Spain - minimum equipment

[colind3782]

I just went in to our local chandlers, run by an Engish woman, and she showed me the new minimum legal equipment list for all Spanish registered boats, broadly equivalent to SOLAS B, even if you're only coastal.

We're on the UK SSR but I don't want to tell the Guardia Civil on the next boarding "we don't need all that carp to sail in your waters, we're British don't you know!"

 

[KellysEye]

Since you are not a Spanish registered boat...

 

[concentrik]

We're on the UK SSR but I don't want to tell the Guardia Civil on the next boarding "we don't need all that carp to sail in your waters, we're British don't you know!"

You're joking I'm sure, but our experience (several GC boardings) is that they are extremely polite when treated politely - we did and they were. That aside, they're not interested in your safety equipment or lack of it, just basic details about you and your boat. The new regs are for Spanish listed boats.

 

[colind3782]

One of the items I particularly like is the requirement to carry a rope at least five times your boat length in case you have to tow someone.

 

[lpdsn]

One of the items I particularly like is the requirement to carry a rope at least five times your boat length in case you have to tow someone.

Good idea anyway. Plus can double up as the anchor warp for the kedge.

 

[sailorman]

One of the items I particularly like is the requirement to carry a rope at least five times your boat length in case you have to tow someone.

what is in your anchor well

 

[colind3782]

what is in your anchor well

A 40m chain and a windlass

 

[GrahamM376]

We're on the UK SSR but I don't want to tell the Guardia Civil on the next boarding "we don't need all that carp to sail in your waters, we're British don't you know!"

Pleasure vessels coast hopping are not counted as on innocent passage so, any country can impose whatever equipment rules they want for boats sailing in their waters but most don't.

We had the same problem in Portugal where visiting boats were being inspected at sea by the navy and policia maritima and were threatened with fines if they didn't comply. The RYA intervened and the agreement reached was that boats spending less than 6 months there don't have to comply but those based there or in waters for more than 6 months do. As far as I'm aware, the inspections have virtually died out.

 

[prv]

One of the items I particularly like is the requirement to carry a rope at least five times your boat length in case you have to tow someone.

Got one of them. Actually, perhaps it's only 40m on a 10m boat, but the principle seems fair enough. Gets used from time to time as a long mooring line, for example when letting someone out of the middle of a raft, and would also be added to the end of the anchor chain in deep water. I'd regard one extra-long warp as a standard part of a yacht's gear.

Pete

 

[vyv_cox]

Pleasure vessels coast hopping are not counted as on innocent passage so, any country can impose whatever equipment rules they want for boats sailing in their waters but most don't.

Is that true? New Zealand tried that one, not allowing foreign boats to leave until they had all the safety gear required for locally registered boats. I understood that a test case judged against them and they were forced to drop the ruling.

 

[Sybarite]

Is that true? New Zealand tried that one, not allowing foreign boats to leave until they had all the safety gear required for locally registered boats. I understood that a test case judged against them and they were forced to drop the ruling.

Many years ago Gibraltar only allowed you to stock fuel in metal jerricans. Has that been relaxed?

 

[macd]

Is that true? New Zealand tried that one, not allowing foreign boats to leave until they had all the safety gear required for locally registered boats. I understood that a test case judged against them and they were forced to drop the ruling.

I've heard of the same Kiwi case but know few details. I think the judgement revolved around the issue of 'comity'. Wiki has more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comity

If memory serves, Tranona has posted on this with some authority: maybe he'll be along soon (if deja vu hasn't got the better of him )

 

[Tranona]

Here at your bidding. That case was about whether the NZ authorities could prevent a foreign boat from leaving for international waters without complying with NZ requirements. Foreign yachts based in NZ do have to comply with local requirements.

Very grey area and one where commercial shipping practice has moved away from the principles that still seem to apply for pleasure boats, probably more by default rather than deliberate action.

 

[colind3782]

Asking around here in Empuriabrava, the consensus seems to be that they "can" insist but "usually" don't. I can't really plead innocent passage as we have an annual berth in the marina!

 

[GrahamM376]

Is that true? New Zealand tried that one, not allowing foreign boats to leave until they had all the safety gear required for locally registered boats. I understood that a test case judged against them and they were forced to drop the ruling.

As Tranona says, New Zealand was a different case in that Portugal didn't attempt to stop anyone leaving, they required all boats cruising their waters to equip to their levels of safety equipment. Plenty of info on the RYA website.

 

[Mistroma]

Many years ago Gibraltar only allowed you to stock fuel in metal jerricans. Has that been relaxed?

I filled up last year and put around 100 litres into misc. plastic containers after filling the main tank. The plastic cans were passed up to the operator and filled without any comment. I picked the last filling station on way in to Gibraltar as others were in use. So no problem last year.

 

[Tranona]

As Tranona says, New Zealand was a different case in that Portugal didn't attempt to stop anyone leaving, they required all boats cruising their waters to equip to their levels of safety equipment. Plenty of info on the RYA website.

Yes, the point is that countries need to have a definitive policy to enforce local requirements as some do for example for charter boats. France has specifically stated that it will not enforce local requirements on foreign craft even if kept in France. For others this is probably a default position because it is of little concern to policy makers. Does not stop some local officials from making up their own rules, or as in the case of Greece applying them haphazardly.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Yes, the point is that countries need to have a definitive policy to enforce local requirements as some do for example for charter boats. France has specifically stated that it will not enforce local requirements on foreign craft even if kept in France. For others this is probably a default position because it is of little concern to policy makers. Does not stop some local officials from making up their own rules, or as in the case of Greece applying them haphazardly.

Agreed. In tourism oriented countries there's a political push for a relaxed approach towards implementing local requirements. The local mayor takes one point of view; bureaucratic targets push officials in another direction.

The French, although they don't insist on local equipment being carried by UK visitors, will fine you if they find flares on board which are not "in date"! As several Cruising Association members reported a few years ago.

 

[Tranona]

Agreed. In tourism oriented countries there's a political push for a relaxed approach towards implementing local requirements. The local mayor takes one point of view; bureaucratic targets push officials in another direction.

The French, although they don't insist on local equipment being carried by UK visitors, will fine you if they find flares on board which are not "in date"! As several Cruising Association members reported a few years ago.

Not sure the fining for out of date flares is recent. Seems to remember thevRYA getting assurances that it was not official policy.

 

[Sea Devil]

Yes, the point is that countries need to have a definitive policy to enforce local requirements as some do for example for charter boats. France has specifically stated that it will not enforce local requirements on foreign craft even if kept in France. For others this is probably a default position because it is of little concern to policy makers. Does not stop some local officials from making up their own rules, or as in the case of Greece applying them haphazardly.

That is correct. Even as a French resident with a UK registered boat as I was British flagged I did not have to conform with French rules for French Boats. The same applies in Spain. Normally the Guardia Civil are very courteous and are simply searching for illegal boats (vat not paid or local taxes not paid) and keeping their 'register' up to date. They boarded me for the 3rd of 4th time in Ceuta a couple of years ago and at the end of it handed me a document to show future Guardia stating I had been checked.

I suspect people who get into trouble with the authorities have not been courteous friendly helpful to them. The Spanish lot have a very sophisticated computer system that tracks foreign pleasure boat from port to port - partly I suspect to see if they overstay their welcome and partly simply to monitor activities.

In New Zealand when I checked out they suggested I fill in a form stating what safety equipment I had on board. At this stage the international maritime court had ruled that countries could not impose 'local' laws on foreign flagged vessels so I gently pointed this out and returned the blank form to them. The fellow just said it was for my own good as I probably did not have the sailing experience of the NZ authorities but that I did not have to comply.

Not sure what the law is in Gib re fuel in plastic containers but there are several boats here in QQ with red fuel containers lashed to the deck and the fuel station people will fill almost anything! Provide it is diesel I cannot imagine there would be a problem

Michael