The four types
| Flare | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Red parachute rocket | Distress, to raise the alarm with anyone who may be out of sight. It climbs high and burns under a parachute, so it can be seen from a long way off. Don't fire one when a helicopter is close. |
| Red handheld flare | Distress, to show your exact position to rescuers or other vessels that are already close, or in sight. |
| Orange smoke | Distress by day, to show your position and the wind direction to rescuers, especially from the air. Comes as handheld or buoyant canisters. |
| White handheld flare | Not a distress signal. Warns another vessel of your presence, for example if she's on a collision course and may not have seen you. |
Red flares, rockets throwing red stars, and orange smoke are all listed as distress signals in Annex IV of the collision regulations. See distress signals at sea for the full list.
Using them safely
- Read the instructions on each flare before you need it. They work differently.
- Fire or hold flares downwind and over the side, away from the boat, sails and liferaft.
- Hold handheld flares at arm's length, and wear gloves if you have them.
- Fire parachute rockets close to vertical. In strong wind, aim slightly downwind, because rockets tend to turn into the wind.
- Don't look directly at a burning flare: it can affect your night vision.
Storage, expiry and disposal
- Keep flares in a dry, waterproof container that the crew can reach quickly, and tell them where it is.
- Every flare has an expiry date. Replace them before they go out of date.
- Dispose of old flares through an approved disposal service. Never set them off as a display, which can trigger a search and rescue response, and never dump them.
Some boats also carry electronic distress lights as a supplement. They don't expire in the same way, but they aren't a like-for-like replacement for pyrotechnics, so check what's recommended for where you sail.