Legal advice

G

graviti

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Myself and some friends at looking at doing some rafting on the Orange river in December. There are already the guided trips, with all the super-expensive company's. We're feeling a bit more adventurous. We want to basically drive up, build a raft and hit the river, including crossing over into Namibia. Does anyone know of any legal problems involving just hopping onto a raft and floating down a river, like the Orange. I know in the US it is illegal, but in SA? Other legal bit would be the whole crossing the border part. Obviously passport, but are we allowed to use the river as a medium. Basically, do we need to have a "drivers license" for the river is what I'm really after.
 
You wanna drive to the river, then build a raft there? From scratch? And then use it for the first time?

How many friends?

Legal issues I can't help with.
 
Just stick to the left and pass on the right.

But seriously! How long are you planning on staying there?

Or how far into Namibia are you planning on venturing?
 
I see this thread is gonna be more about the adventure than the legal issues.

Huckleberry Fin FTW!!!!
 
Legal problems... not so much.

Hippo problems.... Plenty


edit: LOL!

Nvm, I had a brain fart :p
 
Last edited:
Question - do you need to present your passport to customs when entering Namibia at the border?

If not, then it might be safe to do the river thing.

BUT if you do need to present a passport to customs, then you'll be in a sticky situation if you're caught on Namibian soil without a stamped passport.

Best thing to do is to call the relevant departments in the Namibian government and ask them...
 
Look, you and your friends should rather just go to a strip club....

...but since you are committed, I have 2 questions:
(1) When are you going?
(2) Space for one more?

This is awesome....
Do it, report back. The hell with legal issues.
 
xrapidx said:
You seem to be having them all over the place. :p
Click to expand...

Fk'ng numbers are killing me today. I feel like a bloody calculator being violated by 10 million people at once today. Working through 8 reports with about 800 entries on each .... numbers numbers numbers. Tonight if I get lucky with the wife it will prob feel like a "Paint by numbers game" for me :(
 
Basically the plan is to drive up to Augrabies, build the raft, float down to Fish River Canyon, and then drive back. 7 people, 1 raft, 1 vehicle. 5 on the raft and 2 in the vehicle at any given stage. The vehicle to pull the raft out of the water at big rapids etc, and to drive people back from Fish River to Augrabies, where the other vehicle will be to drive home. There is a border post on the river, because it's a commonly used route by the adventure companies. That's also why we're concerned about the legalities, because if it's illegal, then we'll probably get bust by those same companies, because they've lost out on our business. Pretty amped, should be good fun. We're prototyping rafts at the moment. Looking for the quickest sturdy build possible, as we plan on building and launching within 24 hours. And it needs to last a fair few days, probably 5 or 6. I haven't checked the mileage from Augrabies to Fish River, our Springbok scout did that. So I trust him in this regard. The only other thing is to see how fast our raft will go down the river.

But still need legal advice. If you Jo'burg types have got any lawyer friends (seeing as all the lawyers are up there) could you put a word out on this for me please.

Shot
G
 
Never mind the legals. Look what you are doing is basically as I understand it, planning on constructing and using a CAT R vessel on SA inland waterways. carrying crew and passengers or a mixture of both. A raft would have to meet the minimum seaworthy (construction) requirements and carry onboard the required safety equipment pertaining to CAT R vessels
http://www.samsa.org.za/siteimgs/cat_r_1pg_checklist_2.pdf
Each legal district the river flows though will usually have their own local regulations over that particular stretch of water.
Your vessel will also have to comply with the Namibian SAMSA equivilent.
All parties aboard should have liability waivers drawn and signed in case of legal actions arising from accidents or deaths...remember if someone drowns, the surviving family members could institute a civil action...
As for border formalities contact the Dept of Home Affairs and the Namibian Consulate.
 
graviti said:
Myself and some friends at looking at doing some rafting on the Orange river in December. There are already the guided trips, with all the super-expensive company's. We're feeling a bit more adventurous. We want to basically drive up, build a raft and hit the river, including crossing over into Namibia. Does anyone know of any legal problems involving just hopping onto a raft and floating down a river, like the Orange. I know in the US it is illegal, but in SA? Other legal bit would be the whole crossing the border part. Obviously passport, but are we allowed to use the river as a medium. Basically, do we need to have a "drivers license" for the river is what I'm really after.
Click to expand...

Get a lawyer
 
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