Flags/ensigns and size of boat

[polhoff]

If I sail from England to France/ Europe, what are rules with regard to registering boat on arrival according to boat size? You are required to hoist a flag of the country you're visiting, but what if you're in a Wayfarer dinghy? How large does the boat have to be before you have to follow the rules? Or is it more to do with whether the boat has a cabin? What if it's a 30 foot open boat?

Thanks

 

[lpdsn]

You're a Brit I presume. Register the boat on the SSR before you go to France. You need a UK address. The French in particular seem to make a fuss about unregistered boats arriving there.

I'm not sure of the lower size limits in France. Ireland did try to introduce a law requiring vessels above a certain size to fly an ensign - it would've affected the 1720s - but it faded away during a change of government.

What boat do you have?

In general you'd put a red ensign on the stern. French flag at the starboard spreader when in French waters. You can buy the French flag as a courtesy ensign.

PS If you want to register the boat as French once you get there that's a whole different ballgame.

 

[CCJ]

If I sail from England to France/ Europe, what are rules with regard to registering boat on arrival according to boat size? You are required to hoist a flag of the country you're visiting, but what if you're in a Wayfarer dinghy? How large does the boat have to be before you have to follow the rules? Or is it more to do with whether the boat has a cabin? What if it's a 30 foot open boat?

Thanks

The RYA has a section relating to foreign visits