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Dragon Lady · 11-09-2010, 23:34

Does anyone have any first hand experience dealing with or buying a boat from a French based charter company?
I have been offered what appears to be a good boat which is just coming out of charter in the Carrabean by a charter company based in France.
Obviously it will be a challenge, with the boat, the vendor and myself in differents parts of the world.
I work with French people and am hopping to get their assistance with the laguage and cultural differences.
I am just wondering what I should be aware of, with the diffent laws and expections.
I know from experience the French can be be very relaxed about some things and then be totally inflexable on other things.

BOATaHOLIC · 15-09-2010, 15:38

I've been involved in hundreds of purchases from French charter companies as I used to run Moorings Yacht brokerage. French boats can be a good buy but there are some traps to avoid. Firstly, have the engine oil analyzed and verify the engine hours. Some of them are really high. Secondly, the French charter companies sometimes demand that you give them all the money for the boat before you get clean title. Clean title is considered to be the Acte De Francisation in which the French government declares that all liens and encumbrances are released and now the yacht is conveyed (to you). I recommend being very careful here. You need to know exactly where your money is going and you need to take possession of the boat at the time you send the final funds. If I were buying, I'd want to have a US documentation agent overseeing the closing.

goboatingnow · 16-09-2010, 06:48

or to give it its full title
"Acte de francisation-titre de navigation"

Its usually got from the customs people, and is mainly if you want to remove the yacht from the EU. its not difficult to get in my eperience.

Dave