Captain's Handbook

2019 CAPTAIN’S Useful information HANDBOOK for your boating holiday TABLE OF CONTENTS 3-7 SAFETY ON BOARD 8-17 KEY INFORMATION FOR YOUR DEPARTURE DAY 18-27 CONTACT DETAILS OF YOUR DEPARTURE BASE 28-31 HOW DO I GET THERE? 32-37 NAVIGATION TIPS 38-40 LOCKS 41-42 LOCAL WATERWAY RULES AND SPECIFICITIES 43-46 INVENTORY OF BOATS SAFETY ON BOARD SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Remember to wear appropriate shoes. Do not try to stop the boat with your feet or hands. Never forget to hold the boat with one hand and keep the other one free to be used. P 3 Be careful when you use the boat hook; never Never tie ropes across the towpath, walkers and keep it in front of you. cyclists might get hurt. Do not roll a mooring rope up around your Be attentive to your mooring ropes. Take care wrist or ankles. of them; keep them tidy and well arranged. Children and animals should stay in the boat Each boat is provided with extinguishers. and be supervised while passing through a Check their position during the initiation to lock. your boat. Children always have to wear their life jackets Please follow the navigation guide and all while on an open deck. advices the Locaboat team gives you before your departure. Attention Life is peaceful along the canal, but it’s still important to take precautions and follow the security rules. To avoid theft and other unwanted events, make sure you always lock the boat and the windows, and don’t leave Children need to be supervised while in the valuables in sight or anything that will water. attract the attention of thieves when you leave the boat unattended or at night. Before you set off, check that your boat’s locks, catches, windows and hatches are working properly. P 5 SAFETY Your boat is duly registered by an official never roll a mooring rope up around their insurance company as well as by the wrist or ankles or try to stop the boat with authorities. their feet. It meets all the security conditions required by • by never keeping the boat hook in front of the law. You must however also contribute to your body. the active safety of your boat and its crew: • by taking the precaution of holding your children and your animals inside the boat while going through a lock or mooring. • by wearing suitable shoes. • by preserving minimum order on board. • by taking care to roll up your ropes after Attention each manoeuvre. Never forget to hold the boat with one hand and keep the other one • by taking care while jumping off the boat. free to be used. • by explaining to the crew that they should INVENTORY OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT Extinguisher Let it unravel to the maximum (approx. 30 m). Each boat is provided with extinguishers. Check Never use an anchor in a canal. where they are during your introduction to the boat in the base. If you have to use them during Lifebuoy and life jacket your cruise, please don’t forget on your return to All our boats are supplied with a lifebuoy and the base to let them know. sufficient life jackets. If you travel with children, request life jacket for their size (starting from 10 Anchors kg). All our boats are equipped with an anchor which would be your safety aid in the event of a breakdown or of a wrong manoeuvre near a dam. Before throwing the anchors over board, Order children's life jackets first make sure that the rope or the chain is firmly 10-15 days before your departure on attached to the boat. www.penichette.com IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT Please call the base immediately; our employees will help you and give you all the instructions and, if necessary, will send someone out to help you. In case of an accident with a third part, it is the Captain’s responsibility to fill in a report (a specimen is in the manual), not forgetting to note names and addresses of the witnesses. In case of doubt or of disagreement, it is better to • LikeAttention on the road, never sign a declaration admitting your wait for a member of our base responsibility. or someone from the police. In • Take immediately a picture of the boat after the accident, a lock, you have the right to ask in particular of the damage on both boats even the other for a report on the accident to one. the lockkeeper. IN CASE OF A BREAKDOWN Fortunately, breakdowns are rare but can and is at your disposal during opening hours. happen. They can be of any nature: a problem Some problems can be solved directly by phone. with the engine, electric problems, problems with the heating. If the breakdown doesn’t stop you cruising, we will make an appointment for later. In this case If a breakdown occurs, call your base we can avoid unnecessary waiting time. After our immediately (you will find the number in technician has finished the repair, he will fill out the boat users book). Outside the opening a form and ask you to sign it. You can put your hours and during the lunch break you will be comments there. connected to an answering machine. Even if you only reach the answering machine, please leave Problems with the engine: a message. The answering machine is checked A light and/or sound alarm is placed on the regularly. After 6 pm your call will be answered dashboard. the following morning. > If it shows/sounds, approach the nearest bank immediately and turn your engine off. Please give the following information when > Wait a few minutes to allow the engine to cool you call: down then start turn on the engine again. • Your name and the name of your boat, > If the alarm starts again, call the base. • The precise location where you are (if possible with kilometer indication written on the river Problems with the propeller: guide), Whatever the waterway, it can happen that a • The nature of the breakdown (according to plastic bag or other waste is caught in the your observations), propeller… unless it is your own rope. • A phone number, where you can be reached In these cases, each boat has an easy and the time of your call. access to the propeller. > Turn off the engine, turn off the batteries It is generally advised to leave a phone number master switch and take out the key. on your arrival so that we can contact you in any > Open the propeller trap door, be careful that case. A technician will come as soon as possible, no water comes into the boat, take a good but give him some time to arrive. Do not try to knife and cut everything caught around the repair the problem yourself. propeller. For some problems that you can try to solve > Do not forget to close the propeller access them yourselves, we mentioned some hints in before setting out again. While the boat is moving, check that water does not infiltrate by the next column. In any case, do not hesitate to the trap door. contact the base. Please be reminded that the breakdown service is included in the hire price P 7 KEY INFORMATION FOR YOUR DEPARTURE DAY OPENING HOURS ON DEPARTURE DAYS Formalities and boarding take place on each Taking over or leaving the boat outside the departure day from 2 to 6 pm, depending on stipulated dates can only be done with the the customers’ time of arrival and the boat’s agreement of the departure base. readiness. There is no point in arriving before 2 pm because boarding cannot start before this Some bases have particular opening hours time, the morning being reserved for the return (please see their respective details in the chapter of our previous clients and the preparation of the "Contact details of your departure base"): boat for the following ones. Chioggia, Ketzin, Valence-sur-Baïse, Mikolajki, Melesse. Equally, if you think you are going to arrive late, it’s necessary that you ring the base to let us know. If we’re aware, and you’re only a little delayed, we will stay until you get there. If you’re going to be very late, we will give you instructions We suggest to empty your suitcases about going on board, and we will do the check- in straight away and put them back in your the following morning. car; otherwise they will take up valuable storage space on board. The bases are open on the departure days If you come by train or plane, ask the between 9 am and noon. People arriving by base to keep your suitcases until you plane or train can come and leave their luggage. return. FORMALITIES AND BOARDING As soon as you get to the base, go to the office boat, the condition of the fenders and the safety with your paperwork. It will take between a equipment. Please notify us immediately if quarter and half an hour to sort out the following something is broken or missing. formalities. Optional services must be paid at the base before your departure. Our office staff will Important formalities be delighted to advise you about your cruising • Hiring contract plans, and they will also tell you about any special • Temporary boating permit ("Carte de Plaisance" factors which might affect the waterways you will in France or "Charterschein" in Germany). be going on. Once the paperwork is done, you will • "Inclusive Pack" or damage deposit / damage be shown your boat, and you’ll be able to stow waiver your belongings.

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