Maite Cabrerizo
Summer, peak season at sea. The General Directorate of the Merchant Navy (DGMM) and Salvamento Marítimo are fully immersed in the recreational boating safety campaign. According to the data, nearly half of summer emergencies occur on recreational vessels. Many of them, such as running out of fuel, failing to inspect the boat, or not wearing a life jacket, for example, could have been avoided. “The difference is coming home after sailing or not coming home.” The phrase is from Sonia Barbeira, head of the recreational licensing functional area of the DGMM. “The law of the sea is very wise. You just have to listen to it,” she says, nodding to this year’s slogan: Turn a deaf ear to the siren songs and listen to the law of the sea.
A glance at our coastlines is enough to see that recreational boating is booming, especially after the pandemic.
That’s right. For several years now, recreational boating has been thriving, with an increase in registered vessels and greater demand for recreational licenses. Although recreational boating has always been under the jurisdiction of the General Directorate of the Merchant Navy, it is in the last seven years that it has gained prominence and its own standing within our structure, a clear reflection of the growth the sector itself has been experiencing year after year.
We’re talking about a hobby or sport in a country like Spain with 8,000 kilometers of coastline and favorable weather for sailing.
More and more people are coming to our country for nautical tourism, and this has a positive impact on our GDP. It is a fundamental sector for our economy, which is precisely why it continues to grow in importance and relevance. We must not forget that among our responsibilities is safeguarding maritime navigation safety, and that is something we must take care of, especially in summer.
Hence the need for these campaigns carried out jointly by the DGMM and Salvamento Marítimo.
Every year, Salvamento Marítimo’s interventions show that over 45% of their operations involve recreational vessels, and 61% of these are concentrated in the three summer months. The goal of the General Directorate of the Merchant Navy with these annual campaigns is to remind people of the guidelines and recommendations to follow for safe sailing. They are very simple and all of them benefit safety—not just for those who go out sailing, but also for those moving in the maritime environment. In the end, at sea, you are constantly interacting with swimmers, other boats… Your safety is also implicitly everyone’s safety.
Because the sailor moves in an environment shared with others.
Exactly. It’s not just the isolated safety of one person, since even though everyone has their own navigation zone, you always interact with others—swimmers, jet skis, surfers… Hence the primary need to know those basic rules, which are the same for everyone and are what guarantee maritime safety. There must be a clear understanding of where and how you can sail to avoid causing an accident or incident, the repercussions of which, in some cases, can be quite dangerous or even tragic.
The campaigns are working.
The data shows that there are fewer accidents and that, for the most part, they are minor and avoidable incidents.
Undoubtedly, the reminder effect of these campaigns is very positive and always benefits everyone. I compare it to the campaigns carried out year after year by the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico). We all know the traffic rules, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of them. The same applies to the recreational boating sector, where a few small recommendations can save your life. We’re talking about four or five guidelines that are easy to understand and apply but are easily forgotten.
Are these campaigns aimed at new boaters? People who have bought a sailboat, who rent a boat without much knowledge, who practice some nautical sport…
Not necessarily. We have two types of boaters: beginners who have just dipped their toes into this exciting world of recreational boating, for whom these campaigns are useful to complete their training and as a reminder of those basic guidelines to follow; and on the other hand, those who are very experienced boaters but where, in some cases, that very experience leads to overconfidence, causing them to forget some of these basic guidelines that could result in an accident. The sea is equally alluring and dangerous, so no one is exempt from risk. That’s why this annual reminder benefits everyone.
Last year, the campaign dramatized a scene—sadly, a real one—of someone who doesn’t return home because they didn’t prepare a navigation plan, didn’t check the weather, didn’t inform anyone at home, or didn’t check if they had enough fuel. It’s frightening!
Quite the opposite. These campaigns are not designed to discourage or scare but to promote responsible boating that allows people to experience the sense of freedom the sea provides. We want people to enjoy our seas, but safely and responsibly. It’s a sector that captivates and enthralls, and that’s exciting.
Is there any chance we’ll come close to the success of the campaigns by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT)?
(Sonia smiles hopefully) I remember those traffic campaigns since I was a child. The DGT has spent many years instilling this philosophy, and it has worked. When we get in the car, we instinctively put on our seatbelt and make sure we have enough fuel to reach our first stop. In the recreational boating world, this isn’t yet the case, and more than once, people set out, for example, without enough life jackets or the necessary fuel, forgetting that refueling at sea isn’t possible. In our case, we’ve only run five campaigns, but it’s true that in these years, we’ve noticed a positive change. There’s a better attitude among boaters, and they’re more involved in respecting those basic safety recommendations. I’m optimistic and believe this trend will continue to grow, leading us to much safer boating. For our part, as the Dirección General de la Marina Mercante, we’re working on a new regulation to make boating less bureaucratic and simpler. But this also requires effort and commitment from boaters and an awareness that rules must be followed.
Let this serve as a warning to boaters.
Yes. It’s a general call to make boating in the future much safer—and even more enjoyable.
Because what matters is always returning home. That’s why this year’s motto urges us to turn a deaf ear to the siren songs—to friends, family, or those social networks that offer small pieces of advice which, whether out of ignorance or arrogance, do not contribute to our safety and could lead our voyage to end in tragedy. It’s said that ignorance is bold, which is why we should only heed recommendations from recognized sources—hence the importance of campaigns launched by the Dirección General de la Marina Mercante, which are based on the regulations to be followed and the vast experience gained from interventions carried out by Salvamento Marítimo.
Some as simple and basic as carrying fuel.
Exactly. For example. The first and fundamental step is to have a navigation plan and communicate it to someone on land, who will raise the alarm if you fail to return to port. It’s also important to keep the vessel in proper maintenance, which must be done year-round, and of course, to have all certified safety equipment ready, in perfect condition, and in adequate numbers based on the people on board and the navigation area. Another guideline: the radio, essential for sending an alert. It’s best to keep it in the same place for easy access and to carry a charged mobile phone because, while 100% coverage at sea isn’t guaranteed, it could save your life. Lastly and crucially, checking the weather forecast before setting sail is mandatory to ensure no issues threaten the planned route.
And being willing to change plans if conditions aren’t favorable. Some tourists rent a boat for four days and refuse to adjust. It’s their vacation, they’ve paid…
Clearly, the decision is theirs, but if it’s the wrong one, it could lead to a maritime accident or an emergency with tragic consequences—worst-case scenario, denying them another chance to enjoy a similar experience. In such situations, patience is a great virtue.
Are we traveling with children?
Yes, of course, but one non-negotiable rule is ensuring they’re constantly supervised. Other onboard behavior tips not to forget: prevent passengers from dangling their feet over the bow or drinking while at the helm, as that’s dangerous. These are common-sense guidelines that save lives.
How do you assess the work of Salvamento Marítimo?
I don’t think anyone would call Salvamento Marítimo’s work trivial; on the contrary, there’s surely unanimous agreement on the outstanding job they do day after day. I always cite Spain’s pioneering role and global leadership in organ transplants year after year—something we can be immensely proud of—and I honestly believe the same sentiment applies to Salvamento Marítimo, not just for its exceptional work 365 days a year, but also for being a benchmark and promoting Spain’s brand worldwide.
The relationship between the General Directorate of the Merchant Navy and Sasemar is very close, and with the arrival of summer, this interaction becomes even more evident due to the collaboration they provide for the development of the safety campaign, in which the advice of Salvamento Marítimo personnel and crews is essential, as they are the ones who experience firsthand and respond day to day to emergencies and who best know how to identify where the problems lie.
Let’s talk about regulation
The biggest problem with recreational boating is that it is not regulated at either the community level or the International Maritime Organization level, and therefore the rules established are those set by each member state—in our case, the General Directorate of the Merchant Navy. These differences between the regulations applicable in different member states do not facilitate navigation beyond our territorial waters, nor the free movement of vessels in European waters, due to varying requirements in aspects such as safety equipment to be carried on board or the recreational qualifications required. These are the steps currently being worked on, and at the national level, we are drafting what will be the new General Regulation for Recreational Navigation. The objective is ambitious but equally necessary, and the aim is to unify into a single regulation an updated and appropriate framework for today’s society. At the moment, at the community level, only the regulations applied to the construction of recreational vessels are regulated, which must bear the CE mark to be freely marketed within the European Union. Greater involvement by the European Commission would be needed to regulate other fundamental aspects of recreational boating. In this regard, the first steps are already being taken to assess the advisability of regulating recreational nautical qualifications at the European level, and the European Commission is already evaluating possible options for defining a qualification.
As I said at the beginning, I am very positive and convinced that we are gradually moving in the right direction to create a culture for sailors, and for this, the first step is to listen to the Law of the Sea.
About Sonia Barbeira
Graduated in Naval Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Sonia Barbeira was the first woman to join the State Corps of Naval Engineers in 1999, with her first assignment at the Maritime Captaincy of Vigo as a ship inspector. Previously, she spent seven years working in the private sector in various shipyards, in production and engineering departments (1992–1999).
During her professional career in the General State Administration, she has held various positions of responsibility, such as Secretary General of the Commission for the Investigation of Maritime Accidents and Incidents (Ciaim) and for seven years as an advisor to the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Public Works. Between 2001 and 2005, she was posted in Brussels, in the Maritime Safety Unit of the Dgtren of the European Commission.
In March 2019, she became the head of the Recreational Boating Functional Area in the General Subdirectorate of Maritime Safety, Pollution, and Inspection. For almost two months now, she has taken direct responsibility for recreational qualifications.
Passionate, restless, she is optimistic.
Think that the sea is to be enjoyed. And this depends not only on adequate regulations, which are already being worked on, but also on a culture among sailors. Practice the philosophy that if you take care of the sea, the sea will take care of you. Always see the glass as half full, and for gray days, colorful umbrellas. This is the lesser-known side of this tireless engineer who, as president of the examination boards, evaluates future sailors. On them, on everyone, depends the future of our seas.
