Skipper not licensed on co-navigation sites, 1st conviction

Port of Sainte-Marine from where the condemned skipper worked

The Quimper court convicted a 49-year-old yachtsman who illegally presented himself as skipper on boat rental platforms between private individuals. A decision that could set a precedent.

A new trial

BoatIndustry mentioned in January 2018 The next objective is now the tip of South Africa: Francis Joyon and his crew had crossed the longitude of Cape Agulhas after 12 d 21 h 22' by sea. With a 23-hour lead, Yann Guichard hopes to keep a small half-day lead before heading for the Indian Ocean. At the time, the boat - in the colours of Banque Populaire - had taken just under twelve days since Ushant (11 d 23 h 50'). the first of its kind, brought against a 49-year-old boater for concealed work and non-compliant use of a pleasure craft for personal use. The latter offered his services as skipper on the Samboat and Click&Boat websites for sea outings from Sainte-Marine. Not holding the 200 captain's certificate, which is mandatory for boarding fare-paying passengers, he held only the sea licence. The procedure, led by ARMAM, the association of owners of passenger ships, was a first in the context of the profession's concern about the development of co-browsing and rental sites between private individuals and their potential drifts.

1st skipper conviction

The untitled skipper was finally sentenced by the Quimper court to a fine of ?6,000, including a suspended ?1,000 fine and an additional ?1,000 for the fine. The court considered that the sailings proposed by the yachtsman were carried out according to the requests of the customers, at professional rates. They were therefore not part of a cost-sharing arrangement as the practice of co-browsing implies. Hidden work was also withheld, in the absence of a declaration of income from the activity by the convicted person.

Websites out of the question

No co-responsibility of the sites hosting the ads is recognized by the court. Their progressive opening towards professional rental companies will perhaps make it possible to limit existing abuses, by leaving co-browsing to its initial vocation.

More articles on the theme