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Quel matériel de sécurité pour bateaux semi-rigides ?
January 26, 2023 Orca Blog

What safety equipment for RIB boats?

While a sailing trip is first and foremost a pleasure, you mustn't forget the safety rules!" 

Whether you're sailing in freshwater or at sea, it is indeed necessary (and compulsory!) to bring all the appropriate safety and rescue equipment.

Today, Orca Retail takes a look back at the equipment you need to take on board your boat in order to make sure you don't forget anything!

The first thing to know is that safety equipment rules are going to depend on the area you're sailing in.


Safety equipment for boats at sea

For navigation at sea, the mandatory equipment to be provided depends on the distance from the side (or more accurately, distance from a "shelter"), according to 4 distinct zones:

  • Basic: less than 2 nautical miles from a shelter (less than 3.7 km)
  • Coastal: between 2 and 6 miles (3.7 km - 11.1 km)
  • Semi-highland: between 6 and 60 miles (11.1km to 111km)
  • High range: beyond 60 miles (more than 111km)

The following safety checklist is applicable to all boats less than 24m in length: 

BOAT SAFETY EQUIPMENT SHIPPING ZONES
Basique Côtière Semi-h. Hauturière
Personal buoyancy equipment
(PBE) per person on board

✅

✅

✅

✅
Lighting device

✅

✅

✅

✅
Mobile firefighting
means

✅

✅

✅

✅
Drainage device
manual

✅

✅

✅

✅
Towing device

✅

✅

✅

✅
Mooring line

✅

✅

✅

✅
Tidal directory

✅

✅

✅

✅
National flag
(outside territorial waters)

✅

✅

✅

✅
Location and
assistance device for person at sea

✅

✅

✅
3 red lights
with signal hand

✅

✅

✅
Magnetic compass
(or GPS in coastal)

✅

✅

✅
Official nautical charts

✅

✅

✅
International regulations for
preventing collision at sea

✅

✅

✅
System description
of markup

✅

✅

✅
Liferaft

✅

✅
Material for
focus

✅

✅
Light book
kept up to date

✅

✅
Logbook

✅

✅
Device for receiving
meteorological reports

✅

✅
Harness and lanyard by
ship for non-sailors

✅

✅
Harness and lanyard per person
embarked for sailboats

✅

✅
Rescue kit

✅

✅
Luminous device for
searching and spotting at night

✅

✅
Radiobeacon for locating
claims

✅
VHF fixed

✅

✅
Handheld VHF

✅

Source : arrêté du 23 novembre 1987 relatif à la sécurité des navires

 

Inland waterway boat safety equipment

When it comes to freshwater/inland water navigation, there are 3 categories:

  • Sheltered inland waters: these include all bodies of water excluding the exceptions listed below.
  • Exposed inland waters: more dangerous, these areas are subject to separate regulations, and are listed in Appendix 1 of the Order of February 10, 2016. Examples: Rivers or river sections (Rhine, Seine, Rhône, Loire), rivers or river sections (Dordogne, Gironde, Somme), lakes (Annecy, Lacanau, Bourget), canals (Calais canal).
  • Lac Léman: only applicable to the cross-border lake.

The following safety checklist is applicable to all boats from 2.5 to 20m in length: 

SAFETY EQUIPMENT NAVIGATION ZONES
Abritées Exposées Lac Léman
Personal buoyancy equipment
per person on board

✅

✅

✅
Drying device (fixed or mobile)

✅

✅

✅
Firefighting
device

✅

✅

✅
Towing
and mooring device

✅

✅

✅
Appropriate mooring line

✅

✅
Waterproof flashlight
or light locating means
individual worn at all times
(1 per person embarked)

✅

✅
3 red lights
with signal hand

✅
Sound signalling means

✅
Magnetic compass
sealed (ISO standard)

✅
Navigation map
of frequented area

✅

Source: Arrêté du 10 février 2016 relatif au matériel d'armement et de sécurité des bateaux de plaisance naviguant ou stationnant sur les eaux intérieures 

 

Trousse médicale

trousse médicale bateau

Your medical supplies kit is also precisely regulated. According to article 240-2.16 du Code Maritime, the latter must include at least the following elements:

Article

Détail

Self-adhesive tape (10cm)

 1 roll of 4m (Width 10cm)

Crepe tape

 1 roll of 4 m (Width 10 cm)

Sterile gauze compresses

 1 pack of 5 (Medium size)

Waterproof sterile adhesive dressings

 1 box (3 sizes assortment)

Hemostatic cushion

 1 unit (Type CHUT)

Sparadrap

 1 roll

Non-sterile examination gloves

 1 box (Size M & L)

Gel hydroalcoolique

 1 bottle 75 ml

Survival blanket

 1 unit

Chlorhexidine

 Local solution - 5 ml at 0.05%

 

 

Life jackets (personal buoyancy equipment)

gilet sauvetage zodiac

PIFs are also regulated and must be adapted to the morphology of each person on board, as well as to the area navigated: 

  • Up to 2 miles from a shelter : buoyancy aid of at least 50 newtons 
  • Up to 6 miles from shelter : lifejacket minimum 100 newtons
  • All areas : Lifejacket minimum 150 newtons
  • Children under 30 kg : Lifejacket minimum 100 newtons, regardless of distance from a shelter.

 

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