fired from the ship's deck, still downwind, and produces a very bright fire lasting around 60 seconds. It is strongly recommended to wear gloves when shooting this type of fire, as small incandescent projections can burn the hand. To avoid injury, they should also be held at arm's length.
The hand-held light is always triggered in a distress situation. So don't use them for any kind of celebration, even a national one, or to sail up a channel. This practice is reserved for the winners of sailing races...
