st599
Well-known member
We've had 3 staff members checked so far - 2 in the Netherlands, 1 in France.
Heading to France.....info sources
- Thread starter Sea-Fever
- Start date
We've had 3 staff members checked so far - 2 in the Netherlands, 1 in France.
Stork_III
Well-known member
Sea-Fever
Active member
Thanks for that.
Sea-Fever
Active member
Can anyone advise re French rules about boat equipment/condition? ...or do French rules apply to French flagged vessels only?
Day shapes??
Holding tank? - fitted one.
Flares - well out of date....should I leave them at home?
Epirb - yep but can't see that being mandatory.
Courtesy flags...yes.
Q flag yep.
Anything else I'm likely to fall foul of?
Day shapes??
Holding tank? - fitted one.
Flares - well out of date....should I leave them at home?
Epirb - yep but can't see that being mandatory.
Courtesy flags...yes.
Q flag yep.
Anything else I'm likely to fall foul of?
Koeketiene
Well-known member
It's not the case.
Just like I can't register my French vaccination certificate on the NHS app.
Koeketiene
Well-known member
When you are on 'innocent passage' (not keeping your boat in France permanently) the French rules do not apply to you.
Leave them at home, or don't tell officials about them.
If you do carry flares, they should be in date. Same goes for your liferaft.
Daedelus
Well-known member
Original insurance certificate.
I would not take time expired flares, the local rules do apply - you are in their waters so coastal state + flag state rules apply. Both can get you. The French used to be very laid back for the most part, you were meant to fly a Q flag coming back from the CI, but although well aware where you had come from they seemed to prefer you not to make a fuss and bother them.
However, IF upset (and I sometimes wonder if occasionally they have had a row at home or something) they will go through the boat with a fine-tooth comb and can issue a fine for every infringement.
In any event time expireds could be very dangerous in use - see the story of Duncan Wells and an in date flare which blew up as he was demo-ing it.
I would not take time expired flares, the local rules do apply - you are in their waters so coastal state + flag state rules apply. Both can get you. The French used to be very laid back for the most part, you were meant to fly a Q flag coming back from the CI, but although well aware where you had come from they seemed to prefer you not to make a fuss and bother them.
However, IF upset (and I sometimes wonder if occasionally they have had a row at home or something) they will go through the boat with a fine-tooth comb and can issue a fine for every infringement.
In any event time expireds could be very dangerous in use - see the story of Duncan Wells and an in date flare which blew up as he was demo-ing it.
Sea Devil
Well-known member
Just to add confusion sailing back to the UK you need a covid test 48 hours before arrival, fill out online a Passenger Locator Form which requires you to have purchased a 2 day Covid test - which you can also do online. Plus call Yachtline on arrival in UK and fly Q from 12 miles out..
Cherbourg will be good because it has a Police Frontier station there and on arrival (flying Q flag) you will need to present your passports for stamping and your 90/180 day clock will start to tick...
Ships Papers and Insurance and that's it.
For Covid a lot of French wear masks but certainly not all.... Big shopping centers, bars, restaurants, cafes are required to ask to see your double vaccination certificate... If you have a UK one in any form that will be OK - This is a pretty recent law and so far I have seen no evidence of it actually being enforced and local councils can decide on shopping centers but neither of my two big ones are asking to see certificates.
All my stuff is on my French anti covid app but never been asked to show it except at an airport checkin
Cherbourg will be good because it has a Police Frontier station there and on arrival (flying Q flag) you will need to present your passports for stamping and your 90/180 day clock will start to tick...
Ships Papers and Insurance and that's it.
For Covid a lot of French wear masks but certainly not all.... Big shopping centers, bars, restaurants, cafes are required to ask to see your double vaccination certificate... If you have a UK one in any form that will be OK - This is a pretty recent law and so far I have seen no evidence of it actually being enforced and local councils can decide on shopping centers but neither of my two big ones are asking to see certificates.
All my stuff is on my French anti covid app but never been asked to show it except at an airport checkin