Dear Islander,
Well, not for the first time, the Palma port authorities have threatened to tighten up entry into their facilities.
Last time the vigilance only lasted a short time and strolling around the Palma yard you see all sorts of obviously ´illegal´ characters not to mention a variety of ´dodgy´ number plates on cars and vans!
A little bird tells me though that, true to form, the new entry ‘norms’ has not been committed to paper allowing goal posts to be moved at any time.
Will they increase the cover of this vigilance to all the other parts of the port, which include a couple of marinas?
As far as I’m concerned I’m still waiting for a reply from Francesc Triay, the head of the Palma port authority, to a letter (see Letters) I sent him asking what they intend to do about the ´mad dog´ tugs that they allow to work in their areas that have caused irrefutable damage and destruction- what about them?
The silence is deafening!
Oh, and incidentally since we published the pictures of the runaway tug in the last issue another tug ´T-boned´ MY Blue Shadow that was moored next to Astileros Mallorca!!
Check out the letter from Mike Wood from a jail in Athens- Letters section.
One thing he doesn’t mention (which he had done by phone) is that, out of the blue, he had a three hour interview by the Greek national security police who are not happy the way the original investigation (or more accurately-lack of it) was conducted and will be presenting a report to that effect to the court.
His appeal against the 10-year sentence comes up on the 18th December- keep your fingers crossed.
Very little has been made of the fact that the bidding for the 15 year concession of the marina facilities in Andratx has started. 6 bids are thought to have been made with the concession priced at 896,529 Euros annually.
One local paper has however shown natural surprise at the ´basic requirements´ given by the authorities who merely list the minimum requirements as; ´providing moorings and hard standing, supply of fuel, water and electricity; maintenance and repair; changing rooms, showers, public toilets, a cantina and car parking´.
There is no reference to any sporting or social requirement by the new concessionaires, nor any reference to meteorological, radio or telephonic services for yachtsmen.
It does however specifically ban anything to do with jetskis!
Regards,
John Rule