Can anybody explain the Spanish Med sailing zones?

[PippaB]

Comity is the right word, and our experience is that most countries apply it as they can for casual visitors, but it is certainly not guaranteed. The US is a good example, for an Australian-flagged vessel during a USCG boarding they had no issues with PFDs, fire extinguishers, flares, and a few other items that met, and were marked in compliance with, Australian standards even though US regulations require different markings, certifications, quantities, etc. They accepted that as an Australian vessel the Oz standards applied. But regulations regarding NDZs and MSDs know no boundaries, for those you had to be in compliance with US regulations regardless of flag state.

Unfortunately, many times the only way to find out some of these details is from places like CF, the regulations are rarely clear in this regard, and even forewarned by fellow sailors they can be, because they are never quite clear, interpreted differently by different enforcement individuals.

[Greg K]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Thx.
We do comply with the German regs.

Reason I was asking for the Spanish list was that some said that Spain enforces their equipment compliance onto other European vessels.

This would have been a clear violation of international law regarding flag state procedures.
Sounds like they did not get away with this, which is a good thing.

In order to get around the onerous Spanish regulations relating to operator licenses as well as safety equipment imposed on Spanish flagged vessels, many Spaniards flagged with other EU countries... Dutch, Belgium, Poland.

With the new law, such flags of convenience are now pointless. So, yes, Spain does enforce compliance onto European flagged vessels, in fact ,but ONLY if the owners are either Spanish citizens or Spanish residents.

The whole thrust of this new law was aimed at specifically Spanish boat owners though, of course, foreign residents such as myself have been caught in the regulatory net as well.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Greg K

In order to get around the onerous Spanish regulations relating to operator licenses as well as safety equipment imposed on Spanish flagged vessels, many Spaniards flagged with other EU countries... Dutch, Belgium, Poland.

With the new law, such flags of convenience are now pointless. So, yes, Spain does enforce compliance onto European flagged vessels, in fact ,but ONLY if the owners are either Spanish citizens or Spanish residents.

The whole thrust of this new law was aimed at specifically Spanish boat owners though, of course, foreign residents such as myself have been caught in the regulatory net as well.

Thanks. That is good to hear, as it does not apply to us then, even though we do comply for the very most part anyway.

Only the stuff where they ask for installation by specialist and specify types of equipment is the part we're we don't comply.