Monday 9th April 2024. It’s a cool but sunny spring morning in Les Minimes, the pleasure boat marina in La Rochelle. François Nauleau, a member of the AMEL handover service team, is waiting patiently to welcome the owners of a brand new AMEL 50 (unit n° 95). He had already spoken to them one month earlier, when he took the opportunity to introduce himself and explain how the week’s handover programme was going to unfold. So, today is the big day! It’s 9:30 a.m. when the clients arrive at the AMEL pontoon and François accompanies them to their brand-new yacht, fully prepared and pampered by the AMEL team.
François: “Putting the yacht in the water and masting it takes place about a month before the delivery date. The technical team based at the AMEL pontoon, in conjunction with La Rochelle harbour services, is responsible for this. The team also has to fully prepare the yacht – trimming, fitting the sails, cleaning – this time in collaboration with local partners, whilst another team from the AMEL Shipyard comes to carry out the final technical checks. For my part, I have to verify each individual element, simulating life on board. This involves running all the technical, electrical, and drainage systems, as well as testing the appliances, etc., making sure that everything is fully operational in time for delivery day.”
The week begins with introductions, as it’s important for everyone to get to know each other and for everything to proceed in a relaxed atmosphere. The week’s programme is weather dependent, but usually involves the following:
- Monday is given over to the interior of the yacht, with a lunch break at a fine restaurant in La Rochelle.
- Tuesday morning is devoted to training in the use of the electronics. Stéphane Géniteau, responsible for the AMEL Shipyard account at the marine electronics and electrical engineering company POCHON, comes aboard the yacht to explain how the navigation and communication instruments work, and how to use the HiFi equipment.
- On Tuesday afternoon, François once again takes charge, exploring the engine room with the owners.
- On Wednesday morning, a second technician from POCHON continues the training on the electronics. In the afternoon, François goes into detail about the exterior of the boat… the deck, the fittings, the storage lockers, and so on.
- On Thursday, weather permitting, the day is spent out at sea, mastering the boat’s controls for harbour manoeuvres, operating the sails and engine, anchoring and, of course, enjoying lunch on board, when the proud owners can relax and make the most of the spacious cockpit and ergonomic galley. Depending on the tide, this sea outing may last either a full or half day.
- Friday is an opportunity to reaffirm certain technical points and to review details of how to operate the yacht, as well as to offer advice on fitting out and provisioning. Owners are referred to appropriate service providers and specialist shops, with recommendations on the most useful establishments in La Rochelle. In addition, they are given information on tourist activities and places to visit in our beautiful region.
AMEL has been offering a one-week handover service for several decades now. Kevin Zawadzki, Director of Customer Relations, carried out this assignment himself for a number of years and is always on hand if needed. This bespoke service for our clients underlines the concept of our yachts, namely that they are designed to be simple to use and easy to manoeuvre. François Nauleau, who has worked for AMEL for twenty years, particularly in yacht finishing and quality control, has been in his current role for two years now. When he is absent, or when two handovers take place in the same week, Jean Collin, a member of staff at the Hyères facility, steps in. Jean also has extensive AMEL experience, having started out in Martinique, where he looked after the customer service facility in Le Marin for several years, before heading to the Mediterranean, where he joined the sales and delivery team in 2018.
Interview with the owners of AMEL 50, unit n° 95
“This is our first AMEL yacht, although we did have a sailboat many years ago. We subsequently had a motorboat with which we did a lot of cruising in the north-east Pacific. But we wanted to get back into sailing, so here we are aboard our AMEL 50, which we ordered over two years ago!”
What do you expect from this handover week?
“Rather a lot! Detailed explanations of all the technical aspects and all the general maintenance points we need to know about. We already have a good knowledge of how to maintain a boat, but not necessarily when it comes to the new generation, like the AMEL 50. We also want to learn how to pilot her effectively, to easily manage manoeuvres in port, sail trimming, and anchoring. It’s important that both of us are comfortable with using the yacht, and that we would feel capable of taking her back to port on our own if one of us had a health issue.”
How have you prepared for this week?
“Well, apart from booking a hotel for the week, we haven’t really done anything else. We wanted to arrive on the yacht without any of our personal belongings on board, so that we could concentrate solely on learning all about her. Once the week is up, we’ll start buying equipment, accessories, food, etc. We’ll be scouring La Rochelle and the surrounding area to find everything we need. And then we’ll be able to settle in aboard our AMEL!”
What are your plans when the handover is complete?
“We’re going to stay here for around two weeks and then head off to Brittany for the summer. We want to visit Brest, St Malo, the Channel Islands… Then, we’ll return to La Rochelle and decide on the rest of our schedule at that point. Most of the time, it will just be the two of us, but occasionally we’ll invite guests on board.”
