MANDATORY SAFETY EQUIPMENT

MANDATORY SAFETY EQUIPMENT ON BOARD

When you go sailing in French territorial waters, whether on a sailboat or a motorboat,the captain is responsible for the presence onboard of a certain number of mandatory safety equipmentAs long as the boat measures between 2.50 m and 24 m (including sailboats, dinghies, and inflatable boats).
In France, it is the "Division 240" that specifies the mandatory equipment on board "recreational craft, vessels, and ships for personal or training use with a hull length of less than or equal to 24 meters," with equipment determined based on your navigation area in relation to a shelter. Four zones have been defined, each corresponding to a minimum mandatory safety equipment:
– Basic armamentnavigation up to 2 miles from a shelter
-Side armamentnavigation between 2 and 6 miles from a shelter
-Semi-offshore equipmentNavigation between 6 and 60 miles from shelter.
-Offshore armamentnavigation at a distance greater than 60 miles from a shelter

As a reminder: a shelter is a protected area on the coast where you can keep your boat and crew safe in case of storm or heavy swell. It can be a harbor, a beach, a body of water, etc.
Attention, the choice of navigation distance from a shelter is left to the discretion of the skipper anddepends on the vessel design categoryFor example, if your boat is category C, it is designed for "nearshore" navigation, in large bays, estuaries, lakes, and rivers, during which winds can reach up to force 6 inclusive and waves can reach a significant height of up to 2 meters inclusive.
You will therefore be concerned with basic and/or coastal equipment but not with semi-offshore or offshore equipment because your boat is not designed for "open sea". However, if your boat is Category A, meaning designed for navigation in the open sea, you may be required to carry basic, coastal, semi-offshore or offshore equipment.

The basic armament includes the following equipment
- a life jacket or a buoyancy aid (per person on board)
- a luminous marking device (lamp, projector, etc.) - assigned to each PWC life jacket
- a fixed or mobile dewatering device (except self-bailing vessels)
- a fire fighting system (except VNM)
- a towing device
- an anchoring line or a floating anchor (if lead weight >= 250 kgs)
National flag (outside territorial waters)
- 1 way to know the tides of the day and the area

The offshore equipment includes basic equipment + the following list
- a device for locating and assisting a person who has fallen into the water (except vessels with a capacity of less than 5 adults and all inflatable boats)
- a magnetic compass (or GPS system)
- 3 automatic hand red lights
- one or more navigation chart(s)
- the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs)
- a summary document of the marking
A device for locating and assisting a person fallen into the water (for example, a horse-rail buoy) must include the name and registration number of the vessel.
It is important (even if not mandatory) to also provide this information about life jackets.

The semi-high outfitting includes the basic outfitting + side + the following list

- a harness per person on a sailboat (one per motorboat)
– a life raft(s) or rescue tender(s)
a fixed VHF radio
- equipment for fixing, plotting, and following a route
- a weather forecast reception device
- the/navigation lights handbook kept up to date
- the tide timetable (except in the Mediterranean)
the logbook
- a first aid kit

Offshore armament includes basic armament + coastal + semi-offshore + the following two equipment

– a distress location beacon
- a handheld VHF radio

Life jacketsare defined according to their buoyancy. The CE standard provides a typical buoyancy value expressed in Newtons (N). Three categories are offered in recreational boating: life jackets with a buoyancy of 50 N, 100 N, and 150 N. Division 240 defines the buoyancy requirements:
- Basic (up to 2 miles from shelter): 50 Newtons
- Offshore (up to 6 miles from shelter): 100 Newtons. If the person knows how to swim and wears the life jacket at all times, the buoyancy can be 50 Newtons
- Semi-offshore and offshore (starting from 6 miles from shelter): 150 Newtons
Since June 1st, Division 240 has adapted to recreational boaters: if you are sailing in a coastal zone, between 2 and 6 miles from a shelter, wearing a 50 Newton life jacket is permitted if you know how to swim and wear it continuously! (Official Journal of May 12, 2019). Otherwise, you must carry life jackets of 100 Newtons. Regarding children, note that if they are under 1 year old, they are not included in the calculation of the number of persons on board. On recreational ships, vessels, and boats subject to the carrying of personal flotation devices (PFDs), children weighing up to 30 kg are provided with a PFD of 100 N buoyancy, regardless of the distance from a shelter.
Ensure that your safety equipment is kept in good working order, schedule the necessary technical inspections, and make sure it is ready to serve in case of an emergency. And if you rent a boat, do not hesitate to check that it is complete, up-to-date, and in good condition.

Happy sailing.