A practical demonstration on the safe use of marine flares was held on the Anglesea beach at Pt Roadknight last Saturday afternoon. The anglesea Motor Yacht Club organised the demonstration and there was a tremendous turn out of people interested in marine safety.
Everyone present had an opportunity to discharge a flare. The Anglesea Ambulance Service was in attendance, courtesy of Eric Messer and Trevor Thornton.
An initial presentation by Gary Schipper, ocean yachtsman and representative of Stormy Australia set the scene, talking about aspects of safety at sea and using various pieces of equipment. Ambulance Officer Eric Messer focussed on treating accidental burns. He noted that shock from a severe burn can be an unexpected extra danger, especially at sea.
Discharging flares wasn’t restricted only to the men. “I was interested to strike a flare”, said Pam Wilson, member of the yacht club. “I might be the one to use a flare one day if my husband is out of action. I was surprised how simple it was, but I wouldn’t feel so confident if I hadn’t tried it here today.”
It is a legal requirement that red and orange flares be carried in fishing boats at sea. Red flares are better seen at night and orange flares are designed for the daylight hours. Parachute flares observable for 25 kilometres, can be most dangerous to the operator due to the speed of the exiting projectile. These are best discharged using the backhand technique keeping the flare pointed away from the operator’s face.
Commodore of the Anglesea Club, Jack Droomer, mentioned that the Club’s Rescue Boat supports sailing competitions and the community using the nearby beaches. “We recently received a grant from the State Government to purchase replacement PFD1 safety vests for use on our Rescue Boat,” Jack said.
The Anglesea Motor Yacht Club provides a venue for sailing competitions and local fishing. Regular social events at the Club House also cater for members and their families. New members are always welcome. For enquiries contact Ron McDonald on 0419 296 464.
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Shows you what's on our sailing and competition calendar for the near future.
Details of our fishing competitions.
Pam Wilson shows how it's done.
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