When coastal cruising, I have always felt reasonably comfortable in the knowledge that my container of flares was at hand under the foredeck. But a recent experience made me much less complacent.

Walking along the cliff top near my Margate home one afternoon last summer, a white flare appeared, far offshore. No ships or smaller craft were visible, but I ran to the nearest phone box and reported the sighting to the coastguard.

A duty officer politely informed me that the local lifeboat, exercising out at sea, had used a number of flares during the previous hour. He thanked me for calling and, during a brief conversation, confirmed that nobody else had contacted him about the incident.

This worries me.

I realise that white flares are not a recognised sign of distress, but if a vessel in difficulties has used all her red flares to no avail, the next step would be to discharge white, green or sky-blue pink ones in a desperate attempt to attract attention.

To the general public a flare is a flare, no matter what its colour. This one was seen by thousands of people on a July afternoon and ignored. What hope is there of any response to a device used late at night in a more isolated spot?