New Lockdown: Navigation Related Activities are Prohibited with Some Exceptions

With this new lockdown, most nautical activities and recreational navigation are prohibited in the South of France. Indeed, this second lockdown brings it new restrictions in terms of nautical activities and recreational navigation. Article 46 of the Decree of October 29, 2020, prohibits all water sports, boating and diving. However, certain activities remain authorized.

Allied Yachting summarizes for you the authorized activities, in compliance with sanitary regulations (wearing a mask when possible, barrier gestures, social distancing, limiting social contacts, etc.), by the decrees of the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean (Prémar):

In its decree of 02/11/2020, the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean regulates the navigation of vessels and maritime activities in the Mediterranean. Even if, as in the whole of France, the practice of pleasure boating and any nautical activity is prohibited, the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean specifies some exceptions to this prohibition.

Authorized nautical activities:

• Activities practiced by professional and high-level athletes (professional scuba diving);
• Activities practiced by schools and extracurricular groups;
• Activities practiced by academics as part of their training;
• Physical activities of people with a medical prescription or with a recognized disability.

Authorized navigation activities:

• The navigations of permanent residents justifying the main residence on an island; only for home supplies and connection with the continent;
• The navigation of vessels related to a commercial activity (commercial operations, deliveries, transport of passengers, sea-trials or equipment testing, continued training, pilot training, etc.);
• Vessels used for maritime safety;
• The navigation of cruise ships and non-scheduled passenger ships whose stopover is authorized by the port police at the port of destination;
• Vessels wintered or having a repair contract with a shipyard;
• Navigation as part of a public service mission or a rescue operation remains authorized;
• A proof of travel certificate or sworn statement is required for all these navigations.

For all boating activities, anchoring is prohibited, except for the activities mentioned above.

As for nautical events, they remain prohibited (e.g. boat shows, regattas, etc.).

Note 1: Vessels for which navigation is not authorized will only be able to reach their home port. They will not be able to sail out to sea again afterwards.

Note 2: Foreign vessels flying a flag registered outside the Schengen area are prohibited from anchoring or stopping along the French coasts except in the event of a maritime incident or force majeure.

Note 3: Crew relief is authorized in strict application of the sanitary measures detailed in the decree.

Despite these derogatory authorizations, the Maritime Prefectures encourage reducing travel as much as possible to limit the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Stay safe and stay tuned for more information on yachting activities in the South of France, in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic.