French pleasure craft carry the equipment set by Division 240 of the French ship safety regulations, in its current version. It's organised by distance from a shelter, and each zone adds to the one before.
Which boats it covers
Article 240-1.01: the division covers "tous les engins, embarcations et navires de plaisance à usage personnel ou de formation d'une longueur de coque inférieure ou égale à 24 mètres", all pleasure craft for personal use or training up to 24 m hull length, at sea. It applies on top of the CE essential requirements, or the national rules for boats that aren't CE-marked. The ministry's summary adds that boats owned by French residents or companies based in France follow the same rules in French territorial waters, whatever their flag.
The zones and their equipment
Measured from a shelter ("abri"), a place on the coast where a boat can safely anchor, land or berth and leave again without help.
| Zone | Distance | Main additions |
|---|---|---|
| Basique, art. 240-2.03 | Up to 2 miles | Buoyancy aid per person, light, extinguisher, bailer or pump, towing point, anchor line |
| Côtier, art. 240-2.04 | 2 to under 6 miles | Lifebuoy, 100 N lifejackets, 3 red hand flares, compass, official charts, COLREG, buoyage guide |
| Semi-hauturier, art. 240-2.05 | 6 to under 60 miles | 150 N lifejackets, fixed VHF, liferaft for everyone, chartwork kit, light list, logbook, weather receiver, harnesses, first aid kit, searchlight |
| Hauturier, art. 240-2.06 | 60 miles and more | EPIRB, waterproof handheld VHF, type I liferaft to ISO 9650 or approved equivalent |
Lifejacket buoyancy, from the ministry's summary: at least 50 N within 2 miles, 100 N within 6 miles, 150 N in all zones beyond, and 100 N for children of 30 kg or less whatever the distance. A tide table isn't required in the Mediterranean, article 240-2.03 notes.
Rental boats
Article 240-3.01: boats offered for rental, boats owned by associations and training boats have an annual special check, recorded in a report kept in a register. A copy goes with the rental contract and aboard boats with accommodation. Article 240-3.02 adds, for rental motorboats over 4.5 kW and sailing boats over 250 kg going beyond 2 miles: an electronic position fixing system, written instructions for bilge pumping, firefighting and abandoning ship, and a VHF.
Citing it in a finding
"Liferaft required for semi-offshore navigation is not aboard, Division 240 article 240-2.05." State the zone in the report particulars, because the equipment findings follow from it. Division 240 has been amended several times, so check the current consolidated text on Légifrance.