new flares

So, with the new laws meaning I need to replace/renew my flares, I was wondering who has the best "use by" dates.

 

I dont want to go & spend my hard earned on some that will only last 12mths when there may be some available with 24mths or longer.

 

Thanks

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southcity104's picture

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Date Joined: 27/01/09

which new laws?

Tue, 2012-09-18 07:37

 ..

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Tim's picture

Posts: 2497

Date Joined: 26/09/06

Rules

Tue, 2012-09-18 08:00

Rules were updated in July to say flares must now be in date as well as serviceable condition

http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/imarine/19165.asp

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Date Joined: 18/01/12

 After 31 dec all flares must

Tue, 2012-09-18 07:54

 After 31 dec all flares must be in date, and illegal to possess out of date ones

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Toby Roe's picture

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Date Joined: 01/02/10

Just wanted to let everybody

Tue, 2012-09-18 11:40

Just wanted to let everybody know that following the rule change it will NOT be illegal to possess out of date flares, they just can't be your only set of flares (e.g. you can have them as a back up along with your second set if you want).

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Date Joined: 08/07/08

Flares

Tue, 2012-09-18 08:08

New Flares should have 3 years life

chris raff's picture

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Date Joined: 09/02/10

Flares

Tue, 2012-09-18 09:42

just brought from bcf $109 current with full 3 years

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just spoke to DPI Freo, at

Tue, 2012-09-18 11:28

just spoke to DPI Freo, at the moment it is still being debated internally whether it is now or in force July 2013

____________________________________________________________________________

 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

Brock O's picture

Posts: 3244

Date Joined: 11/01/08

Got Picked up

Tue, 2012-09-18 12:09

 two weeks ago at the cockburn ramp, mine were out of date but no fine given.

 He stated the new laws and that i would need a new set.

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Date Joined: 29/05/08

Yeah, same here Brock.That's

Tue, 2012-09-18 13:05

Yeah, same here Brock.

That's why I'm asking. Dont want to get ripped off.

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"Some  cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde
 

Brock O's picture

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Date Joined: 11/01/08

To tell

Tue, 2012-09-18 13:51

 the truth fisherking he mention a few things but me being in fishing mode i was more concerned about finding the bungs, it went in one ear and out the other.

 

 "He mentioned a somthing about a curtin distance offshore, i said i had rotto booked for chrissy so better get them sorted by then, he said yea make    sure you have em by then"

 

 Sorry! not much help am i..

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Date Joined: 29/05/08

I actually had a bit of an

Tue, 2012-09-18 14:02

I actually had a bit of an arguement with them concerning a radio & flares.

 

I was at woodies & was told that I needed "in date flares & a radio".

I only have a small tinny & never go out of Cockburn Sound but, apparently, I need a radio because "I could go too far".

 

I do have a VHF hand held & will take that from now on & I will buy in date flares just to be sure, but I dont think I have miss read the rules.

 

Seems a bit picky to me.

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"Some  cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde
 

carnarvonite's picture

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Date Joined: 24/07/07

Complaints

Tue, 2012-09-18 15:30

Seems to be a few who like to complain about having the correct safety gear for one reason or another, what it comes down to is you and your passengers safety.

Sure, I didnt like having to go out and buy another set of flares when I've already got 3 but rules are rules and the new flares are cheaper than a fine.

As for a radio, IMO all boats should carry a VHF and do away completely with 27meg thus having better range and clarity and if in distress the ability to be picked up by aircraft.

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Date Joined: 18/01/12

thats a bit unfair John, to

Tue, 2012-09-18 15:50

thats a bit unfair John, to label people as complainers who dont blindly follow every rule just cos a "guvmint" desk jockey may have decided so. Its not as simple as "rules are rules".

I personally havent heard of a single incidence of a set of flares PROPERLY SEALED, failing to ignite. Or a set self-igniting due to their age.

I have seen ones at flare demos fail but they have never come straight out of the sealed bag that I have seen.

In your VMR capacity you may have come across failures but its impossible to verify if they were in good nick beforehand Id say, after the event.

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 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

carnarvonite's picture

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Date Joined: 24/07/07

Submissions

Tue, 2012-09-18 20:21

Go back a few months and I put a bit on site asking for members to put in submissions on what they thought would be a suitable cut off date for their flares to be out of date, forget what my written one was but think somewhere round 3years out of date but still in good condition.

Our DoT boss here was on the panel that decided on the changes , mainly to bring us somewhere in line with some of the other states , said that he was disappointed with the lack of others putting in their two cents worth before the decision was made. Whether mine made any difference I will never know but at least I know I tried.

 

Not 100% sure , but think that in QLD you can be fined if you still have the out of date flares still on board, there have to be disposed of as soon as they expire, so that may be one thing in our favour.

 

At our two last demos, well the last was for the passing of one of our dearly loved life members, and in the something like 150 odd flarse there were only 3 that failed and they were in shocking condition and passed on to DoT for them to dispose of.

Rod P's picture

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Yeah they asked for written

Thu, 2012-09-20 13:48

Yeah they asked for written submissions but the law had already been written and put in place. It was just lip service. The law is that they must be in date as of next July 1st 2013

 

Having said that you'll get told different things by different officers. They don't even know there own rules and that sh-ts me. I had a mate once was fined ( i had it removed) for not having a GPS on board..

carnarvonite's picture

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Knock it

Thu, 2012-09-20 19:38

Don't knock it, you would be surprised at the amount of boats that go well out to sea and don't even have a compass on board [or know how to steer by one!]

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Date Joined: 18/01/12

yeah but thats going to

Thu, 2012-09-20 23:34

yeah but thats going to happen whether its illegal or not. Only way to stop them is to catch them.

Its just like speeders-if someone habitually drives well over the limit, dropping the speed limit only affects the those that comply.

____________________________________________________________________________

 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

grayzeee's picture

Posts: 2283

Date Joined: 09/07/09

I got asked at the ramp the

Tue, 2012-09-18 16:40

I got asked at the ramp the other morning at 5 am.

Realised mine were out of date along with my epirb rego.    

Glad I got checked as we'd moved and I'd forgot to update details on epirb.

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If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am. 

sea-kem's picture

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Date Joined: 30/11/09

I can see the reasoning

Tue, 2012-09-18 17:05

I can see the reasoning behind this and I guess there needs to be a life expectancy cut off line. . let's face it people it's getting to be an expensive hobby we have. What about life jackets? I reckon they degrade more than the sealed up flares do. I've just thrown all mine out as the securing belts have all disintergrated and that's being stored out of the sunlight at the front of the boat. When checked by fisheries I've only ever held them up for them to see they've never actually checked the integrity of them.

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no grace period on flares

Tue, 2012-09-18 17:11

Your flares must be maintained in serviceable condition at all times and not be outside their expiry date. Check them regularly to ensure they have not been rendered un-serviceable by exposure to moisture. Mildew, or bubbling of paper coatings may indicate this

the above is from dot web site no mention of grace period

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no you are right Meg, I

Tue, 2012-09-18 18:52

no you are right Meg, I noticed that also. But verbally that is what I got from DPI Freo this morning.

____________________________________________________________________________

 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

Posts: 5981

Date Joined: 17/06/10

flare pack bcf

Tue, 2012-09-18 17:22

chris raft did you buy an inshore or offshore flare pack, on the subject of VHF radios has anyone been asked to produce their certificate of compitence for VHF radiothis is a requirement by ACMA

chris raff's picture

Posts: 3257

Date Joined: 09/02/10

offshore

Tue, 2012-09-18 18:15

being 2 x parachute and 2 x handheld expiry 07/15...I have both UHF and VHF and never been asked for certificate

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Intelligence is like a four-wheel drive. It only allows you to get stuck in more remote places.”

sea-kem's picture

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Date Joined: 30/11/09

How can they make  you unless

Tue, 2012-09-18 17:37

How can they make  you unless you are using it? I have one on boat and keep it and monitor it but don't use it. They can fine the shit out of me if it saves my life.

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Love the West!

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Date Joined: 01/02/10

Never been asked meglodon.

Tue, 2012-09-18 17:48

Never been asked meglodon. Have had comments on it though. I keep it in a wallet with fishing licence, skippers ticket and Vmr ID.

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Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

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Date Joined: 25/09/08

Flare date

Tue, 2012-09-18 18:48

 The law requiring that all flares Must Be in code,EG they have a three year date stamped on them. Purchase 2012 out of code 2015. Are they going to have the actual months also stamped on them,so if a dealer buys them in January 2013 they are stamped until January 2016.or will they sit in the dealers shop,and if bought in November or December 2013 they will have lost all those months. I suggest that as the Fisheries & Marine & Habours are policing this then those two departments should (a) sell them at cost price  and they can be endorsed at the exact date  when sold (b) they can  record each boat rego number and know that craft has them.also the older flares,if they need disposal can be handed in when we buy the new set. As Flare are clearly a safety item,is the federal/state goverments going to remove the tax (if any) from them,this will then bring down the price.Also,if flares are so important in the safety of boats at sea,why can we not buy flare pistols as they are easy to use and can send a flare very high,please dont say that they are a dangerous weapon,as they are no more or less dangerous than a rocket flare used by the wrong person.

Vinesh87's picture

Posts: 2751

Date Joined: 02/04/11

on vhf andy i feel the same

Thu, 2012-09-20 23:50

on vhf andy i feel the same way. quite a few yrs ago i wrang a few places to do my vhf license and no one wanted to run the course so i gave up.

 

And flares well yeh $100 every 3 years you get that, its never been a cheap hobby