Do you know how powerful the heat of a flare is?
Boaties learned that even aluminium can't withstand the heat from red illumination flares
Coffs Harbour
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BOATIES and their families this weekend discovered that the extreme heat from red illumination flares is enough to burn a hole through plastic and melt aluminium.
The flare demonstration was part of Yeppoon Coast Guard's building over the weekend for a safe boating course.
Saturday's free bi-monthly Boat Safety course was attended by 19 boaties and their families.
The course provides boaties with local information not covered in the Recreational Marine Drivers License curriculum.
Experienced boat owner Brad Mulvihill says he always enjoys coming along to the course.
"It is a must do for even experienced boaties," he said.
"You can always learn something new."
The public education course has been run by flotilla members for eight years now and in that time progressive improvements such as the Reef Protection Areas and regulations for safe operation during the migration season of the increasing whale population.
Those at the course were also informed about the improvements in the Coast Guard's rescue vessels and crews, such as radio direction finding.
A favourite part of the course is always the flare demonstration.
For participants like Oliver Weeks and Piper Mills it was their first opportunity to see flares in use.
The demonstration looked at the dangers associated with extreme heat generated by the red illumination flares.
In what was a busy weekend already for the Coast Guard, the team was called to assist a number of people aboard a boat which had broken down three nautical miles east of Rosslyn Bay.
A 10 metre power boat with five people on board had broken down on it's return trip from Great Keppel island shortly after 1.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
Gormans Removals Rescue departed Rosslyn Bay at 1.30pm, took the boat in tow at 1.50pm and returned to harbour at 2.30pm.
Originally published as Do you know how powerful the heat of a flare is?
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