French marinas for the french

doris

doris

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 Jun 2001
Messages
2,265
Location
London
Visit site
There's an article in todays comic, YM, that fell on the mat this morning, about the restrictions on foreign yachts in French marinas. Very much french berths for the french! Is this even remotely legal under the EU. Also what is to stop any of us simply getting our boats french registered, no probs the otherway round. Any thoughts boys and girls????????????
 
Well, although now a French resident, I am keeping my boat UK-flagged, as making it French flagged will mean it will be regulated in all safety requirements, pretty much like charter coding, unlike UK where you decide just how far to go, or not.

Haven't seen the article, can you summarise... wont see it out here for at least a month. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
It does not matter at all if it is legal under EU rules. The French will always break the rules if it suits them, and get away with it. Witness their ban on British Beef; the EU fined them eventually and ordered compensation, but they never paid, and there is no enforcement. Just wait till the next fuel shortage in France. French pumps only take French Credit cards. Guess who will get fuel and who will be stranded?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Is this even remotely legal under the EU.

[/ QUOTE ]
Whatever gave you the idea that France has any real interest in obeying EU law when it goes against French interests? They may enact the regulations, but they will only pay lip service to carrying them out.
 
Not the greatest fan of the French, but I do admire the way they stick up for their own interests regardless of what anyone else thinks. I suspect many here would be happier if our authorities did the same.

How would we feel if it were the other way round.

Assuming UK marinas were cheapr than French and the French filled up our marinas. Would we be happy if our marinas went British berths for the British or would we be outraged at a potential breach of EU regulations?
 
This is true, but we'd no doubt prefer them to do the opposite.

My point being that the issue is more one of jealousy of the French's ability to look after their own, and annoyance at our authorities incapability and unwillingness to do the same.
 
Maybe we should organise a Scuttlebut blockade of French ports to protest at the injustice of it all.
I suggest a weekend adjacent to a bank holiday for maximum effect.

We could also raft up on every fuel pontoon in northern France until they introduce more Euro friendly methods of payment
 
Your boat shd be owned by a french person or company before being regisitred - i don't know if there are the same getouts as there are for brit flagged vessels which aren't owned at all by brits but have brit agent (often in the channle islands).

Much more important...french boats pay sailing tax (annual bunce to govt) and must obey the moderately strict rules about equipment carried. Sailing tax isn't peanuts - i paid 10,000 euros for a 75 footer.

You will see few large french registered boats, and the ease with which one can get a boat uk registeered (even if french) might be why some marinas are kicking up a fuss? That and er being french i suppose - mind you i wonder what brits wd feel with so many french flaged boats?
 
Actually the French Fuel pumps only take French credit cards because they introduced Chip and Pin 15 years ago in France, and when Britain eventually decided that the signature system was open to widespread fraud we were too proud to use the French chip technology and developped our own.
Don't go around blaming the French for our sometimes backward Islander mentality!
As for the rest of your comments it is true the French have a more pragmatic approach to the application of rules but don't believe everything the braindead tabloids say...
 
Is this any different from Dartmouth having separate waiting lists for locals and 'outsiders'? I believe Lymington do something similar too, and this is descriminating by postcode within the same country. Bit like the NHS?
 
Joking aside, we should not be angry with the French at all, just think for a minute why some Brits take up residence in France, why do people move their boat to Cherbourg. Dont malign the French. There is an element of jealousy.

If the prices many things in this country, marina fees in particular, were more in keeping with the rest of Europe we would not want their marina berths. I'm afraid we live on Treasure Island!

I think French people are OK, their politics may stink, but just in case you have'nt noticed, so do ours!
 
Well Iam Spanish resident and I have only one month from arrival to change to the Spanish flag with all the nonsense including a official surveyat my cost. This is the Europe me father fought for!
 
Completely agree ETAP_Owner....

Been to France squillions of times, and very very rarely met anyone who was anything other than completely helpful and friendly.

Wonder why so many Brits look to retire overseas (excepting the weather!)....

The problem here is us being jealous of them not being ripped off like we are.....
 
Agreed.

I have lots of good sailing friends in France. At sea we are all equal.

Only ashore do we sometimes conflict in politics, and that is usually only due to bureaucracy (did I spell that right? probably not being derived from the French!!)
 
As a Spanish resident, thus an EU resident, you can register your boat anywhere in the EU. I have chosen UK. That determines the flag you fly. Any customs dues or taxes which are imposed on Spanish nationals will apply to you, but NOT any regs which apply to Spanish flagged boats. This is subject of Articles xx and yy in Maastricht treaty.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top