Have you seen the latest news on the RTE website

[10 brownie points]

According to the RTE website "The Marine Casualty Investigation Board has called for mandatory regulations to require small open fishing boats to carry distress flares. Its report into the death of a fisherman off Castletownbere also suggests that those using such craft should carry hand-held VHF radios."
so should all craft be made carry flares & a VHF radio?

[gfkelly1969]

i think its a good idea,i only fish from the shore but i carry a hand-held VHF radio with me,i got it for 50 euro new,its not a lot to pay for a bit of safety,a lot of people think its fine to carry a mobile phone but if any other boats are working in the area they wont hear your call on a mobile phone at least with a hand held radio you or other people will have a chance of being picked out of the water quicker

the only thing about everyone having a hand held is that there will always be people who will use them like cb radios,if they are used for emergency only it wont be any problem

not sure how much flares cost but am sure flares and a hand-held VHF radio would only cost a few hundred euro

not a lot if they save a life

[Dave]

Regrettably it's not the first time that it has emerged after such a tragic accident that this type of safety equipment wasn't aboard so I think that its a good idea.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1223/marine.html

Call for flares & radio on small boats
Tuesday, 23 December 2008 09:32

The Marine Casualty Investigation Board has called for mandatory regulations to require small open fishing boats to carry distress flares.
Its report into the death of a fisherman off Castletownbere also suggests that those using such craft should carry hand-held VHF radios.
The two men involved, William Power and Jer O'Driscoll from Castletownbere, had both done basic survival training, But Mr O'Driscoll drowned
when the 17-foot boat they were using for drift-netting capsized in the early hours of 18 September 2006. They did not have a VHF marine
radio or distress flares on the boat, according to the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, and it was not until one of them was washed
ashore that a distress alert was raised. The Board wants the carrying of flares made mandatory on such boats and says fishermen using
them should be encouraged to carry at least hand-held VHF radios.

[anthony2carr]

I think it's a good idea also. But I also think these things should be policed.

Wearing of life preservers is mandatory. I'm not aware of the details of this incident, but i'm fairly sure he wasn't wearing one.

Pains wessex Pen-jector flares can be picked up in most shops for about 60 euro.Not sure about the VHF radio?????

[gfkelly1969]

vhf hand held radios start about 40 euro on ebay

[10 brownie points]

Well I always carry the handheld VHF with me but I often think where is the best place in an open boat to keep it so that I can reach it in all emergencies, also I haven't done any courses.
I don’t have any flares (must pick some up) but I would have the same problem with them as the VHF radio, where do you store them in an open boat.

[JimC]

I don’t have any flares (must pick some up) but I would have the same problem with them as the VHF radio, where do you store them in an open boat.

AquaPac's are available from most good chandlers or online. http://www.aquapac.net/

[cormology]

I think this is a good idea, you cannot have enough safety gear on board a boat, having spent time as a charter skipper i have seen first hand how things can change for the worst very quickly at sea.

[Mohawk]

Don't just buy any flares or radio you will need to have an "inshore flare pack" or an "offshore flare pack" depending on where the boat is working I would recommend an offshore pack. The radio needs to be type approved and really needs to be a waterproof model. The flares and radio should be kept in the flares poly bottle along with a good torch and spare batteries and a spare charged battery for the radio if possible. ( If buying a radio buy an Icom model that can take an optional "AA battery case" that takes standard AA batteries it's the ideal spare battery pack)

A cheap basic hand held GPS would also be useful in the bottle / grab bag to direct the search to you and save critical time!

It is also no harm to do the Personal Survival Techniques (PST) course and the mandatory VHF Short Range Certificate (SRC). If the carrying of flares and a VHF is made law both courses will be mandatory anyway so beat the rush and the likely price hikes that come with such a rush

It will cost probably in the region of €700 - €900 between flare pack, radio, and the courses and radio license.

If you travel over 10 miles offshore regularly on your own I would recommend a "PLB" or an "EPIRB" the PLB would be ideal for a small boat and a fixed DSC VHF radio. The training required for the EPIRB is contained in the VHF SRC!

[anthony2carr]

I Just do some kayak fishing.

I have flares attached to my life jacket, which I always wear.
It's no big deal really to always wear your life jacket, can't understand why everyone doesn't do it. It really doesn't get in the way.

Mobile phone is in a floating dry bag, sitting in cockpit. If I come out of kayak, phone is coming with me.

[shamoo0804]

also I haven't done any courses.

You need (atleast) a short range VHF licence to use a radio....

Just so you know

[screeming reels]

Hi,
Some good advice already given, just a little to add, It was an open boat netting, , most likely it capsized quickly, hence, as mentioned by the yakker, if you are exposed like that carry the flares on your person, or in a pocket on the lifejacket, best things for this are the pencil flares, they are shot from a pencil like holder and will easily work after long submersion.Plus one day night distress flare with a longer burn.
They are only short lived but do go up to approx 200 feet, plus about six to eight in a pack.
My advice is if using these is to set one off every 5 mins,and keep two for the rescue services when you can see activity near you ( ie lifeboat searching or helicopter lights) the reason i say every five mins, the coastguard get lots of flare sightings evry day,(99.9 percent false alarms) but if they see three or four consecutive flares they are much more likely to launch rescue services.If you see the rescue services moving towards you then let off the long burn flare.
As for the VHF, it would have to be waterproof, a waterproof bag is fine, but as i have experianced, they are bloody difficult to use through the bag, Again have it on your person, lots of small fully waterproof hand helds are avilable, mostly by ICOM. again if you find yourself thrown out of the boat it will be with you and another fantastic aid to being located, only problem with a hand held is that because the ariel is very low, and its only line of sight, max range would be about 3-5 miles, so if a long way offshore keep that in mind.( May sound silly, but if there is a big swell running, transmit at the top of the wave! the signal will travel further)
One other device not mentioned, though expensive is VERY good is a personnal locator beacon, a mini EPIRB, these clip on your belt and can be seen by satalite and picked up by many other agencies, cost around E400-600, but i could safely say if used properly would have a 95 percent chance of you getting found, much higher than flares and radio
hope that helps, happy xmas to all, safe boating
regards
screeming

[Mohawk]

One other device not mentioned, though expensive is VERY good is a personnal locator beacon, a mini EPIRB, these clip on your belt and can be seen by satalite and picked up by many other agencies, cost around E400-600, but i could safely say if used properly would have a 95 percent chance of you getting found, much higher than flares and radio

Ahem Ahem (PLB) Martyn
Another very good point that Martyn forgot to mention is whatever you do: DO NOT FIRE A PARACHUTE FLARE AT THE HELICOPTER