After an horrendous accident wasn't there a product recall recently?
OK if your regs require flares then you must carry them. 20M seems a lot. Is that what your manufacturer claims?
As for 'no power for vhf' problem, you might consider a portable vhf as back-up.
On the contrary, when the rescue services are searching in poor or no light, that's surely when to flash the lamp across? My seacheck RNLI guy had no problem with the method.
Sorry but I think you are wrong as well. Having been involved in sea incidents with flares used, I can vouch for their use and carraige.
On my boat I have both In-date and Out of date flares, principally the more I can have on board the better. I also carry a powerful rechargeable hand lantern.
The flash of the lantern across the bridge of a ship I can accept - a QUICK flash, not a blinding steady light. Across the screen of a Helicopter - are you kidding ? That is something I would never intentionally do for the very reason that Pilot needs all the sight he can use and certainly will not appreciate a blinding light flashed at him. We had strict instructions about lights etc. when doing heli ops on ships -one of them was precisely the lamp !
IMHO not carrying a flare pack is not advised. Many rescues can be attributed to their use.
