Announced Environmental Disaster

Helisara Sailboat

Formentera, 7 November 2025

The sailboat Helisara has broken apart in front of the Molí de Sal in Formentera after being stranded for over a year. The vessel, which ran aground on the coast after the DANA storm on 14 August 2024, has finally disintegrated due to the strong westerly winds that hit the island this week. The remains of the boat have been scattered across the sea, the sand, and the coastline of the Parque Natural de ses Salines, sparking deep concern among residents and environmentalists.

For months, authorities debated different options for removing the sailboat, but technical complications and the high cost of the operation delayed any action. This delay has led to exactly what many feared: the sea destroying the vessel and releasing thousands of polluting fragments into the environment.

In the absence of decisive action by institutional authorities, social media quickly filled with criticism over the lack of resolve and the sluggish handling of a problem that has now spiralled exponentially.

The disintegration of the sailboat has not only marked the end of an abandoned vessel, but the beginning of a new environmental challenge. What was once a stranded boat has turned into a mosaic of plastic waste and fibreglass shards threatening the purity of Formentera’s waters and beaches.

Stranded for over a year

The Helisara ran aground on 14 August 2024, when the DANA storm that hit Formentera dragged dozens of boats toward the coast. In total, around 27 vessels ended up stranded in the es Cavall d’en Borràs area and other parts of the island, with wind gusts reaching 120 km/h. Since then, the sailboat remained motionless off the Molí de Sal, withstanding both the passage of time and several storms.

The Consell de Formentera had committed to covering the costs of removing the sailboat, intending to pass the expense on to the owners. Although the owners were located, they showed no willingness to take responsibility for dismantling the boat.

Broken promises

In April 2025, the environment councillor, Verònica Castelló, assured that both stranded vessels in the area would be removed before June.
It wasn’t until 4 July that the Scipio1924 sailboat was actually removed, while the Helisara remained stuck on the rocks until yesterday. Authorities explained at the time that the shallow depth of the area where the sailboat was located made underwater operations difficult, which led to the postponement of the operation as they evaluated “cheaper and simpler” alternatives.

Fears confirmed

The disintegration of the Helisara has turned into the exact scenario many locals feared. The remains of the hull have broken into thousands of fibreglass and plastic fragments that will now further pollute the island’s sea and beaches.

Formentera, whose economy depends entirely on the health of its natural environment, now faces a new episode of marine pollution. What was once a stranded boat has now become a multitude of micro-residues in the sea and on the beach—yet another reminder that inaction in the face of environmental problems always multiplies their consequences.

Would our leaders have acted as slowly if this had been a forest fire? Surely not. So why did it come to this with the Helisara?

The fate of this sailboat has revealed an uncomfortable truth: when decisions are postponed, nature ends up paying the price. Acting late—or not acting at all—has consequences that the sea does not forgive.

Formentera, an island that has built its only source of income around its sea and beaches, seems to have forgotten over these past 14 months that caring for the environment is not an option—it’s an unshakable duty.

Today, I am sad and pissed off