Basis of French authorisations to navigate up to 5 miles from land. Boats must be homologated (several pages of bumf about that, but I couldn't be bothered). Translated (You're welcome, don't mention it :-)) from French documents on website "Fedération Française de Canoë-Kayak". NAVIGATION OF SEA KAYAKS FROM 1 TO FIVE MILES FROM LAND Dispositions valid for Brittany. 1- Definition & characteristics of a sea kayak Boat having a rigid structure, excluding inflatable kayaks Length equal or more than 4 metres. Width equal or more than 50 centimetres. Spray decked and fitted with skirts. Insubmersible by means of watertight compartments incorporated intot the construction, with acces hatches or covers, or by rigid bulkheads (minimum volume: 90 litres ). Fitted at each end with a dispositive for towing. 2- SECURITY MATERIEL 1 PFD/Person on board. 1 spare paddle / person on board. 1 pump or bailer per cockpit. 1 compass conforming to art. 224-2.39.5 1 marine chart of the navigation zone. 3 automatic red lights of an approved type. 1 signal mirror per cockpit. 1 whistle or horn per cockpit. 1 electric flashlight (waterproof). 1 tube fluoresceine of 90 g. 1 waterproof approved VHFper group of 3 kayaks, ( or 2 VHF per 4 to 6 kayaks, 3 VHF for 7 to 9 kayaks ,etc..). 3- PROCEDURE of DECLARATION to the MARITIME DEPARTMENT Written request for individuel authorisation to navigate in the 5th categorie per marine departement sector for each period of 1 year, certifing that the kayak & complete equipement are the personal property of the individual and reserved for their exclusive use. Presentation, by the individual of the kayak fully equipped at centre for maritime security for the relevant sector. After verificationand authorisation of the centre for maritime security, attribution of a number and an attestation in the name of the individual to be quoted in any ulterior communications ( the number will take the form of:KY- sector code - N° of order of 3 digits. Eg.: KY-GV-003 ). The number must be affixed to the kayak. 4 - MONITORING. RADIO LIAISON. INFORMATION. The evening before, if possible, or at latest before putting to sea, information by telephone to CROSS (SAR, Coast guard, I think, kevin) concerned giving: · The referenece of the authorisation for each individual, · Destination of the voyage and itinerary time of departure, ETA, At the moment of putting to seat, information by VHF to the (CROSS?) of the sector concerned giving the same information and any other useful information. Upon arrival at the destination, information by VHF to the CROSS. Navigation by day only per group of 3 kayaks minimum (1 double kayak is considered as 1 unit). Lovely, init? I think we should find a way of sending a message of sheer admiration to the French sea kayakers - even with all this, they still go paddling! Kevin. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Fri, 19 Apr 2002 20:32:23 +0200 "Kevin Dyer" <k.dyer_at_bluewin.ch> wrote: > Basis of French authorisations to navigate up to 5 miles from land. Boats must > be homologated (several pages of bumf about that, but I couldn't be bothered). > > Translated (You're welcome, don't mention it :-)) from French documents on > website "Fedération Française de Canoë-Kayak". [regulations snipped] This is in fact the valid regulation, if you want to go farther out than 1 nautical mile from shoreline. The regulation you translated is only valid for the part of France called "Bretagne". Everywhere else you are not allowed to go farther out than one mile. The new regulation is: You are allowed to go out to 2 nautical mile from shoreline if your boat looks like that: The cockpit rim has to stay above waterlevel when the boat is fully flooded *including hatches and all compartments* with 15 kg ballast (nothing mentioned about Canadian rock ;-). Flotation has to be rigid (closed cell foam) any sorts of airbags are not accepted. This means: You need about 25% of your hatches or stowing place for rigid flotation. In reference to the website of DKV (German Canoe Union) this regulation is valid since 2000, but the older regulations are still valid too. From the year 2003 or 2004 on (that's not quite clear to me) the new regulations will be the only valid ones. Every seakayak not equipped with that sort of flotation is then bound to 300 Meters from shoreline. All Information taken from the German website: http://www.kanu.de/spezial/kuestenpaddeln/regelungen_frankreich.html I've never heard of more stupid rules. BTW: Some French seakayakers told, that they go out as they like and by now nobody asked them about anything. Rainer Excuse my English... -- Rainer Schroeter, Marburg (Lahn), Germany *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
From: Rainer Schroeter <kayaker_at_gmx.de> > > All Information taken from the German website: > http://www.kanu.de/spezial/kuestenpaddeln/regelungen_frankreich.html > > I've never heard of more stupid rules. > > BTW: Some French seakayakers told, that they go out as they like and by > now nobody asked them about anything. Which begs the question... how would the authorities check to see if a kayaker/kayak complied with those rules when they spot the kayaker(s) a couple miles out? It's easy for coastguard here to check for pfd's onboard when passing by but how would the French authorities check to see if the boat satisfies the "cockpit rim above waterlevel when boat is fully flooded including hatches and all compartments" rule? > Rainer > > Excuse my English... I think your English is just fine :-) cheers, jackie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Fenton" <jackie_at_muddypuppies.com> > Which begs the question... how would the authorities check to see > if a kayaker/kayak complied with those rules snip > French authorities check to see if the boat satisfies the "cockpit rim > above waterlevel when boat is fully flooded including hatches and > all compartments" rule? >From my French bumf message: "Basis of French authorisations to navigate up to 5 miles from land. Boats must be homologated (several pages of bumf about that, but I couldn't be bothered)." They take the kayak, fully equipped, load 15kg of metal per person, flood it including hatches and try to capsize it by rocking to 45°. The boat should come to an even keel. It is also at this point that they measure the freeboard. They have much more bumf, but as I say, I couldn't be bothered. Salut, Kevin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> From: "Kevin Dyer" <k.dyer_at_bluewin.ch> >From my French bumf message: > "Basis of French authorisations to navigate up to 5 miles from land. Boats > must > be homologated (several pages of bumf about that, but I couldn't be > bothered)." > They take the kayak, fully equipped, load 15kg of metal per person, <snip> Actually, since Rainer mentioned that French kayakers had so far paddled out without question with regard to the rigid regulations for their kayaks, my question was how would the authorities be able to check that a kayak satisfied the rules if they came upon the paddler while the paddler was two miles off-shore. Easy enough to ask to see pfd's, but how could they check to see if the "cockpit rim must be above the water level when fully flooded" rule was being met. Does the kayaker have to carry some kind of certification on them to show the authorities their boat meets the guidelines or does the boat have to display some kind of sticker visible to authorities when out on water? cheers, jackie *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Fenton" <jackie_at_muddypuppies.com> To: <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net> > my question was how would the authorities be able > to check that a kayak satisfied the rules if they came upon the > paddler while the paddler was two miles off-shore. > Does the kayaker have to carry some kind of certification on > them to show the authorities their boat meets the guidelines or does > the boat have to display some kind of sticker visible to authorities > when out on water? Hi Jackie, The boat has to be of an "approved type" i.e. presented to a licensing authority, by it's constructor, for a series of stability and flotation tests. Once passed, the model of boat receives a certificate. Each individual boat has to be registered and have it's registration resined to the rear of the cockpit. The person navigating must carry at all times a copy of the original certificate. BTW the Nautiraid foldables are homologated as European category "D" boat, that is, a rigid structured inflatable and may navigat at up to 2 miles from land. Cheers, Kevin. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 10:28 20/04/2002 -0700, Jackie Fenton wrote: > > <snip> >Does the kayaker have to carry some kind of certification on >them to show the authorities their boat meets the guidelines or does >the boat have to display some kind of sticker visible to authorities >when out on water? I've now read some of the bumf (in French, on the French Kayak and Canoe Federation - FFCK - site), and the answer is yes: each kayak has to be certified, and indeed the certification needs to be "resined" into the craft . In the case of a home-made or imported kayak, it would seem that you have to arrange for the kayak to be tested by the FFCK (I wonder if they lobbied against some of this?). Of course, if the authorities challenged you two miles out to sea, you might have to jump out of your kayak to let them see your resined-in certificate :-) I haven't been able to get any definitive information on the status of folding kayaks in France: I'll maybe drop a line to FFCK and see what they say, if they can understand my rather dodgy french. Nick *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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