Dear Islander
Welcome to this special October issue, which features 3 pages of photos and candid comments from Mallorca based exhibitors who were at the Monaco Boat Show last month.
Plus the usual varied selection of news, , and specialist articles from our regular contributors, ranging from how to register your boat in Spain, how to save enough money to buy a boat, how to start a business in order to make some money in the first place , through to health matters and wireless communications on board, which incidentally made me think, - why I am sitting in this office, when I could be anchored in a nice cala working from my boat!
Talking of anchoring, it seems that the port authorities trend towards increasing the number of moorings around our coast is continuing, with news that Puerto Colom will increase the number of moorings from 52 to 130, with 63 of them being for yachts up to 8 metres, but only 15 for larger boats. All well and good, but let´s hope that we don´t see any more abuse of concession rights, and anchoring restrictions in the guise of environmental protection, when actually the intention is to extort more money from yacht owners and charterers.
Having cruised the crystal clear waters off the coast of Queensland Australia, where the “Ozzies” really do put financial emphasis on protecting their marine parks, but anchoring is allowed in many of the bays, I was impressed with how they provide free moorings (on a time limitation) close to the protected bays, and dinghy moorings, just outside the reef line so you can visit and snorkel or dive, to enjoy the underwater sights.
At the end of what has been a very busy and succesfull summer for boating in the Balearics, according to everyone I have spoken to recently, it would seem from our articles on other pages regarding moorings.... And comments on the Monaco show (pages 29 & 30) that lunacy has descended on the Balearics Port Authority, who you could almost think have an aversion to large yachts for some reason.
However let´s be positive believing in a greater plan, with an even brighter future , and rejoicing in some good news such as the formation of AEGY (Protecting the interests of large yachts) details in news section.
And the approval of a € 40 million project to expand El Toro marina in Calvia, adding 85 moorings, all for +20 metre yachts, and 12 of them for mega yachts of over 50 meters. Boaters in the Balearics, on small or large yachts can only benefit , if the income from the big boys is spent wisely and re-invested!
Peter Franklin