If you boat often, it’s likely that at some point you’ll experience an engine failure,
have an onboard emergency,
or run aground – and require assistance.
Displaying “Charlie” and “November" international code flags,
firing three shots from a gun,
or emitting prolonged horn blasts, are ways to signal distress;
but they do not meet U.S. Coast Guard requirements for what must be carried on board.
Highly effective ways for recreational boaters to communicate distress now include VHF marine radios
and electronic position indicating radio beacons or EPIRBs.
But boaters should also carry approved visual distress signals to attract attention in an emergency.
The Coast Guard requires mechanically powered vessels over sixteen feet on coastal waters and the high seas
to carry readily accessible, serviceable visual distress signals
for both daytime and nighttime uses.
During daylight hours, vessels participating in organized events like races or boat parades,
open sailboats without mechanical propulsion less than twenty-six feet,
and human-propelled boats like canoes and kayaks are exempt.
Boaters can select either pyrotechnic devices – typically flares –
or non-pyrotechnic devices – typically orange flags and electronic distress lights –
or a combination.
Consideration should be given to what devices are best to alert others
and to locate the distressed boat in various circumstances.
Creating awareness comes first followed by
zeroing-in on location.
If you choose non-pyrotechnic signals, you need one approved for day and one approved for night.
Distress flags are three-feet by three-feet with a black square and circle on an orange background and are for daytime use only.
Deploy them by tying to a boat structure, mast, aerial, or boat-hook.
The flags are inexpensive, stow well, and never go out-of-date.
They are not limited by burning time
and may be more visible than red flares,
which can get lost in bright sunlight dancing off waves.
But they are not as visible as orange smoke signals,
except in severe winds.
Electronic visual distress signaling devices or eVDSDs are approved for night only
and must carry the marking: “Night Visual Distress Signal for Boats.
Complies with U.S. Coast Guard Requirements. For Emergency Use Only.”
eVDSDs lawfully and effectively provide a nighttime alternative to flares.
They float and flash Morse Code SOS –
three short strobe flashes followed by three long and then three more short ones.
To meet the requirements for both day and night, signal lights typically are packaged with orange distress flags.
Electronic visual distress signaling devices offer advantages over flares.
They are easier to activate with a simple on-off mechanism and are safe so that even children can operate them.
Their long-lasting signal time eliminates the need for short-lived potentially dangerous pyrotechnics.
They have no expiration date, and as a one-time purchase are less expensive over time.
They are visible for ten or more nautical miles.
They’re powered by replaceable alkaline batteries and are easy to test to ensure serviceability.
They are environmentally safe with no hazardous material disposal issues.
They’re buoyant, so that if dropped in the water they’ll float and stay active.
It’s important to know how properly to service the eVDSD in the event of battery leaks or corrosion.
Since the equipment will rarely be used, its on-off switch also merits attention as a potential point of failure.
Designs with electricity-conducting contact surfaces that self-clean by twisting to turn on the device are desirable.
Those using higher voltage to reduce the amount of current necessary to produce mandated light intensity are also superior.
Other considerations are relative buoyancy of the device,
usually achieved by a combination of a sealed chamber and foam flotation material.
While beacons are visible at a distance of at least ten miles,
their white lights can be obscured by shore lights in the background,
and there is some concern that the SOS light pattern will not be recognized as a distress signal,
because of its difference from the intense burn of a conventional flare.
In 2018, the Coast Guard issued a policy letter accepting dual-color cyan and red-orange light SOS sequencing
as additional colors that can be used in maritime eVDSDs.
A visual distress signal with these two distinct colors can be more effective than white lights.
Check new equivalent Coast Guard approval labels indicating their acceptance for nighttime distress signaling.
Using an eVDSD in conjunction with an alerting device such as a GPS-connected VHF-DSC marine radio or EPIRB
can be an excellent method for attracting the attention of rescuers and helping locate your vessel.
In making the optimal selection from among pyrotechnic and non-pyrotechnic solutions,
always consider the kind of boating activities you’ll be engaging in
and the locations in which you’ll be boating.