Advice on Driving and Trailering a boat to France
With the likelihood of increased air fares following Brexit, driving to your French holiday destination looks even more attractive this year. Many of our guests here at Adventure Sports St Tropez have driven to us and we have had many requests for advice when driving and trailering a boat to France
Golden Rules
1. If possible travel outside the busy holiday periods or travel any day other than a Saturday
2. Book ferry well in advance prices are always cheaper.
3. Check your insurance and breakdown cover (stand alone cover is available at a reasonable rate) and make sure you have the phone contact numbers with you and have cover for your trailer (if transporting one).
4. Carry a basic tool box and roadside breakdown set.
5. Get your trailer serviced well before your departure date, so you can correct any problems well in time.
Generally driving in France is easy and hassle-free, though given that the peages (motorway tolls) add up especially in a long trip you need to allow £100 in peage fees to travel from top to bottom of France. It is always a good idea to take a Sat Nav not only for navigation but for noting the few speed cameras. Note in France it is illegal for a Sat Nav to display exact speed camera locations, so instead your Sat Nav will display “danger zones” or “accident hotspots” where there will invariably (99% of the time) be a speed camera.
If trailering a boat make sure of the following
1. Cover the prop with an adequate prop cover
2. Coupler, hitch and hitch ball are of the same size
3. Coupler and safety chains are safely secured to hitch of tow vehicle
4. All fasteners are properly tightened
5. Boat is securely tied down to trailer (winch line is not a tie down)
6. Wheel lug nuts are properly tightened
7. Wheel bearings are properly adjusted and maintained
8. Load is within maximum load carrying capacity
9. Tyres are properly inflated
10. All trailer lighting is working properly
11. Trailer brakes are properly adjusted and working (if trailer is so equipped)
12. Check the rules for trailering are the same in France as the UK
13. Also a good idea to carry spare trailer tyres and bearings.
Once your powerboat is in France
You will need an ICC (International Certificate of Competence) to drive your powerboat or a Personal Watercraft Competency Certificate for your jet-ski. The waters in France are well monitored and it is very likely you will need to produce your license.
We are able to advise of the best RYA Training Centres in the South of France, and also in the UK.
If all this seems like too much hassle we provide a very special multi-watersports holiday for families, couples and singles. Most important to us is teaching you new skills and as instructors with over twenty years of experience in the sports we teach we get great pleasure from seeing our guests succeed and gain confidence in their abilities. Groups are small and the tuition is one to one in most cases, so success is assured.
Of course learning watersports is so much easier in the warm and relaxed atmosphere of the south of France, and the fun and glamorous atmosphere surrounding St Tropez is always uplifting. We make sure the groups have a great time both during the day and night.
What a wonderful way to spend your holiday, learning watersports in the warm waters of the med, meeting new friends, and having an all-round great time!
Adventure Sports St Tropez Watersports Holidays
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