Waiting list of 5´000 yachts for moorings

PALMA
THE 13 leisure ports managed by the Balearic Government have a collective waiting list of 3'600 applications, and the ports managed by the Balearic Ports Authority have a waiting list of 1'400.

This means that there are 5'000 more moorings required in the Balearics, according to Anade, the Association of Nautical Installations. At the moment the islands have 65 leisure ports and around 20'000 moorings, which last year brought 292'813 nautical tourists to the Balearics. This was some 5.9 percent more than in 2005.

This also meant an income of 460.35 million euros for the Balearic economy from these tourists, some 8.9 percent more than in 2005.
Apart from the lack of moorings, a study done by the Balearic Ports department, which is part of the Balearic Ministry for Public Works, Housing and Transport, reveals that the users of the 28 concessionary leisure ports on the islands are basically satisfied with the installations and the services they receive, according to the executive vicepresident of the department, Monica Pozuelo.

In fact, in a poll done last year, the clients gave the concessionary ports a rating of 7.6, in comparison with the 7.2 given by the users of the ports which are managed directly by the Balearic Government.

Among the suggestions made by the users of the ports, the main one was that there should be more distance between moorings due, above all, to the increase in the width of the boats. This is something which the vicepresident of the Balearic Ports department considered would be “difficult” because of lack of space.

Among the other suggestions were: an increase in the amount of recycling containers, rubbish bins and containers for contaminated water; the refurbishment of the toilets and showers in the yacht clubs; and an increase in security, vigilance and control of access.

The Balearic Ports Administration Council on January 29 approved the project for the extension of the Port Adriano leisure port.
This means that the Port will be extended to give 85 more moorings for large yachts.
This decision was taken after the Council had received a favourable report from the Spanish Ministry for the Environment. However, the Balearic Ports department confirmed that any other extension would be done only with the agreement of all the administrations involved.