With the announcement that one in two motor craft in the Valencian Community do not comply with Spanish legislation governing use and safety, the Guardia Civil have further ramped up their vigilance along the Costa Blanca.
Not satisfied with solely pursuing unpaid tax revenues on yachts and moorings, the Guardia Civilīs nautical branch has carried out 257 inspections on Personal Watercraft (PWC) and motorboats resulting in 170 denuncias (fines) for failure to comply with legal requirements.
Under close scrutiny are navigation systems, insurance, registration documents and engine power.
Provided that the watercraft is not bigger than 54.4 horsepower and used within a specified area it can be hired out to members of the general public. However, with 59 per cent of the emergency calls to the Guardia Civilīs sea brigade resulting from the misuse of pleasure boats and PWC, the crack down was inevitable say local authorities.
New legislation was introduced in March governing the hire and registration of pleasure craft to deal with the number of new businesses that have sprung up along the coastline offering PWC and boats to rent. There are also new rulings on the number of passengers that can be carried and the need for viewing platforms from where the company can monitor their craft.
The inspections are part of an on-going campaign by the Guardia Civil to try and control the use of recreational sea-craft during the summer season. The majority of the legal infringements reported by the Guardia reflected irregularities in the paperwork for the craft. Fines between 600 and 1000 Euros can be imposed for a breach of the law.