Pyrotechnic signals resemble fireworks.
These are shown in Figure 2-11. They
include:
• Red flares, hand-held or aerial meteor,
and parachute flares
• Orange smoke, hand-held or floating
Flares are marked with an expiration date,
typically 3-years after manufacture, beyond
which they will not meet Coast Guard
requirements.
Non-pyrotechnic signals must be in
serviceable condition, readily accessible,
and certified by the manufacturer as complying
with USCG requirements. They are
shown in Figure 2-12 and include the following
devices:
• Orange distress flags are a black square
and ball displayed against an orange
background at least 3 feet square (day signal
only)
• Mirror is very effective in sunlight and
requires no power (day signal only)
• Dye markers are mostly for offshore use
(day signal only)
• Electric distress lights (for night use only)
must automatically flash the SOS international
distress signal • • • — — — •
• • (light must be marked that it meets
Coast Guard requirements in 46 CFR
161.013)
Under Inland Navigation Rules, a high-intensity
white light that flashes at regular
intervals from 50 to 70 times per minute is
considered a distress signal, but it does not
count toward meeting the VDS requirement.
The international distress signal of
slowly and repeatedly raising outstretched
arms to each side is a simple attention-getter.
Do not wave your arms over your head;
it looks like a greeting (See Figure 2-15) .
Visual Distress Signal
Requirements
The following are examples of the varieties
and combinations of devices that meet the
minimum requirements:
• Three hand-held red flares (day and
night)
• One hand-held red flare and two parachute
flares (day and night)
• One hand-held orange smoke signal, two
floating orange smoke signals (day), and
one electric distress signal (night only)
Use of Visual Distress
Signals
The use of visual distress signals is prohibited
except for emergency situations. The
Coast Guard dispatches a vessel and/or aircraft
each time a distress signal is reported.
Do not fire flares until you are sure
there is a chance of their being seen.
Hand-Held Flares
• Have them located for easy access.
• Use pyrotechnic signals safely. They can
cause personal injury and property damage
if you do not handle them properly.
These signals produce a very hot flame,
and the residue can cause burns or ignite
flammable material. The buring slag is
very hot and can start fires on board, or
cause serious burns.
• They contain a built-in striker top. Igniting
the flare is much like working with a
wooden match. Strike the top against the
surface of the flare to ignite.
• Hand-held flares burn for minutes, but
they are low in altitude and have limited
range, typically a few miles (Figure 2-13).
Aerial Pyrotechnics
• Aerial flares can be seen for great distances.
Often they will rise to heights of
500 to 1,000 feet. The meteor flares are
typically illuminated for less than 30
Tip: For safety’s sake, tape your flares to the end of a mop handle
or boat hook. This will allow you to hold the burning flare downwind
and away from the boat to avoid burns from dripping slag.
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30 Chapter One