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The Government has just regulated recreational boating in Spain and right now only allows anyone who is federated to sail alone and authorizes the owners of motor boats to come and visit them to carry out maintenance work. Motor boating is reserved for Phase I .

EL MUNDO has had access to the document sent by the Ministry of Transport to the National Association of Nautical Companies in which it explains in detail what the transition from recreational navigation to the so-called "new normality" will be like.

According to the Ministry headed by José Luis Ábalos, "in Phase 0 you will not be able to navigate for leisure unless you do it sportingly and individually." This means that it is "non-professional and federated sport, like a physical activity". "This will mean that certain sailing vessels can be sailed as a sport," he says. In this section, Transport specifies that "it must be taken into account that whoever carries out this activity must reside in the same municipality where the boat is located and navigation is also subject to geographical limitations."

In this same Phase O the Government already allows the owners of motor boats to go to their boats to carry out "security and maintenance" tasks . "As long as the boat is in the same municipal area where the owner resides," he stresses. "Only one person may access the boat to carry out these activities and the procedures and protocols established in the marinas will be respected at all times."

Motorized navigation is reserved to Phase 1. As long as "recreational navigation is developed according to its consideration as active and nature tourism by limited groups." Or what is the same, to "cultural and leisure activities" .

The Ministry indicates that "personal limitations must be respected" at this stage and adopt disinfection measures and reinforcement of health and hygiene standards on boats "which, he adds," may also be considered tourist accommodation ". In turn, Transport stands out that in this section "the geographical limitations in the waters of the province or island in which navigation is practiced also govern".

The novelty in Phase 2 is that "recreational and sports navigation within its consideration as active tourism and nature activities" is authorized for "larger groups of people, without the limitation of residing in the same municipality, but yes in the same province. "

The Government adds that "the owners of boats that were moored in a municipal area other than their residence, but in the same province, could already make visits to carry out safety and maintenance checks." "As in the previous phase, navigation will also have geographical limitations without being able to carry out journeys to waters in other provinces or islands."

In this phase, a novelty is also incorporated: "Navigation practices could already be carried out to obtain recreational titles, which require the use of recreational boats, as a training activity (retail trade and service provision activities) "

Lastly, in Phase 3, " recreational nautical activities will be authorized, with no other limitations than those that generally govern them , such as those of a geographical nature and the adoption of preventive sanitary measures."

"In this way," concludes the Ábalos Ministry, "the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine considers that recreational or sports navigation can be practiced during the different phases for the transition to the new normality." "And this," he adds, "both in vessels or recreational vessels that have been subject to nautical leasing (contracts that may be concluded normally from Phase 1) or by their own owners."

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