On Fri, 17 Oct 2008 06:43:33 -0700 (PDT), Bart
wrote:

On Oct 15, 11:16*am, Bart wrote:
What boat safety gear (not personal gear) should you
have below just inside the companionway? *1 pt

DOES ANYONE HERE KEEP A COLLISION AVOIDANCE FLARE,
DRY AND HANDY, JUST INSIDE THE COMPANIONWAY?

http://www.pangolin.co.nz/jetsam/view_article.php?idx=7

This is the reason I started this thread. I was curious if anyone
carried one of these in a handy location. On my last trip between
Gibraltar and Malta, I once counted six ships visible at the same
time. I've never seen so much shipping traffic on open
waters.

I also noticed each of the two yachts I sailed, based in the UK,
and used for commercial training, were fitted with collision
avoidance flares.

How often do you need them? Perhaps never, but it is a
comforting thing to have and a worthwhile piece of equipment
to have handy.

That article indicates that it is just an idea, and no one
manufactures such a device. The article also raises the point that
this flare might be confusing to others, who haven't read the same
article. It's not an "accepted" and widely known form of collision
avoidance.

yes it's an attention getter, but so is a carbide cannon.