What do you all think and use? I have become leery of using flares. Just seems to me to be way to easy to burn yourself, or the boat, or get blwon up if an accident has caused a fuel spill. And a flare gun just sounds way too much like an invitation to a law suit. (I picture myself pulling the trigger to call for help, and watch in panic as the flare wanders off path and drops on teh roof of someones $250,000 house boat).

So I'm think I want an automatic SOS light. But where and the heck can you get one? Coast Guard says they have to have an USCP approval sticker on them. I found 2 total on the whole internet, that signal SOS continuously when you turn them on. One of the 2 is USCG approved, but the manufacturer (ACR) quit making them. And the other one, is NOT USCG approved, but can be had from Hydrostar ( http://www.thewaterproofstore.com/sosdeluxe.html ).

I guess I'm crazy, but why does the Coast Guard make me have an automatic SOS light, when I can do that with a spot light manually? I mean, if the boat is sinking, even the flares aren't automatic.

Ya ever set off a hand held flare on a boat? Just seems to me like a great way to make an accident even worse.