Flares in Spain and Portugal

[jitait]

Has anyone got recent experience of the attitude of Spanish and Portugese officials to the carriage of flares?

I've heard French official can and do board yachts and fine them if they don't an appropriate in date flare pack, but what about Spain and Portugal?

Planning a cruise from UK to the Canaries vai Spain and Portugal later in the summer.

[wingless]

Is there some reason for NOT having fresh flares on-board?

My next purchase will be the Sirius LED flare, to never expire w/ a lifetime warranty.

The installation of three fresh C cell batteries every year is a great compromise.

[hellosailor]

There has been some confusion on the part of posters in past threads on this topic. A foreign-flagged yacht that is simply transiting the waters, or one that has cleared in and is simply making an occasional stop here and there, only has to follow the safety requirements of the flag state.

At some point you are no longer "passing through" but you are considered to be sojourning in the country, and at that point IIRC Portugal and/or Spain have required vessels which will be operating in their waters to meet their safety codes. It is definitely a matter of duration of your presence in their country, not something that applies to vessels which are merely passing through one way or another. If you take out a 30 or 90 day contract at a marina? That might trigger enough "residency" to cause a problem, where an overnight stay or a week would not.

If you keep expired flares on board as extras, keep them separately stowed out of sight of the regular pyros. Having expired flares as extras has been argued as "having expired flares", even though having them IN ADDITION TO a set of legal and proper flares is not illegal in the US, and "should" not be illegal anywhere else. But why give anyone an opening to argue?

[conachair]

Not been up north for a little while but in the Algarve you'll likely *probably* be ok, though claiming innocent passage won't change anything. I've had a few visits from the policia maritima and passport was all they wanted to see, all very civil and professional. though might want to see light dues, gone up from 2E to 70E this year! For 6 months. If they do come to say hello then it really is best to smile, be nice and just answer any questions.
Some info of the actual requirements > Safety Standards - Lagos Navigators

So technically if you stop in Portugal , you have to comply with their regs, but day to day no one bothers enforcing these days.

[jitait]

Originally Posted by wingless

Is there some reason for NOT having fresh flares on-board?

My next purchase will be the Sirius LED flare, to never expire w/ a lifetime warranty.

The installation of three fresh C cell batteries every year is a great compromise.

Fair enough winless, but I don't want to turn this thread into a debate about the merits or otherwise of carrying marine pyrotechnics, laser flares etc.

Its the attitude of officials I'm interested in.

[jitait]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

There has been some confusion on the part of posters in past threads on this topic. A foreign-flagged yacht that is simply transiting the waters, or one that has cleared in and is simply making an occasional stop here and there, only has to follow the safety requirements of the flag state.

At some point you are no longer "passing through" but you are considered to be sojourning in the country, and at that point IIRC Portugal and/or Spain have required vessels which will be operating in their waters to meet their safety codes. It is definitely a matter of duration of your presence in their country, not something that applies to vessels which are merely passing through one way or another. If you take out a 30 or 90 day contract at a marina? That might trigger enough "residency" to cause a problem, where an overnight stay or a week would not.

If you keep expired flares on board as extras, keep them separately stowed out of sight of the regular pyros. Having expired flares as extras has been argued as "having expired flares", even though having them IN ADDITION TO a set of legal and proper flares is not illegal in the US, and "should" not be illegal anywhere else. But why give anyone an opening to argue?

Thanks HelloSailor: in fact the boat is expected to be in Spanish/Portugese waters pretty much continuously for a year, although not just in place. Hence the question in part.

[boatman61]

I have never been asked to produce safety gear for inspection anywhere..
Passport, Insurance, Registration yes but an inspection of equipment.. Never in 35yrs.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I have never been asked to produce safety gear for inspection anywhere..

Passport, Insurance, Registration yes but an inspection of equipment.. Never in 35yrs.

You’ve done well. I get asked once a year here in Oz.

[boatman61]

Not surprised..
Any country that steals all your food has gotta be suspect.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Not surprised..
Any country that steals all your food has gotta be suspect.

Well, it's your fault. You kicked all your thieves out and sent them here to breed. The locals here before that were a pleasant mannered bunch more inclined to share things than pinch them.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by GILow

Well, it's your fault. You kicked all your thieves out and sent them here to breed. The locals here before that were a pleasant mannered bunch more inclined to share things than pinch them.