Rental Terms and Conditions

Rental Terms and Conditions

1° THE HIRER
The person renting the boat must be at least 18 years old and is responsible for the equipment entrusted to him/her; he/she undertakes to ensure that, under all circumstances, the person who is navigating is the one who is designated on the ‘Carte de Plaisance’ (Pleasure Craft Operator Card). He/She declares that he/she is informed of the expiry dates and exclusions of guarantees of the insurance policy that applies to the boat. All customers must ensure, prior to booking, that they are fit and able to undertake the chosen cruise as booked. If the staff at the departure base have reason to believe that safe and secure navigation will not be possible, after providing adequate instruction and practical advice, your crew will not be allowed to leave the dock. For any rental, the crew must compulsorily be made up of at least 2 adults. For safety reasons, oxygen tanks and oxygen concentrators are not allowed on board.

2° REGISTRATION / BOOKING / PAYMENT
The booking is confirmed by the rental company upon receipt of both the booking form and a deposit amounting to 50% of the total rental price. Payment in instalments can be considered if requested. THE BALANCE MUST BE PAID 6 WEEKS BEFORE DEPARTURE. For all payments from abroad, the costs incurred will be charged to the hirer.

3° DEPOSIT
A deposit of €780 to €3250 (insurance deductible) must be paid in cash or by credit card on the day of departure, before embarking. This deposit will be returned at the end of the cruise provided that the boat and its equipment are returned in good condition, undamaged and at the agreed time and place. This deposit represents the amount of the insurance excess paid by the boat hire company in the event of an accident, and also serves as cover for costs arising from broken equipment or poor maintenance of the boat during the cruise.

4° CANCELLATION

6° INSURANCE
The price of the cruise includes the insurance covering the boat and the hirer's liability towards third parties in the event of damage caused to the boat. Accidents/injury to the people on board, loss of or damage to their personal belongings and civil liability are not covered by the insurance policy. The Hirer is responsible for any rented bicycle : in case of loss or theft, their replacement will be charged to the Hirer. However, the latter may subscribe to an insurance covering the reimbursement of the deposit (croisière plus insurance) or the partial or total repurchase of the deposit.

7° ACCIDENTS
The hirer must report any damage immediately by telephone to the rental company, who will advise him/her of the procedure to follow. He/She must refrain from any initiative that is not dictated by the emergency. Whether the Hirer is responsible for the accident or the victim, he/she will not be eligible for any compensation should the trip have to be modified or cancelled.

8° BOARDING
The boat will be put at your disposal once the following formalities have been completed: payment of the deposit (boat deposit + cleaning deposit, depending on the base) and inventory of the equipment on board. By taking possession of the boat, the Hirer acknowledges that he/she accepts that the boat is clean and in good working order. The Hirer may legitimately refuse the boat presented to him if it does not correspond to the one described in the contractual documents, if the equipment essential to the proper conduct of the cruise is not in working order, or if it has not been cleaned to the expected standard. The place of embarkation may be changed to another base in the event of unemployment, flooding or any other event making embarkation impossible at the contractually agreed place. In the event of late arrival of the Hirer (after 5pm, depending on the base), departure will take place the following morning. If the departure was scheduled on a Saturday, departure can take place on Monday morning (since some bases are closed on Sunday). If, at the time of embarking, it is noticed that the number of people present exceeds the maximum authorized capacity (including babies) on board the rented boat, you will be refused the use of the boat for non-compliance with the current legislation governing the rental of licence free boats, without any reimbursement or compensation.

9° DISEMBARKING
The boat must be returned by the time and date agreed, except in unforeseeable circumstances beyond the Hirer’s control. The boat shall be returned to the Rental Operator in the state in which it was entrusted to him, the inventory established on departure being used as proof, if necessary. The Rental Operator reserves the right to apply charges to cover costs in case of late return or if the boat is abandoned during the cruise.

10° USE OF BOAT
The Hirer undertakes to respect all the regulations relative to river or sea navigation, as well as any instructions received from the Rental Operator and river/maritime authorities. Cruising at night, towing other boats, subletting, or lending the boat is forbidden. No passengers may be taken on board except those agreed upon with the Rental Operator before embarking. The boat may only be steered by persons who have completed the required training and who are listed as such on the Pleasure Craft Operator Card.

11° RESTRICTIONS AND CLOSURES OF WATERWAYS
In case of exceptionally high or low water levels, restrictions (because of flooding or drought), damage to the waterways or any other event that prevents navigation, the Rental Operator shall be entitled to change the place and/or date of departure. If the same circumstances make the trip impossible, any payments made may be used for a similar trip at a future date if this is practicable. These conditions apply when the events take place during the trip and only if the boat is immobilized for more than 48 hours.

12° BREAKDOWNS
The rental price includes assistance in the event of a breakdown. The Rental Operator undertakes to provide breakdown assistance without delay, in accordance with standard practice.

13° BREAKDOWNS THAT ARE NOT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE HIRER
In the event of an immobilisation due to damage not caused by the boat's driver and not attributable to him, and which exceeds a period of twenty-four hours, the Rental Company shall be obliged to compensate the Hirer in the form of a credit note on a future cruise, calculated on the basis of the daily price of the boat, in proportion to the time of immobilisation (this does not include supplements and complementary services). The period of immobilisation is calculated from the moment the Hirer has informed the Rental Operator of the breakdown. The Hirer shall refrain from any initiative that is not required by necessity or urgency.

14° BREAKDOWNS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE HIRER
If it is duly established that the breakdown is attributable to the Hirer, the Hirer shall not be entitled to any compensation for the loss of use of the rented boat. The Rental Operator may retain the sums paid as a security deposit up to the amount of the costs incurred for the repairs.

15° EQUIPMENT ON BOARD / PERSONAL BELONGINGS
The Hirer undertakes to notify the Rental Operator of any lost, damaged or stolen equipment, and will be required to pay for it. The Rental Operator is not responsible for loss or damage caused in any way to the Hirer’s personal belongings.

16° PETS
Pets are welcome on board. However, the hirer must not use the equipment on board (bedding, dishes) for his pet, and must bring all the accessories necessary for the life of his pet on the boat.

17° ONE-WAY CRUISES
Even if accepted by the hirer, this service is never guaranteed because of the hazards that may affect its progress. The Rental Operator reserves the right, on legitimate grounds and in return for the refund of the extra costs incurred by the Hirer having chosen a one-way cruise, to oblige the Hirer to make the return journey. It is essential to contact the departure base 48 hours before departure for a confirmation of your itinerary.

18° ITINERARIES
Except by prior written consent, cruises begin and end at the place and time indicated on the booking confirmation. However, the Rental Operator reserves the right, for operational reasons, to change the place of embarking or disembarking, or a one-way cruise into a return cruise in the same region.

19° ABANDONING THE BOAT
In the event of the boat being abandoned by the Hirer, except in the case of sudden and prolonged impracticability of the waterway, the Rental Operator will charge the Hirer for the cost of returning the boat to its base. In addition to the cost of the hourly navigation fee and the cleaning fee, a fixed fee of €500 will be applied + a daily fee of €380. 

20° DESCRIPTION OF THE BOATS
The boat layout complies with the plans provided, but there may be some minor differences depending on the region.

21° DISPUTES AND APPLICABLE LAWS
This contract is governed by French law. All disputes arising from this contract, in terms of its validity, interpretation, performance or termination may result in the dispute being submitted to the competent courts in accordance with ordinary law.

In application of the EC Council directive 90-314 of June 13th 1990, rental does not constitute a fixed-rate price. In the event of a dispute, the Commercial Court of the port of departure is the only competent authority (Convention of Brussels of 21/09/68, article 5/1). 

After having referred the matter to the agency's Customer Service and in the absence of a satisfactory response within two months, the customer may refer the matter to the mediator of the Centre de la Médiation de la Consommation de Conciliateurs de Justice (Consumer Mediation Centre of Justice Conciliators), whose contact details and procedures for referral are available on its website: www.cm2c.net.

Updated 28 July 2022