COVID-19 Update: Yachting in France

Since the start of the quarantine period there has been a lot of incorrect information regarding the use of yachts and more particularly, commercial charter and transport activities. ECPY, which is in permanent contact with the competent authorities concerning maritime navigation and safety, as well as ports, would like to make the following clarification.

Yachts taking into consideration the maritime regulation are merchant ships carrying a maximum of 12 passengers, and it is the regulations concerning merchant ships that therefore apply to them, whether in terms of navigation (orders of the maritime prefect and CROSSMED), maritime safety (flag rules and equivalence of classification by the port state) or rules for access to ports (health declaration etc).

The texts, decrees and orders recently published by the authorities and which specifically concern pleasure boats are therefore not applicable to yachts.

Yachts stationed in France, regardless of their flag or registration (private or commercial) can therefore currently sail, with or without a client on board, in French and international waters from France, and anchor to the ordinary rules.

They remain subject to the sanitary rules of COVID-19 and to the general rules of ports, navigation and anchorage, namely:

• Arrival of passengers at the port subject to the 100 kilometre rules from their homes

• Authorisations to enter and leave ports, where appropriate if required, with the health control certificate.

• Compliance with declarations, authorisations and mooring time limits issued by semaphores or CROSSMED.

• Forbidden to go to (and return from) foreign ports

On this occasion, we would like to remind you of the environmental and societal commitment of the professional yachting associations (ECPY, MYBA, PYA, LYBRA etc) to no longer anchor in the protected areas. Also, the sanitary measures on board, which are the responsibility of the shipowner and the captain, must take into account all the preventative measures and protection of shared spaces (passengers and crew).

ECPY is issuing this announcement to put an end to rumours and inaccurate interpretations which penalise the resumption of professional yachting activities.

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