Interviews with our partners- Echo Marine Service

This veteran company offers the boats autonomy in the consumption of water through water purification from the sea by the process of inverse osmosis. More than two decades of hard work guarantee their professionalism.

(More soon, meanwhile you can read the interview in Spanish here)

Interviews with our partners – Delta Diesel

The experience of Delta Diesel is guaranteed by more than 20 years of existence. The company is specialized in  maintenance and repair of all boats with motor MAN, no matter if they are for recreational or professional purposes. We have had the pleasure to talk to them about the evolution of the nautical business in the last decades, as well as how the company has evolved until the present. 

(More soon, meanwhile you can read the interview in Spanish here)

The nautical sector puts the sights on Boot Düsseldorf

A new edition of Boot Düsseldorf,  the most important boat show in Europe with 17 halls occupied by 1650 exhibitors from 60 countries will take place from 17th to 25th of January. “The show has really established itself as the leading exhibition of the nautical industry and navigation”, says Goetz-Ulf Jungmichel, the director of the Boot Düsseldorf.  “The sector increasingly concentrates its expectations on the Boot, as a guarantee of success in Europe – the región with most purchasing power. The show attracts around 50.000 visitors from other countries, opening the doors to high quality international clients”.

The visitors can enjoy up to 20 different themed areas, including a Beach World, a Sailing Centre and five activity centres with  covered pools, diving pools plus small and wide artificial rivers. Almost all watersports can be tried: sailing, diving, stand up paddle, surf, wakeboard, canoeing and even fishing.

Read full article (Spanish).

The Balearic Islands overtake Barcelona on the recreational boat market

The regions with the largest representation on the recreational boat market in 2014 were the Balearic Islands (14,78%), Barcelona (10,75%) and Cadiz (7,32%), which recovers the third place occupied in 2013 by Madrid, with a market share of 6,6%. The Balearics thus snatch the first place from Barcelona, as the region with the largest market share on the recreational yacht market.

Similarly, the principal national markets logged increased numbers of boat registrations; 31,54% in the Balearic Islands (634 vessels); 21,9% in Barcelona (461 vessels) and 3,28% in Madrid (283 vessels). In total, the nautical sector closed 2014 with an increase by 9,92% of recreational boat registrations, 4.290 vessels. This is the first year of timid growth since 2007, and after six consecutive years of decline, according to the information provided by the Spanish Nautical Trade Association (ANEN). The rise of registration of charter boats, which has increased by 56,72% compared to the previous year, has clearly contributed to the general improvement of the market. This is mainly due toincentives like the elimination of the matriculation tax for nautical charter, in force since October 2013. During 2014, a total of 373 charter boats were registered, compared to the 238 registered during the previous year. This means an increase by 24,75%, compared to 2007, the year before the crisis set in. 

Read the complete article in 20minutos.

New challenges 2015 / ANEN

Letter from the general secretary of ANEN:

As the year changes I would like to take the opportunity to pass you on behalf of the whole ANEN team our best wishes and our deepest gratitude for your support and your trust in our work as your representative.

We start from a point of having overcome the two most important challenges of the past year: the hard reality of the crisis and the updating of our legal framework, with the publication of the new General Law of Maritime Navigation - which recognises for the first time the recreational yachting as a separate nautical entity - and the reform of the nautical qualifications, which allows us to compete in improved conditions with our European counterparts.

Additionally, our capacity as the national association representing the industrial and entrepreneurial nautical sector has been strengthened by the influx of new members: 60 new associated companies and integration of new regional associations, like the Union of Nautical Companies from the Community of Valencia.

We have to take advantage of this inertia in 2015 and therefore can not miss any opportunity to face new objectives. Our experience in all areas of action and our representative weight towards the administration has grown and will continue growing if we keep going in the same direction under the banner of ANEN.

Some of the objectives have already started to take shape. As you know, on a legislative level we have started to work with Direction General of the Merchant Navy on the text to provide professional scope for the nautical qualifications.

Regarding employment, the future National Collective Agreement for the Nautical Sector, a project driven by ANEN, has already set up the initial negotiations, enabling us to continue the process until the constitution of the agreement. On top of that, in the coming weeks we will incorporate a Nautical Job Exchange into our website. 

On the other hand, we have signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education with an aim to create, under the counsel of ANEN, new competencies for professional training, specialised in the nautical sector.

And carrying on with the Nautical Congress, which has already consolidated itself as a reference point and a must for the tradespeople of the sector on a national level, we are already working on the organisation of the III edition, which will take place again in Barcelona, on the 11-12th of March.

With this brief review of our activities, I would like to reassert as the secretary general of ANEN and on behalf of the whole team at the Association, our gratitude and our excitement, hope and support for the next 12 months.

Carlos Sanlorenzo

General Secretary

The Molinar yacht club starts an information campaign about the new project

The 'Club Maritim Molinar de Llevant' will start an information campaign to explain the modified expansion project of the installations to those interested. Every Saturday between 11 and 14 hours a dozen of panels with photos of the current premises compared to the virtual images of the proposal will be exhibited outside the club. "Those who approach the club will be able to see how the port is supposed to look like, and there will also be somebody to explain the details and to answer questions", as indicated yesterday by the president of the club, Rafael Vallespir.

He specified that the project "is now pending that the Port Authority will write a report that contains all the documentation after the comments period and a statement by the town hall, to be sent further to the Ministry of Public Works for a decision". 

With a reference to the conclusions by the municipal technical commission, which found deficiencies that "require modification" of the project, Vallespir  confirmed that "their recommendations have been taken into account, but maybe they didn´t read the project in depth", according to the president.

The architect of the extension, Jordi Herrero, emphasized  that such contributions "are positive and  will be adopted without a problem, as they mean an improvement. They will be useful to strengthen certain aspects of the project, not to renounce it. The project has been planned "from an urban point of view" so that the residents of Molinar  can take maximum advantage of the installations thanks to a creation of a public area on the roof top terrace of the club house as well as the widening of the walk way, which at the moment is cut off by a wall that separates the yacht club from the bicycle lane.

Read the complete article in Diario de Mallorca.

The Port Authority will decide in two months over the new concession in the port of Palma

The Balearic Port Authority (APB) has a clear picture of the time frame  related to the tender it published last summer for the exploitation of commercial premises in the port of Palma, for which the deadline of presentation of offers run out last week. The president of the public entity, Alberto Pons, confirmed that two proposals have been received, as reported by this newspaper already yesterday. The president is confident that the tender can be decided upon in two months, since there are only two bidders.

The tender is for the two buildings in the fish market area, at the entrance to the Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP) and next to the Plaza de San Telmo. The Port Authority doesn´t want any delays with the tender, and therefore - continues Pons - everything possible will be done to speed up the process and to avoid any slowdown in the final stages.

The two options are complete opposites - while the first one proposes  to create a restaurant and entertainment complex in the area, managed by an Andalusian company, the other is lead by Majorcan investors who project a luxury hotel of 42 rooms. Both propose an investment worth about the same, five-six million euros respectively, and the key in the coming weeks is to find out the how big a fee they have offered to the Port Authority in order to gain the tender.

In the meantime, the Port Authority is absolutely satisfied with the interest  the tender has raised among the investors, and refer to next week - when the envelopes with the each of the proposals will be opened - to find out more details. From there on, the APB  trusts that in a couple of months the result of the tender can be decided.

The technical working groups designated for the evaluation of the proposals will be in charge of deciding which one is the better offer, a process that will conclude with a selection of a winner. All with an aim to convert the object of the bidding process, the two nearly derelict buildings in the port into a new element to boost the local economy, whether it will be a hotel or a restaurant complex.


Read the complete article in El Mundo.

Balearic Islands will have its own rules to sanction irregularities at sea

The Balearic Islands will have its own penalty system for nautical, maritime and underwater activities with an aim to avoid infractions going unpunished, as happens with the scattered normative we have currently.

Sanctions

The sanctions vary between 60 and 60.000 euros. The minor infractions go from 60 to 500 euros; the serious ones from 500 to 5.000 euros; and the very serious ones from 5.000 to 60.000 euros. The persons or legal entities that commit the infractions will be the ones responsible for them.

Vessels

The judiciary system establishes that a recreational vessel can´t carry more passengers than allowed by the vessel´s certificate - it is considered at serious infraction. It is also considered to be an infraction to carry out an activity without an authorisation, in the event that the legal requirements are not complied with.

Schools

The sea schools, navigation courses, canoeing centres and jet ski charters fall also under the new regulations. Special emphasis is put on on the instructors to have the corresponding qualifications.

Read the complete article in Última Hora.

Letter from the president - January 2015

The year 2014 will be remembered for the great number of good news received, fruit of the hard work carried out in previous months and years. We have managed for the first time in the history of this country to achieve a specific legislation for recreational yachting, to get the nautical qualifications adapted to the current reality and better harmonized with our neighboring countries, to get the lighthouse tax (T0) limited so that the weekend visitors don´t need to pay for a whole month, to have a Palma Boat Show that exceeded all expectations, to get the matriculation tax eliminated from all the charter yachts... These victories highlight the hard work carried out by us, both at the national level together with the board of ANEN, as well as regionally by ourselves. Just as important is the daily work we carry out within CAEB and the Chamber of Commerce, not forgetting the regular meetings with the policy makers. In absolute numbers, this year we have assisted in 112 meetings and events up until the end of November.

All this would not have been possible without the innumerable hours of work and resources invested in it by the association. Therefore you, through the membership fees you pay, are an integral part of all these achievements.

At AENIB we firmly believe that we are on the treshold of a new period of prosperity in the whole sector, prosperity where you contribute with your daily toil to push your business forward. Thanks to you, our association has had the necessary weight to make your and the rest of the nautical empresarios´voice heard at all levels of the Public Administration, to convince them how important it is to have legislation and fiscal policies adapted to our reality. This is our objective, this is what you have given your mandate to us for, and we are not planning to disappoint you. Together with ANEN, who are our strongest allies in Madrid, we are going to work to make this country and these islands a first-class nautical powerhouse.

2014 goes with a bang, leaving us with a challenge to reach a bit higher next year. We happily accept the challenge and will fight harder than ever for the wellbeing of your companies. Even more so as it is the election year with both the general and municipal elections coming. Already a few months ago we started a series of meetings with the main political parties of our islands, informing them of your needs and suggestions. AENIB is an important lobbying force, fighting to tumble the walls of ignorance that stand between the legislators and our day-to-day reality. This ignorance hampers our growth and prevents many locals and visitors alike to enjoy our seas. We point out to the politicians that we are not trying to get subventions or any other handouts, we simply want to compete in equal conditions to our neighboring countries. Once we achieve that, we will leave our rivals far behind.