The team at PG Legal outlines the requirements for cruising in Italy as of 3 June

On 18 May 2020, Italy returned to sailing again. On 17 May 2020, the Italian Prime Minister expressly authorised the possibility to sail within the region of residence until 2 June and announced that, as of 3 June, it should be possible to leave the regional waters and sail freely around the Italian coast.

The charter sector has received the go-ahead for the measures to be taken for the resumption of activity which should take place on 3 June. It has been confirmed that a positivity test will be required for the charter's permanent crews, who have to deal with many different guests on large yachts. Bareboat charters will have simpler procedures, without prejudice to the limitations of any regional movement of clients. From 3 June the Government will reopen the borders to EU citizens without quarantine periods. This means that Summer 2020 is finally starting.

Given the gradual recovery, the Italian Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has published the rules to be observed for pleasure yachting, chartering, renting and for the management of ports and marinas. Below you will find the key points to respect when sailing in Italian waters.

• Avoid close contact
• Proper sanitisation spaces
• Interpersonal space of at least one metre
• Nose and mouth protection for passengers

Private pleasure yachts 

The primary measure remains the "social distancing" of at least one metre unless the persons are part of the same family or live together. Even the relatives, if not living together, must respect the social distance of one person for each linear metre of the vessel. The provision of personal protective equipment for passengers and the use of surface sanitizer are also mandatory.

Charter

The same preventive rules for private vessels apply to yachts engaged in charter activities. Only persons living in the same family are allowed to stay in the same cabin.

The owner is obliged to sanitize all the areas - including the engine room and services - to provide adequate supplies of sanitizing products as well as information signs, written in several languages, to make the charterer and his guests aware of the necessary hygienic measures to be taken.

As far as crew is concerned, the obligation to use masks and gloves and any other protective equipment depending on the type of the unit in particular, during mooring, unmooring, bunkering and towing operations. For the crew, moreover, since they are subjects called, in some cases, to carry out first aid manoeuvres (as in the case of the Captain for whom the elementary first aid course and BLS is compulsory), there should be the obligation to undergo a preventive (before boarding) and periodical first aid test at CoVid-19, the result of which must be kept on board. However, there should be a mandatory temperature measurement of crew members daily.

The crew must also take care to prevent access to the ship to strangers while in port or at sea.

Those who generally live in the same house can share accommodation in the same cabin.

For guests, the general rules on social distancing and interpersonal prevention measures apply, i.e. one person per meter of the linear length of the unit, including crew members, unless the guests live together.

Tourist ports and marinas

The managers of marinas must provide the ports with special information signs, in Italian and English, on the conduct measures to be respected, the use of personal protective equipment, the installation of sanitizing dispensers on the docks, the limitation of movement, bans on gatherings and respect for social distancing.

Navigation and system rules

It is mandatory to comply with the regulations for travel within the Region and between Regions and the respect of international anti-contagion laws during navigation outside national territorial waters.

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