Clearance Certificate for a French Flagged Boat

[Dragon Lady]

The Aussie authorities have told me they require the deflaging certificate in English so they can understand what it says.
What are my chances of getting one in English from the French authorities?

Also can someone explain how you use the other clearance document that I'm told I will need for the boat to leave the West indies?

[goboatingnow]

What are my chances of getting one in English from the French authorities?

Zero, but you can get a notarised translation arranged in france or elsewhere. Funny the french authorities accept English deflagging certs.

Dave

[Adax]

Confirming what go boating said. Their website has no reference to English translations. A notarised translation will be the way to go.

[Dragon Lady]

Thanks Adax, have you bought a boat yet?

[Adax]

No, Dragon Lady. The one I was looking at comes with a unique set of challenges. (registration stuff ) If the broker comes through with some solutions that one might still be a goer. Awaiting news.
Other than that I will take my time looking. So many boats and so much world to look for boats in.
Good luck with the registration of yours.

[CLINTONJROGERS@]

French flagged boats are uasually cheaper due to it being a pain in the butt to deflag. I bought a Lagoon 410 from Moorings and it took almost 3 months for the deflag to occur. I had help from:
Lisa Borkowski, President
ASAP Marine Documentation & Registration, Inc.
1550 SE 17 Street, Suite 5
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33316
Phone: 954-926-2387
DIRECT LINE: 954-463-6346
Fax: 954-920-2145
Cell: 954-610-2356
I highly recommend not attempting this yourself as the French apparently take their own sweet time with the process!
Clint

[Eric50]

About buying a french flagged (leisure) boat:

For the peace of mind sake, you can ask a document called "certificat de non-gage" for the boat you are looking at to buy.

This document certify that there is no potential (pending) financial claim link to the boat (as pending wages not paid by the previous awner, and other similar debts linked to the boat and that you could unfortunately be legally forced to paid once you become the new owner).

This document is issued on demand, for free, at the custom office where the boat is registered, in France to anyone that ask for it (you just need to explain that you intend to buy this particular boat and they will issue it).

This is one of the document that you ALWAYS ask before buying a boat in France, even if you keep the boat in France and / or under french flag, to avoid any bad financial surprise after the deal is made.

Hope this will help.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Eric50

About buying a french flagged (leisure) boat:

For the peace of mind sake, you can ask a document called "certificat de non-gage" for the boat you are looking at to buy.

This document certify that there is no potential (pending) financial claim link to the boat (as pending wages not paid by the previous awner, and other similar debts linked to the boat and that you could unfortunately be legally forced to paid once you become the new owner).

This document is issued on demand, for free, at the custom office where the boat is registered, in France to anyone that ask for it (you just need to explain that you intend to buy this particular boat and they will issue it).

This is one of the document that you ALWAYS ask before buying a boat in France, even if you keep the boat in France and / or under french flag, to avoid any bad financial surprise after the deal is made.

Hope this will help.

Good one....

[Dragon Lady]

Thanks, I'm all done with that now.
For future reference I would recommend that a check is done with all the applicable French authorities, as there are all sorts of little issues that can arise and stop the process if they have not been cleared and signed off on.

[surf888]

So Dragon Lady....
What was the end result with
1. "Certificat de Radiation" ?
2. English translation for AMSA?
Reason I ask is that is that I have just bought French Registered Benetea through the a good UK broker.. and its looking a little slow!
Mick.

[Eric50]

Hi everybody,

Some related links to the topic, official, about customs in France, boat registration....may be usefull:

French customs official website in english:
Site internet de la Douane : English

Custom and leisure boat (in french, my apologises, but you can translate with google...):
Site internet de la Douane : La douane et la navigation

About the "certificat de non-gage "hypothèque", how to get it before buying (in french):
Site internet de la Douane : L'hypothèque maritime (réglementation et conservateurs des hypothèques maritimes)

List of the offices where to get above mentionned certificate:
http://www.douane.gouv.fr/data/file/1769.pdf

List of the "welcome service to leisure sailors" offices in France (they answer to questions about leisure boatand have been established to ease the formalities in this sector, worth contacting them):
http://www.developpement-durable.gou...iers_web_7.pdf

Once again our apologies for the non english web sites, but with some translation can still be helpfull, they are all officials and up to date this day.

Hope this will help.

[wongai64]

Hi Dragon Lady, Did you ever work out how to get the clearance certificate from the French? I have a Belize 43 registered in Martinique and cant register it here ( Oz) until i can prove the registration there is cancelled

[Dragon Lady]

Hi yes, the boat has been here for four years now.
Is your boat an ex charter?
If it is there may be fees outstanding for the French equivalent of a merchant seaman's superannuation fund like mine was.
Dealing with the French bureaucracy in the Caribbean is incredibly frustrating, working hours are very limited and as an anglophile you are treated with indifference.
Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.