accident anyone?

[betty boop]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-36210269

[Ianfs]

Scary!

[betty boop]

plastic boats, who would have a hobby where you're surrounded by flammable plastics and woods with tank/s of highly flammable fuel running around cheap electrics built by Americans and have fireworks in canisters for good measure. - why do we do this ?

[ColinR]

Handed in my fireworks last year as they were 3 years out of date and have not replaced them yet. Not sure whether to go laser or rely on a PLB.

What's the teams views?

I have 2 VHFs on board plus as many mobiles as people.

[Doc Oakley]

Hi Colin et al

Couple of things - where should one hand in out of date flares? Also, re the boat fire pic, back in the 1970s, when I were just a lad and my Dad had invested in Dell Quay Dory 13, the boat next to us on the swinging moorings in Poole (Sandbanks Yacht Co, if anybody remembers that?), a Sovereign S20 (Sunseeker forerunner), went up when the owner decided to open the engine hatch with a fag on, a la J Clarkson, without running the blowers first...it burnt down to the waterline...quite something!

Simon.

[ColinR]

Getting rid of flares is quite difficult. Officially your local Coastguard or RNLI station will take them but that is not always the case. Some police stations will do so but not around here. If you are buying a new set the chandlery will usually take the old ones off you. I've been told that if you take them to the police and say you found them by a bin in the street they have to take them., but that is only a rumour.

I got rid of mime at the Hamble Point boat show where they were having a general flare amnesty and had a bunch of people collecting them. I think it was the RNLI but I'm not certain.

Please don't let them off on bonfire night. The smoke flares will completely ruin your evening and coat everyone in orange dust and the parachute flares will look good until the hit the ground still alight.

[betty boop]

RNLI won't take them - not now anyway. we had a set handed in to the fire brigade who brought them to us and it was a fun day out trying to get rid. Don't set them off under water, the smoke rises, colours the water and then goes airborne and covers your boat too. Luckily Lifeboats are orange

I think the CG also only takes them at the 3 or so official locations hence why its so difficult.

small bucket with some concrete, bag of stones, set them inside and take a ride out into the solent - splash over board, if you get my drift a tad irresponsible but solves the issue.