Boat flares in Queensland: when you need them, how to use them and what to do with old ones

When flares are required: in or beyond partially smooth waters

Flares become compulsory when you leave smooth waters. Section 14 of the regulation says a boat, other than a jet ski or tender, operating in or beyond partially smooth waters must carry a V sheet, 2 compliant handheld red flares and 2 compliant handheld orange smoke signals. Section 13 sets the smooth waters list, and flares aren't on it.

Who it applies to matters too. The equipment rules in that part of the regulation cover boats that must be registered, which in practice means recreational boats with an engine of 3 kW or more. The BoatSafe Workbook's safety equipment table marks flares as recommended, not required, for boats that don't need registration.

Two other craft carry the same kit. A jet ski in or beyond partially smooth waters needs a V sheet and the same 4 signals under section 15, with exceptions for aquatic events and for waters beyond partially smooth within 0.5 nautical miles of land. A registered tender in those waters needs them under section 20.

Smooth, partially smooth or beyond: how the Sunshine Coast waters sort out

Your flare duty depends on the water type, and the regulation defines each one. The Maroochy River and the Noosa River count as smooth waters, because the definition covers every river, creek, stream and lake. It also takes in water sheltered inside a breakwater or revetment, each area named in schedule 8, and anything within 0.5 nautical miles of land inside a schedule 7 area.

Schedule 8 also lists the waters between the western shore of Bribie Island and the mainland, up to the island's northern tip. That's the Pumicestone Passage, off Golden Beach and Caloundra, so it's smooth water too.

Partially smooth waters are the areas listed in schedule 7, other than waters within 0.5 nautical miles of land. That schedule names places like Brisbane, Maryborough, Gladstone, Townsville and Cairns, and doesn't list a Sunshine Coast area. Heading out onto open sea off the coast? Plan on being beyond partially smooth waters, carry the flares, and check with Maritime Safety Queensland if you're unsure where the boundaries sit. Further than 2 nautical miles out, the BoatSafe Workbook adds a 406 MHz EPIRB registered with AMSA.

What counts: 2 compliant red hand flares and 2 orange smoke signals

The legal minimum is 4 signals: 2 handheld red flares and 2 handheld orange smoke signals. The regulation's list stops at those 4, though you can carry extra in-date flares.

They have to be compliant. Schedule 9 of the regulation defines a compliant red flare or orange smoke signal as one that meets the NSCV, SOLAS or AS 2092-2004, the Australian Standard for pyrotechnic marine distress flares and signals for pleasure craft. Look for one of those on the label before you buy.

Electronic or LED flares come up a lot on retail pages. The Queensland definition names those three standards and nothing else, so if you're thinking of swapping, check with Maritime Safety Queensland first. Don't assume a product counts as one of your 4 required signals just because it's sold as a flare.

The V sheet sits alongside them. It's an orange-red sheet with a black V that you spread on deck or fly as a flag to show you're in distress.

Flares expire, and an expired flare doesn't count

A flare is only part of your safety gear while it's in date. Section 25 of the regulation says a boat is treated as equipped with a red flare or orange smoke signal only if it shows a legible expiry date, that date hasn't passed, and it's in good working order. Carry 4 flares with one out of date and you're legally carrying 3.

How long do boat flares last? There's no single number in Queensland law. It's whatever the manufacturer prints on each flare, so check the date on the side of every one. The Queensland Government tells you to do exactly that.

Expiry matters for a second reason. The Queensland Government says flares are only authorised for use in Queensland while they're within their use-by date. Once expired they become unauthorised explosives, and it's illegal to possess them. That includes keeping an old kit as a backup that's only a few months past its date. Put a reminder in your phone a month before the earliest date in your kit.

Red flare at night, orange smoke by day

Use the red hand flare at night and the orange smoke signal during the day. The BoatSafe Workbook, the official guide for the Queensland licence, lists a red hand flare at night and an orange smoke signal during daytime among the recognised distress signals.

The difference is how far each can be seen. The Workbook says a red hand flare can be seen up to 6 nautical miles away, about 10 km. Orange smoke is visible in daytime only, up to 2 nautical miles (about 4 km) on a clear day.

Timing matters as much as colour. If you carry the minimum 4 signals, every one counts, so don't fire one into empty water. The Workbook says to use flares when there are other boats or aircraft in the area, and to send them off only if they're likely to be seen. Some flares have raised shapes on their caps so you can tell them apart by feel in the dark, which is worth checking on yours before you need it.

How to light a handheld flare without burning yourself

Read the instructions printed on your own flares before you head out, because designs vary. The BoatSafe Workbook gives the general method for a handheld flare:

1. Take the cap off from both ends. 2. Hold the flare and use the striker to ignite it at the top end. 3. Hold it downwind and away from your passengers. 4. When it's finished, dip it in the water to cool it down, because flares get very hot.

Practise the first step in your head, not on the water. Flares are only for emergencies. The Queensland Government says penalties apply if you use them inappropriately, and the Workbook warns that anyone who misuses a flare can also face the costs of the search effort it sets off.

Lighting a flare is one part of a distress call. If you're in trouble, call triple zero (000) if you have phone coverage, make a distress call on your marine radio, and keep your flares ready for when a boat or aircraft comes into view. Stay with your boat.

Store flares dry, handy and away from heat

Keep flares in a waterproof container, somewhere they won't get bashed around in rough water, away from heat and easy to reach. That's the BoatSafe Workbook's advice, and it suggests keeping small items like flares, the V sheet, EPIRB and torch together in one sealed container.

Easy to reach is the part people get wrong. A flare kit buried under the anchor, eskies and fishing gear is no help when the boat's taking water.

The law also says your passengers need to know where it is. Under section 16, a boat only counts as equipped with its safety gear if the owner or master tells each person on board where the gear is kept. You can do that by telling them, showing them, or with a printed sign. The Workbook's pre-departure checks go further: check flare expiry dates, know how to use the gear, and tell everyone what's on board and how it works. A quick briefing before you leave covers it.

Disposing of out-of-date flares in Queensland

Take expired flares to a Maritime Safety Queensland flare collection bin as soon as possible. The Queensland Government says out-of-date marine flares go into special collection bins provided by Maritime Safety Queensland, and the BoatSafe Workbook says those locations are spread across the state and listed on the Maritime Safety Queensland website. Check that list for the nearest point before you set off with old flares in the car.

Don't hang on to them. Since expired flares count as unauthorised explosives in Queensland, keeping them in the shed or the boat isn't legal, even as spares.

Don't let them off either. A flare used anywhere other than an emergency can trigger a search, and the Queensland Government says penalties apply.

A simple routine: when you buy a new kit, take the old one straight to a disposal point. That way there's never an expired flare on board or in the garage.

Learning distress signals on a Sunshine Coast BoatSafe course

Flares, smoke signals, the V sheet and EPIRBs are all part of the BoatSafe syllabus, and our Boat Licence course is priced from $329 with all equipment provided. If someone in your household also wants to ride a jet ski, the Boat & Jet Ski Combo covers both licence courses. You can pick a session on the course dates page.

Courses run at Golden Beach in Caloundra on the Pumicestone Passage, at Maroochydore on the Maroochy River, and at Noosaville on the Noosa River. All three are smooth waters, where flares aren't on the required list, but if you plan to head out to sea, you'll need them.

For the rest of the gear list, including lifejackets and fire extinguishers, see our Queensland boating rules guide. Jet ski owners can find the PWC version, with its 0.5 nautical mile exception, in the jet ski rules guide.