A salutary tale reached us during a recent show, about a yacht falling foul of the authorities in Menorca this season.
The captain of a 50-metre motor yacht had consulted with an agent before dropping anchor in the bay of Mahón in September, though the chosen agent was not one of only two licenced ‘consignatarios’ in Menorca. According to the captain, the restricted area was not marked on the chart.
Having dropped the anchor in a restricted area without authorisation resulted in a €60,000 fine by the port authority. Yes, SIXTY THOUSAND euros, payable on pain of arrest, preventing the boat from departing.
Here at ESTELA, in Palma, we are regularly consulted about anchoring restrictions, particularly in Palma Bay, in front of the cathedral. As licenced consignees in Mallorca, we are able to obtain anchoring permits for this restricted area, or we will assist captains with anchoring in unrestricted waters.
The costly lesson here is to always use licenced agents, wherever possible. Even in Palma, there are fewer of us than you think.
Captains, officers, we want to hear from you!
How do you prevent navigational breaches such as this from happening? Are restricted zones always marked on charts, or does this vary from place to place? How do you ensure that you have the most up-to-date information for each location? Please send your feedback (on or off the record) to editor@estelayachting.com or call James van Bregt on +34 696 59 84 03.