"Hi Steve, Phil here again, This is 1 area where I disagree with the RNLI. They maintain that other people will spot your flares and know your in trouble. Great, it doesn't mean they will react, and you don't know what's going on rescue wise. you are purely passive. After the VHF I think a mobile phone is best at the distance offshore that you sail you will almost certainly get a signal, and best of all you know that help is on it's way. Very important in the psychology of survival/rescue. Don't get me wrong I think the RNLI are fantastic, but they have to think that all people are incapable and do everything for them. Personally, I think self rescue is by far the best option. Good discussion point though. Phil"

There has been some good discussion in the comments below and also on the open boat forum. It does make me sit up and think and the comment from Phil above has really made me think. What if I capsize, can I actually right the boat? I can without all the sails onboard but have never tried it with sails in place. If I capsize its likely to be in gusty winds. The boat floats quite high so she is going to be drifting fairly quickly I suspect. I've got to free mizzen, main and jib sheets; retrieve the centreboard and then somehow turn the bow into the wind. Then I have to haul myself up onto the centreboard and using jib sheet try and get the boat upright. An open boat with a big cockpit there will be a fair amount of water in her - a bucket and bale like hell job. Things will be floating about although they are all tied onto the hull. The anchor in the bucket, I hope, will have stayed in it secured by the bungee across the top but, honestly, I'm not sure about that.

So worst case scenario, I'm in the water holding onto a drifting boat and trying to use VHF; if VHF is out I do have mobile phone and as Phil says 4 miles out transmission signal should be fine. Closer in, well my experience is patchy. Within 500m of a cliffy shoreline - it's zero! 

So I think in the worst case scenario when VHF and phone have failed I'll see what is around; if there are boats within visibility and its that life threatening; or impossible to right the boat - an orange floating smoke to attract attention and get help. If they don't seem to be coming then activate the SPOT and then another orsange smoke (which of course makes the assumption that you have been able to retrieve them from the boat within a grab bag).  If boats arrive then I can use their VHF to alert coastguard of the situation so when they get the SPOT message they know not to react. In fact I wonder if there is someway I can cancel an emergency button on the SPOT? Must check that.

So is this a safe plan, what do people think? Has anyone actually worked out scenarios for what they do in such eventualities? If you have I'd love to hear from you about your 'plans'.

Phil thanks for your comments. They've started an important train of thought which hopefully will lead to me being safer on the water. Appreciated.

Steve