Winter storage for flares

[Rick486]

I'm wondering what people do with their ditch bag and/or flares during the cold winter months on the hard? Some years I bring them home and store in the garage, and some years I've left them on the boat. I searched the forums with no hits. Any ideas on flare storage to share?
Thanks

 

[woodster]

i thought the flares had and expration date on them ...and if they were expired the coastes would disallow them.....haveing said that ..just replace them next year when you splash....

regards

woody

 

[Rick486]

I think they are good for more than one year.

 

[Fly_H23]

Flares

Last time I had some expired flares I saved them for 4th of July. Of course, it's a good practice to NOT light them on your boat unless you really need help.

I would simply store them off the boat in a dry moderate temperature place were they won't freeze or get to hot either.

 

[Warren Milberg]

My old, and new, flares live on the boat. I don't think it hurts them to be exposed to the cold as I've fired some long-expired flares and they seem to work as well (or as poorly) as newer unexpired ones. Having said that, I think it is important for all flare owners to (1) find a legal way to practice with them ashore (i.e., 4th of July or a fire fighter training program, etc.), and (2) keep something like an oven mitt with your flares in the event you need to use them afloat. A mitt will help protect your hand from hot drippings or overflow from a burning flare, which I think is somewhat common.

Also, remember that if you have an orange distress flag aboard, and do not sail at night, you may not need flares at all. It all sort of depend on where you sail and the other forms of emergency communications you have on board (cell phone, VHF, horn, whistle, etc.).

 

[RichH]

Seal them in non-moisture-permeable plastic 'baggies' etc. Flares are made from 'deliquescent' (water absorbing 'salts, etc.') materials, usually 'sealed' by waxes, etc. that prolong the time the flares gain 'water uptake' and render them inoperative. That stated many of these compounds are 'crystaline' and over time the 'grains' of finely pulverized/crushed crystals 'chemically grow' into larger and larger and less 'reactive' forms of crystals - hence the 'time limit'.

"keep your powder dry" !!!! is adage that also applies to 'flares'.

I keep old flares and 'rockets' ... and have had them 'light' after over 10+ years of 'sealed storage'; but obviously, keep unexpired flares as my 'primary' stock.
Ditto with shotgun shells and other 'ammunition'.

 

[Manureva]

i keep them in a sealed bag, inthe basement where it is about 20 degree c . as for the old one i thoug about playing with the in my shot gun, in some gravel pit....

 

[Ron20324]

My sailing club has a flare shoot every April for members to get hands-on use of all types of flares and fire extenguishers. We exchange new flares for the old ones that skippers have. During the year in between shoots, the flares of all types are stored in cardboard boxes in a rented storage locker, which is whatever the outside temperature is. The handhelds seem to last forever. The ones with the pull-chain never last beyond the expiration date (and maybe not even that long?). The older 12-guages are pretty reliable even 10 years beyond their date.

The newer, longer, type 12's seem to have a high failure rate. They can't be very old, since they are the newer design. After the shoot in April 2011 we dated each flare and separated them into three age brackets. We'll use the older ones first, but I will say in a dozen years we've never had a mishap with flares of any date/style. Well, I'm not including the parachute flare that went where the fair winds blew.

I heard a rumor that Roger might grace our club with his presence Saturday at Pirates Cove/Galesville?

 

[sailcruiser]

My sailing club has a flare shoot every April for members to get hands-on use of all types of flares and fire extenguishers.

This is a great idea. I am also one to play on July 4th but I wonder how many of our members have ever shot a flare...I will mention it in the Spring. SC

 

[Bob J.]

This year I've got a bunch of parachute flares & smokes that came with boat. I told the kids we'd do it once there was snow on the ground. Wouldn't you know they asked me to let them rip this past Sunday... We'll shoot them off in the field on New Years Eve.

 

[Rick Webb]

I've Collected Quite a Few for Demonstrations

Best way to store them would be in a metal ammo can with a dessicant and at the very least in a ziplock bag double bagged would be better. If you keep them in the original package the will absorb moisture and not work.

We have done a "Flare Day Demonstration" after the Wednsday night races during "Safe Boating Week" the last several years. I have organized them with our local Coast Guard Station so that the guys at the station and our members gaet a visual reference of what the signal looks like at a known distance.

What I have seen is:

The hand helds work very long after the expired date. The failure is in the striker if it gets any moisture at all it will not work. A lit one will light another real well if your ever in need.

12 Guage shells work almost all the time though if a shell has swollen at all and is tight in the gun do not even try it.

Have never had one of the "Skyblazer" handheld aerial flares work (all have been expired) which distresses me considerably as I have always carried them in my vest. I wonder if they are worth buying? I am not sure I would count on them.

I used to think of the 12 guage as the go to flare were one needed but the handheld is much brighter and burns far longer then does the 12 guage.

 

[Ross]

Re: I've Collected Quite a Few for Demonstrations

I believe that the choice of storage methods will depend upon how dry your boat is. I keep my flares on board all of the time and at present i believe that I have five packages. Book matches keep on my boat without any special packaging they just stay in a drawer. But if your boat is damp then you would need to provide dry storage for the flares.