BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide
Tender, beach landings and swim zones: the rules of the last metre
How to get ashore from a rental boat: tender rules, RIB beaching, buoyed swim zones — the last metre is the most regulated one.
By Clément Lacaille, editor of Boat-Comparator · updated
Anchored 50 metres off a perfect beach, the real question remains: how do you set foot on the sand? The 'last metre' has its rules, techniques and traps — here they are.
Swimming in: the default
Simplest for a swim stop: boat anchored outside the swim zone, waterproof pouch for phone and cash. Two cautions: never leave the boat without someone able to handle it if the wind may freshen, and judge the distance honestly — 50 metres with children is already a crossing.
The tender: the little-known rules
On weekly charters the tender runs the beach-and-restaurant service. Worth knowing: above 6 hp its engine requires a license; at night it must carry a light; and in buoyed swim zones it uses the crossing channels at 5 knots maximum. The tender and its outboard are often EXCLUDED from the excess waiver — theft at the restaurant pontoon is the classic claim: padlock, always.
Beaching: pure sand only
Nosing a RIB onto the sand is a licensed pleasure… when the operator allows it (ask!) and on pure sand: one pebble scratches a hull, billed on the deposit. Engine tilted, bow to the open sea, and never in swell — a grounded boat that 'slaps' degrades in minutes.
Swim zones: the yellow line
Yellow buoys mark bather-only zones: closed to boats, full stop. Anchor beyond, swim in or use the channel. Fines fall fast in summer, and it is a leading cause of deposit disputes — the boat's GPS keeps the track.
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