For what misdemeanours might the French put me in the naughty corner?

[Babylon]

Fire extinguishers expiry 2016 (both of them).
Flares expiry 2019 (the white ones at least; I haven't looked in the yellow box yet but they were last replaced in 2017).
Liferaft service date June 2022 (so this depends exactly when this summer I might go).
Anything else?

Also (and apologies if it has been covered here before) if I wanted to go to North Brittany via Guernsey in a small slow yacht via the shortest least stressful route, what should I do in terms of checking-in? Cherbourg first for the paperwork, then Guernsey then say Lezardrieux - or does stopping at the CI's en-route count as checking-out? (But how would the gendarmes know where I've been or not been?!)

Or if I wanted to leave Cherbourg out altogether and make landfall first in Alderney, where in North Brittany would I have to go first to check-in?

 

[Arcady]

Where are you planning to depart from? Yes - checking in at any of the CI’s would mean you have cleared out of the EU.

 

[st599]

Each region in France has a different method of checking in and out.

For Brittanny, each main Marina has a form to fill out, they then arrange for you to visit the nearest Frontiers Police (at your own cost). And yes, you have to check out before going to the CIs, then check back in again.

 

[Boathook]

Out of date flares in France is a big no, so I have heard. If the fire extinguishers have a pressure gauge on them and the pressure is ok put an 'inspected sticker' with a relevant date over the expiry date.
With regard to travelling to France and CI, please do it and let the rest of us know how it works. I have read so many threads on the theory on here but none actual unless I have missed them!

st599 may have answered France and it may be a place to avoid this year if the police are a taxi journey away.

 

[st599]

Out of date flares in France is a big no, so I have heard. If the fire extinguishers have a pressure gauge on them and the pressure is ok put an 'inspected sticker' with a relevant date over the expiry date.
With regard to travelling to France and CI, please do it and let the rest of us know how it works. I have read so many threads on the theory on here but none actual unless I have missed them!

st599 may have answered France and it may be a place to avoid this year if the police are a taxi journey away.

The rules are short term, European Entry and Exit System goes live later this year, when you have to get a fingerprint scan and retina scan on entry and exit. (The UK is also rolling that out, but it's late)

Hopefully available at big marinas - but if not then get used to the taxi.

 

[Frogmogman]

Fire extinguishers expiry 2016 (both of them).
Flares expiry 2019 (the white ones at least; I haven't looked in the yellow box yet but they were last replaced in 2017).
Liferaft service date June 2022 (so this depends exactly when this summer I might go).
Anything else?

Also (and apologies if it has been covered here before) if I wanted to go to North Brittany via Guernsey in a small slow yacht via the shortest least stressful route, what should I do in terms of checking-in? Cherbourg first for the paperwork, then Guernsey then say Lezardrieux - or does stopping at the CI's en-route count as checking-out? (But how would the gendarmes know where I've been or not been?!)

Or if I wanted to leave Cherbourg out altogether and make landfall first in Alderney, where in North Brittany would I have to go first to check-in?

The title of your thread implies (I’m sure tongue in cheek) that the French authorities are big spoilsports.

By hoisting a courtesy flag, you are agreeing to respect the local regulations of the country you are visiting. French regulations require certain safety equipment to be on board, and to be in date where applicable. It’s no more unreasonable of the authorities to check on this than it is for the police to inspect the MOT certificate of your car.

FWIW, I’m not sure how comfortable I’d be sailing with someone who seems quite so relaxed about the safety equipment on board.

 

[Daydream believer]

I know flares have to be in date. However, does one actually have to have them? Bearing in mind that some are adopting laser flares (which are not, as I understand it, an internationally recognised distress item yet) so would not necessarily carry flares anyway. One does not have to have a life raft; only have it correctly dated if on board. Which always seems a bit odd.

 

[DJE]

Or if I wanted to leave Cherbourg out altogether and make landfall first in Alderney, where in North Brittany would I have to go first to check-in?

Looks like St. Malo, St Brieuc, or Roscoff.
Or somewhere with a taxi ride to one of these.

 

[Robin]

I thought you only have to comply with the rules of where the boat is registered. So as a visitor rather than resident no need to even have a life raft let alone an in date one, same for flares, explaining that to trainee Gendarme Claude might be challenging mind. In the past I was able to reconfigure dates on some things and/or create 'inspected and approved for use ' stickers., purely as a just in case scenario that never happened.

 

[Lightwave395]

On the advice of the marina, I checked out of Roscoff last summer at the Brittany Ferries terminal next door to the marina. They told me I could ring the Border Police number and hang around for up to 48 hours otherwise.
I was told by some french sailors that flares are not necessary but if you have them they must be in date
That was last June though

 

[doug748]

Fire extinguishers expiry 2016 (both of them).
Flares expiry 2019 (the white ones at least; I haven't looked in the yellow box yet but they were last replaced in 2017).
Liferaft service date June 2022 (so this depends exactly when this summer I might go).
Anything else?

Also (and apologies if it has been covered here before) if I wanted to go to North Brittany via Guernsey in a small slow yacht via the shortest least stressful route, what should I do in terms of checking-in? Cherbourg first for the paperwork, then Guernsey then say Lezardrieux - or does stopping at the CI's en-route count as checking-out? (But how would the gendarmes know where I've been or not been?!)

Or if I wanted to leave Cherbourg out altogether and make landfall first in Alderney, where in North Brittany would I have to go first to check-in?

It could cost under £40 to replace the extinguishers with the type mentioned above, well under twenty quid when they are on offer at Aldi/Lidl.

I have a PLB and leave the flares at home (in fact I don't, I have a museum quality collection but in a long career have never been asked to display them)

Attend to the liferaft now, or leave it at home or carry on as you are or take a new sticker with you. According to taste.

As an outside visitor, in a small foreign flagged boat, you are unlikely to attract any particular attention. (or any attention at all)
If you have a large/expensive/new vessel and/or keep it in France or show signs of actually being resident or of trying to be resident or of being a French National flying low then I would take extra care.

In my experience, what you must have to hand is the proper paperwork. I take the lot

.

 

[Roberto]

Safety equipment must be in accordance with the flag of the boat.
Even with French flag, after having been checked a number of times I was never asked anything about safety items, nor radio licence for example (and I also have a very visible amateur station at the chart table).
As a hearsay anecdote, a friend safety items were checked and they found something missing, the Gendarmerie Maritime filed a report with a fine, but it all ended up there: apparently it's a type of offence which must go through court (?) and they have no time to pursue most of them.

 

[Bouba]

Large waterproof torch

 

[Neeves]

I know flares have to be in date. However, does one actually have to have them? Bearing in mind that some are adopting laser flares (which are not, as I understand it, an internationally recognised distress item yet) so would not necessarily carry flares anyway. One does not have to have a life raft; only have it correctly dated if on board. Which always seems a bit odd.

No more odd than the requirement to carry a lifering or horse shoe buoy when you are sailing

single handed

Jonathan

 

[Robin]

It could cost under £40 to replace the extinguishers with the type mentioned above, well under twenty quid when they are on offer at Aldi/Lidl.

I have a PLB and leave the flares at home (in fact I don't, I have a museum quality collection but in a long career have never been asked to display them)

Attend to the liferaft now, or leave it at home or carry on as you are or take a new sticker with you. According to taste.

As an outside visitor, in a small foreign flagged boat, you are unlikely to attract any particular attention. (or any attention at all)
If you have a large/expensive/new vessel and/or keep it in France or show signs of actually being resident or of trying to be resident or of being a French National flying low then I would take extra care.

In my experience, what you must have to hand is the proper paperwork. I take the lot

.

As far as paperwork is concerned I kept all the relevant papers in a dedicated briefcase ( a freebie way back from PBO for a years subscription sign up at SBS). This normally resided safely at home and treated as the 'grab bag' to take for any last minute shopping cruise or longer vacation. We were frequently inspected by French customs officials even in some wild out of the way anchorages and they were very courteous and often seemed impressed by the availability and tidy collation of the documentation. For the most part offers of coffee or other refreshment politely refused except for one gendarme in Port Haliguen that steadily worked his way through a bottle of my best scotch.

 

[Roberto]

No more odd than the requirement to carry a lifering or horse shoe buoy when you are sailing

single handed

Jonathan

You might wish to help other people.
A bit like keeping the vhf switched off, "I'll turn it on if I am in distress"

 

[dunedin]

I thought you only have to comply with the rules of where the boat is registered. So as a visitor rather than resident no need to even have a life raft let alone an in date one, same for flares, explaining that to trainee Gendarme Claude might be challenging mind. In the past I was able to reconfigure dates on some things and/or create 'inspected and approved for use ' stickers., purely as a just in case scenario that never happened.

No, I think that is potentially wishful thinking. In the same way that if driving through France you need to comply with certain rules on equipment to carry (and if arriving in UK you need to comply with not carrying guns etc), so a yacht cruising in foreign waters needs to pay attention to local rules which may apply. New Zealand seemed to have a particular keenness to apply strict rules to foreign flagged yachts, for example.
There is a very good article on this on the RYA website, where the RYA explore the concept of “innocent passage” which many seem to think applies - whereas they suggest it probably does not for a typical yacht cruise. As with most legal details and ambiguities between national and international laws, I think they suggested somebody might need to fight a case in the foreign court to determine one way or another. But this would be a rather high risk and high cost strategy. Do you feel lucky?
Personally I would (and did) dispose of out of date flares and buy an almanac for sailing in French waters. All other stuff complied with French rules, as boat purchased in France. Seemed simpler than worrying, even if 99% of boats never get checked in detail.

 

[Bouba]

I also found that they were impressed if life jackets were close to hand...so if not actually wearing one have it draped over the helm seat

 

[Roberto]

I also found that they were impressed if life jackets were close to hand...so if not actually wearing one have it draped over the helm seat

Should you want to follow regulations to the letter, they ought to have written somewhere some sort of boat identification: the name of the boat, the registration number, etc

 

[Babylon]

Thanks for the responses.

For personal reasons I've not been able to do much longer-distance sailing in the last three years or so, just a bit of bimbling in and fairly close to the Solent each summer, so haven't had cause to worry too much about intergalactic safety.

My liferaft service is due in June, appx cost £450 or £550 if cylinder needs replacing (purchased 2013, last serviced 2017, a new equivalent is about £1,700).

The flares are a 2016 RORC pack - I've forgotten how long they last before needing replacement, but current equivalent costs £200 and billed as 3.75yrs to expiry (Dec 2025).

The jury's out on whether I'll trouble with France just yet - plenty enough fun just going to Alderney/Guernsey/Sark etc, and might take in Dartmouth to make a triangle out of it, or just head west anyway...?