Anchoring in Mahon

[Roaring Girl]

There have been a lot of rumours about the recent ban on anchoring in Mahon. Our friends Mike and Linda on US flagged yacht Aquila are there at the moment, and have kindly given the following up-to-date information and agreed that we should post it:

It's true. All of us who are anchored in Cala Teulera were given a notice "You Are Anchored In A Forbidden Area - You Must Leave This Place and Contact The Different Mooring Companies in Mahon Harbour". This notice included a color-coded map indicating which mooring company to call. There are NO open anchorages anywhere in the entire harbour. The map shows Cala Teulera as a restricted anchoring area only allowed if all the marinas, pontoons and moorings are full, and only for 3 days max.

We contacted Marina Port Mahon and they charge 224 EU per night for our 15 meter boat! We contacted Ocibar S'altre Banda who handle the moorings and pontoons along the northern side of the harbor, as well as Isla Del Rey. They said they could put us on a pontoon in Cala Llonga for a reduced rate because it doesn't have any water. It is apparently under repair. The cost is 53 EU per night, plus tax. BUT they have to charge for 10 days tax, even if you only stay one day. So the first night would cost 104 EU. 10 days would cost 583 EU. Again this is for a 15 meter boat.

A couple of boats got the notice yesterday, but we got the notice today (Friday 2 July). Some of the boats left, some of us stayed, and several new boats arrived today. There are about 20 boats anchored here now. There is constant turnover here in this anchorage, so I don't know how they plan to enforce this. One of the full-timers here wrote a letter of protest and collected all our signatures on a petition that he is delivering on Monday.

They go on to comment:

It's outrageous that we are being FORCED to pay if we want to stay. This anchorage is completely remote and not hurting anyone. There is no reason for them to do this except to pad their own pockets. They will ultimately just lose all of the business we bring to the restaurants, grocery stores, chandleries and tourism industry. It's a crock.

Anyone heading for the Balearic Islands may find this important information.

[swagman]

Sad news. It was bad the last time we went into Mahon in July 2007. The berthing company claimed no berths we to be had. Cala Teulera was already packed full. No one was leaving - it was F8 outside.
When we dropped anchor in the one other anchoring area marked on our chart one of the berthing company boats came to advise they now controlled that waterspace as well - and it was reserved for a large yacht arriving later!
All very frustrating especially after arriving tired after 40 hours F8 from Sardinia.
We eventually slid in to the west of the deserted island (itself just west of Cala Teulera) and dropped there. Within minutes we had other boats doing the same and by nightfall we had a regular fleet anchored around us.

When a police boat zipped by an hour later Sue gave them a big wave wearing her bikini - and they waved back! For me that was offical approval and we stayed 4 days and was never bothered by anyone else.

But seems times are still a'changing!

A shame.

JOHN

[Solstice]

Interesting, and I'm glad I didn't know about this when we anchored at Cala Teulera for a week in May 2010. Perhaps there were so many complaints that they changed the rules. We were sent to Cala Teulera by one of the berthing companies, so I think it must be officially OK now.

[anjou]

Last time I sailed into Mahon there was no problem, but I guess they are glad to see tourists on a 26,000 ton ship.

Its a pity the authorities are being a pain as its a beautiful place to hang out. It reminded me of Dartmouth.

[MikeMak]

i had the pleasure of being in the same anchorage three weeks ago and did not have a problem with any authorities. i was there for three or four days and was anchored next to boats that appeared to have been there for some time.

i just missed mike and linda who are also good friends of mine. it was one of the calmest anchorages in my experience. on my way back to barcelona i noticed one or two anchorages to the north that looked good and will check them out next year.

mike

[foggysail]

This has happened here in Massachusetts where there is a greed factor. For example, Nantucket was once an excellent place to anchor and spend money in their community. But Nantucket Moorings looked at all those boats on anchor and assigned a dollar figure lost to their pockets. Yes, technically one can still anchor in Nantucket but in places where current is strong and the distance to shore long............and even those places are few.

Some years back Edgartown in Mathas Vineyard did the same thing. No inside anchoring. More greed factor.

I refuse to visit either of those places!

I do not travel to places many of you visit. But the establishment of implied fees by forcing visitors to pay mooring fees is going to continue unless fewer visitors have a larger financial impact on town business than the loss of mooring fees. Call it what you wish, I call it greed!

Foggy

[Solstice]

I'm glad to see MikeMark's post that it was OK a few weeks ago because I now notice that I misread the original post and didn't realize that Aguila was there after we were. We're heading west again now and might want to stop there to pick up some gin.

(Need to change my profile. We're in Sicily now, not Croatia anymore.)

[swagman]

Originally Posted by Solstice

Interesting, and I'm glad I didn't know about this when we anchored at Cala Teulera for a week in May 2010. Perhaps there were so many complaints that they changed the rules. We were sent to Cala Teulera by one of the berthing companies, so I think it must be officially OK now.

As far as I know Cala Teulera REMAINS the one authorised anchorage spot in Mahon - and if there is room inside then no worries for anyone.

Trouble is high summer that this small cala gets full pretty quick - and despite the other anchorage area noted on Admiralty Charts (to the NW of the larger island in the middle of the bay - on the same side of which there are pontoons) the single company running the pontoons and float moorings in 2007 claimed that specific water space was then under their control also, and anchoring there was now forbidden.........

John

[sobriyah]

It seems cruising yachts are no longer welcome in the Balearics; not unless we are willing to pay €€€, and can afford to grease the palms of those in charge. It's five years since I was last there and the writing was on the wall then. A great shame.

[biplaza]

There's risk of having the same problem in the buoy fields of Cabrera Island (SE of Majorca) . Once free, there's been a change of competences, and now Govern Balear (Local Authorities) is in charge of them and wants to charge cruisers a significant amount of money to use them. As it is strictly forbidden to anchor there, that implies the impossibility of going there without paying.

Spanish cruisers want them to stay free and avoid speculation with the island. ANAVRE (Spanish Boaters Association, member of EBA) has coordinated a signature campaig to ask to Balearic Government to keep the buoys free of charge.

Sorry if it seems propagandistic, but I think is quite related to the topic and and a common interest for all cruisers.

If you want to help you can adhere to the campaign (c'mon, it's free :-) signing the form you'll find here:
https//sintasas.isladecabrera.org/index.php?lang=en

[leveche420]

Hi all,

I'm from Spain and I sail around Menorca quite often. I was there in May and July for some weeks. I had no problem with Authorities anchoring in Telulera even in July when it was full!!!

This is the first time I hear that the Authorities are charging for anchoring there. I can't believe it!!!! There is nothing there!!! But anyway, there are many places to anchor faily safe around the island. If anyone need information about balearic islands just ask me, maybe I can help you.

Regards