More than 10,000 boats will sail through the Balearics on the day of the eclipse

PalmaThe massification to live the eclipse of next August 12 will not only be lived in the Serra de Tramuntana, the Balearic Sea will also be another hot spot. According to estimates from the sector and authorities, more than 10,000 boats are expected to sail simultaneously along the coast of the Archipelago during the afternoon to experience the meteorological phenomenon. Although it is impossible to have a real calculation of the number of boats that will go out to sea that day (as no permit is required to navigate), both Ports IB and the Association of Nautical Companies of the Balearic Islands (AENIB) and the Association of Navigators (ADN) agree that "if the weather is good, more than 40% of the current fleet of the Balearic Islands, which is 31,000 boats, will go out".

In fact, Carlos Hellín, vice-president of the Navigators Association (ADN), assures that since the road restrictions many people have opted to go out to sea to watch the eclipse, a figure that will further increase the crowds during the key hours of the meteorological phenomenon. "Many people have thought: 'Since I'll have to queue and I won't be able to access the mountains... I'll take the boat and watch it from the sea, where they won't control me'," he assures.

Although these figures are an estimate, what is certain is that the massification of the Balearic Sea is a fact that has been known for some time. In fact, many boat rental companies have had almost no availability for a year now. This is how Hellín explains it, detailing that "people have booked well in advance and at this time it is practically impossible to find anything in the ports with better visibility." Hellín also acknowledges that many companies have canceled reservations that had been made a while ago because "they had not yet realized the economic profitability they could get from the eclipse." "At ADN we had rented a port for 400 euros and a few months later they canceled our reservation and asked us for 4,000 for the same services," he explains.

Regarding the ports from which a longer distance will have to be sailed to reach the area where the solar eclipse will be seen (like Alcúdia and Pollença), there are still some boats available, but both ADN and AENIB agree that "on the day of the eclipse they will all be rented". In this regard, Carlos Petisco, director of the Escuela de Mar de Mallorca, assures that "people now wait until the last minute to make reservations and once the meteorological forecast for that day is known, surely the few boats that remain available will be rented". Regarding competition and prices, Petisco remarks that all companies that still have boats available are a bit "expectant" of what the competition is doing. "Nobody wants to drive up prices and have the competition not drive them up, but they will surely increase notably".

Will there be restrictions?

Land restrictions have not reached and will not reach the sea. In fact, to experience the eclipse, only a series of recommendations have been made public, most of which are a reminder of current regulations and others are common-sense orders, but which will be difficult to comply with given the expected overcrowding in the places where the eclipse and sunset will be best viewed. This is explained by Toni Mercant, Director General of Ports IB, who assures that "at sea there is no kind of restriction or prohibition, there are recommendations and also current regulations." Nevertheless, he points out that "the eclipse does not exempt from the rules, not everything is allowed on this day".

In fact, the Civil Guard has already informed that it will reinforce surveillance tasks to ensure compliance with regulations. Mercant reminded all sailors that one of the rules that can cause more problems and non-compliance is night navigation. "Rental boats without a license or permit cannot navigate at night, just like those skippers who only have a navigation license." In addition, he pointed out that night navigation is considered from 8:55 PM, a few minutes after the eclipse; therefore, "all those who navigate at this time without the relevant licenses will be in breach of the regulations".

Both Ports IB and the Civil Guard have emphasized that they will be monitoring compliance with regulations, but in no case have they spoken of possible access control or limitation of the most crowded maritime areas.

The return to port, the most problematic point for sailors

For their part, the associations and Port IB point out that the "great danger" of this massive and simultaneous departure of boats at sea will be the return. Hellín explains that "people will leave more or less staggered during the afternoon, but once the eclipse ends and the sun sets, everyone will want to return, and that will be a problem".

Given this, Ports IB has already announced that it will expand both the staff and the working hours of its employees and will recommend that the rest of the ports and nautical clubs in the Balearic Islands do the same. "It's all we can do," assures the general director of Ports IB.

Hellín expresses his concern about the consequences this overcrowding can have on sailors. "If there is an emergency on the way back... I don't know if they will be able to reach port in time, it's a very complicated issue, but I don't know how it could be managed in another way, as there is no kind of restriction whatsoever," he explains.

Regarding the captains, the vice-president of ADN reminds them that this is not a day to enjoy, but to do their job well. "The captain is not going to eat or drink in a restaurant and watch the eclipse, but rather he has to be the waiter who serves and is aware of everything," he sentenced.