Delivery and handover took place between Feb 26th and 29th 2024 in Lorient. The yard team worked hard to make the boat ready for delivery.
We also had the visit of the ANFR surveyor. The ANFR is the french organization who is responsible for the survey and licencing of radio installation. Avel Vaez is outfitted with the latest technology and complies with GMDSS requirements. ANFR surveyor measured the output/input of all our equipment and delivered his report. On the ANFR web site, we have registered all our communication equipment and emergency kit: SARS, EPIRB, etc.
With the ANFR visit done, we had the final visit from the french navy “coast guards”. After a thorough survey, we received the navigation permit. This is a very significant milestone in our project and confirms the level of professionalism we have reached on board. Not many sailboats this size have managed to get this level of certification.
The navigation permit allowed us to request the certificate of registration from the commercial french flag “RIF” (Registre International Français”).
With the navigation permit and the registration certificate, we could now register Avel Vaez on the ship owner web site. We have to submit the ship emergency HSE plan. It includes the basic operating rules on board as well as the emergency response plan and the ship risk assessment: Each activity is risk assessed and mitigation measures are put in place when needed. The role of the crew and the guests are also detailed in the document. We also needed to provide the working hours for the crew. After reviewing these documents, the flag delivered the arming permit. This permit allows the owner to recruit the crew.
French administration in its full splendor!