Why it pays to know the rules
Legislation is not an eliminating block, but it is one of the most practical: these are the rules that prevent fines and, above all, accidents with bathers and other vessels. Here are the essentials: where and at what speed you can sail near the coast, what insurance and documentation you need, and how not to pollute.
Bathing zones
To protect bathers, there are stretches of coast with restricted navigation. On unmarked stretches, the bathing zone occupies a strip of 200 metres wide on beaches and 50 metres on the rest of the coast. Within that strip:
- Speed may not exceed 3 knots.
- To enter or leave a beach you sail perpendicular to the coast, with caution and below 3 knots from the 200 metres to the shore.
In properly marked bathing zones, recreational and sports navigation is prohibited (sail or motor), as is the use of any floating device. Where there are marked access channels, their use is mandatory, and it is forbidden to anchor in them (nor in the access channels to ports, coves and beaches).
Third-party liability insurance
Recreational craft must hold a compulsory third-party liability insurance, which covers damage to third parties. Its regime is in Royal Decree 607/1999. Other insurance (hull, theft, etc.) is voluntary; it is worth reviewing the conditions and exclusions of the policy.
The documentation on board
It is advisable to carry on board, and in order:
- Your nautical licence (PER, PNB…).
- The vessel's documentation (registration, certificates as applicable).
- The receipt for the third-party liability insurance in force.
The authorities may request this documentation in an inspection.
The licences and their attributions
Each licence authorises a specific length and distance from the coast: the PER, up to 15 m and 12 miles; the PNB, up to 8 m and 5 miles from a shelter. You have the detail on the home page. «Which licence do I need?»
Diving: the ALFA flag
A vessel with divers in the water must hoist the ALFA flag (white and blue, swallow-tailed) of the International Code of Signals: it means «I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed». If you sail near a vessel flying the ALFA, reduce speed and keep away.
Not polluting: the MARPOL Convention
It is forbidden to throw rubbish into the sea, and especially plastics, under the MARPOL Convention and Spanish regulations. Waste is kept on board and handed in at the port reception facilities. The discharge of sewage and of hydrocarbons is also regulated.
Marine reserves and protected areas
Marine reserves and other protected areas have specific restrictions (access, anchoring, fishing, speed, discharges). Find out before sailing or anchoring in them: infringements are penalised.
How to study it
- Keep the numbers that come up most: 200 m (beach), 50 m (rest), 3 knots, entering/leaving perpendicular.
- Remember two obligations: third-party liability insurance and do not anchor in marked channels.
- Link ALFA flag → diver in the water and MARPOL → no plastics into the sea.