Robin
Well-Known Member
We are in danger here of getting paranoid!
British registered yachts have no requirement to carry liferafts at all unless they are MCA coded for charter, so it follows that a valid certificate is not needed either. However there was a report of an over zealous Douanier fining a Brit boat for having an out of date certificate, as also there are reports that Brits were fined for out of date flares. Incorrect action by the French it may be but difficult to argue against in their country, in their language and with an armed and insistent official! It is my belief that other factors may have prevailed in these cases and the fines have been the result of antagonisation or a stroppy attitude.
I believe even French rules have changed this year and they no longer need to have annual certification of liferafts if the manufacturer quotes 3 years, nor do their liferafts need renewing regardless after 10/12 years as they used to, IF they still pass inspection and have a valid certificate
We have been inspected many times over the years and boarded at sea (outside of French waters too) and asked for ships papers and passports. when boarded at sea our passport numbers/details were radioed back to their 'big' boat from their RIB thence to Paris for some kind of extra check. They DID look at our log which was open on the chart table but had only one entry for that day 'Cherbourg East Entrance, time, log reading, from 3 hours back. They asked what an entry 'Bang crash wallop and this is supposed to be fun' meant (SWMBO's little joke in a F8). We have never been asked for insurance, VHF licence, VAT receipt, liferaft certificate or to see flares. We have always been treated politely and never felt threatened and not held up any longer than necessary. We have on occasion asked for and been given 'une fiche' to present to another officer if we were to be stopped again on the same cruise.
Do I fill out a log or passage plan for every little trip - NO. Do I have a passage plan - YES, but for short trips it is only in my head though a route may be set in the plotter (we have routes stored as well as waypoints). If it is relevant I have almanacs, pilots, charts and waypoint files for pretty well everywhere we ever go and can set or change a route in our plotters in seconds, we even carry French Pilotes Cotiers pilots and the French Votre Livre De Bord Almanac. Nothing in this is unusual nor new since SOLAS rules changed, merely common sense or normal practice.
Are we worried about French officialdom - NO. Just smile and be polite and definitely no silly jokes about illegal immigrants, terrorists or drugs. If you don't want to encourage a visit, don't stare at them and definitely don't look at their boat with binoculars - I did once (by accident, I was looking for a friend's boat)) in Isles De Glenan and the RIB was on the way in minutes.
All part of the rich and varied pleasure of cruising!
Robin
British registered yachts have no requirement to carry liferafts at all unless they are MCA coded for charter, so it follows that a valid certificate is not needed either. However there was a report of an over zealous Douanier fining a Brit boat for having an out of date certificate, as also there are reports that Brits were fined for out of date flares. Incorrect action by the French it may be but difficult to argue against in their country, in their language and with an armed and insistent official! It is my belief that other factors may have prevailed in these cases and the fines have been the result of antagonisation or a stroppy attitude.
I believe even French rules have changed this year and they no longer need to have annual certification of liferafts if the manufacturer quotes 3 years, nor do their liferafts need renewing regardless after 10/12 years as they used to, IF they still pass inspection and have a valid certificate
We have been inspected many times over the years and boarded at sea (outside of French waters too) and asked for ships papers and passports. when boarded at sea our passport numbers/details were radioed back to their 'big' boat from their RIB thence to Paris for some kind of extra check. They DID look at our log which was open on the chart table but had only one entry for that day 'Cherbourg East Entrance, time, log reading, from 3 hours back. They asked what an entry 'Bang crash wallop and this is supposed to be fun' meant (SWMBO's little joke in a F8). We have never been asked for insurance, VHF licence, VAT receipt, liferaft certificate or to see flares. We have always been treated politely and never felt threatened and not held up any longer than necessary. We have on occasion asked for and been given 'une fiche' to present to another officer if we were to be stopped again on the same cruise.
Do I fill out a log or passage plan for every little trip - NO. Do I have a passage plan - YES, but for short trips it is only in my head though a route may be set in the plotter (we have routes stored as well as waypoints). If it is relevant I have almanacs, pilots, charts and waypoint files for pretty well everywhere we ever go and can set or change a route in our plotters in seconds, we even carry French Pilotes Cotiers pilots and the French Votre Livre De Bord Almanac. Nothing in this is unusual nor new since SOLAS rules changed, merely common sense or normal practice.
Are we worried about French officialdom - NO. Just smile and be polite and definitely no silly jokes about illegal immigrants, terrorists or drugs. If you don't want to encourage a visit, don't stare at them and definitely don't look at their boat with binoculars - I did once (by accident, I was looking for a friend's boat)) in Isles De Glenan and the RIB was on the way in minutes.
All part of the rich and varied pleasure of cruising!
Robin
