Dear Islander,
Well I think it´s pretty obvious what the Balearic government think of the local marine industry by having absolutely no representation at what I would have thought would be an important exhibition for them, the London Boat Show!
However I am told that the Balearic chamber of commerce is coming to the rescue and have booked stands at the Paris show in December 2003, London and Dusseldorf in 2004.
I have also been told that companies can participate in these shows for as little as 300 Euros.
I hope to bring you more information on this.
If you´re particularly interested in the details please get in touch with me.
As a number of you know I have been conducting an email survey of opinions about the local marine business which I intended to publish in this issue.
I have decided to postpone the results until I get a more representative sample of replies.
Although I´ve received quite a number of completed questionnaires it is obvious that the Xmas and New Year period is not the time to ask people to do things like this!
What is abundantly clear from the preliminary results of the survey is that the general consensus of opinion is that the local government doesn´t seem to give a hoot about the yachting industry here in the Balearics which has been proven recently by no representation at the London Show.
I still haven´t received the courtesy of a reply from the head of the Palma port authority to a letter I sent him some time ago asking him what they intended to do about the mad-dog tugs. I have however heard a whisper that the intention is to moor them away from the boat yard fairly soon- I´ll believe that when I see it!
To update you on the situation of yachtsman, Mike Wood, who is banged up in Athens for ´immigrant smuggling´, his appeal came up on the 18th December.
His new lawyer, along with a supportive report from the Greek national security police, obtained a postponement in order to try to find a vital witness.
Although interviewed at the time of the incident by the local police, he did not appear at the trial and records of his address etc. seem to have disappeared!
As the new year rolls out I would like to remind you that this is your magazine- keep the info. coming in; if you´ve got a whinge, don´t keep it yourself- send a letter in and don´t forget the classified ad section is free for private ads.
Have a healthy and prosperous new year.
John Rule