Whether for human rescue or towing or ship assistance, it is the CROSS - Centre Régional Opérationnel de Surveillance et de Sauvetage maritimes - which will take care of your request.
Rescue of people
Human rescue is the recovery of people in distress at sea to a safe place. Care can be provided if necessary. Under no circumstances can it be invoiced.
Towing or assistance of the vessel
The towing is to pull behind you a boat that is no longer able to manoeuvre independently . The assistance is assistance requested or voluntarily provided to assist a vessel in danger.
Unlike human rescue, towing, where the assistance of the ship is not free.
Fixed price for towing
The towing is done through a flat-rate service contract in the case of a professional tugboat. Some insurances can cover it. Be aware, however, that any ship can offer towing and that the final choice is made by the boat owner in need.
A fixed price for assistance
Assistance is provided to a vessel in danger. It can be brought by a professional, but also by any ship that thinks it is competent. In the same way as towing, it is the yachtsman who made the request who decides whether to accept or refuse any offer of assistance.
Remuneration for assistance is determined according to specific criteria defined by legislation:
- The circumstances
- The efforts and resources involved
- The value of the goods
- The results obtained
Its amount can therefore be higher than that of a simple towing.
The steps to be taken
In both cases, you must contact CROSS - 196 by phone or VHF channel 16. You can also contact the CROSS directly on its direct line. You will find the numbers at the end of the article.
It is the CROSS which will then lead the rescue operations by contacting the competent services and persons:
- Nautical and aerial means of the State,
- SNSM's nautical resources
- Nautical resources of local authorities (beach stations, fire brigades, etc.)
- Private resources in the vicinity of the disaster.
Whether for towing or assistance, CROSS will also broadcast a radio message to relay your request to the navigators in the area. You will settle the payment terms with the intervener (towing company, private individual, state, SNSM...).
CROSS contact details " CROSS
- CROSS Gris-Nez (Eastern Channel and North Sea): 03 21 21 87 21 87 competent from the Belgian border to Cap d'Antifer "
- CROSS Jobourg (Central Channel): 02 33 52 16 16 competent from Cap d'Antifer to the bay of Mont Saint-Michel "
- CROSS Corsen (Western Channel): 02 98 89 31 31 competent from the bay of Mont Saint-Michel to the tip of Penmarc'h
- CROSS Étel (Atlantic): 02 97 55 35 35 competent from the tip of Penmarc'h to the Spanish border"
- CROSS La Garde (Mediterranean): 04 94 61 16 16 16 competent on the Mediterranean coast
- SUB-CROSS Aspretto (Corsica): 04 95 20 20 13 63 competent on the Corsican coast
- CROSS Antilles-Guyana: 05 96 70 92 92 competent in the Antilles and Guyana "
- CROSS La Réunion: 02 62 43 43 43 43 competent in Reunion Island
