Scipio 1924 Removed

From the storm to the scrapyard

Formentera, July 5, 2024

On August 14, 2024, a violent storm struck the coast of Formentera, causing extensive material damage. The impact was especially severe along the shores of the Ses Salines Natural Park and Cala Saona, where dozens of sailboats were ripped from their moorings and dragged ashore, ending up stranded in areas of high ecological value.

Almost 11 months later, two of those sailboats remained beached on the coast of Formentera. One of them was the Scipio 1924, a wooden vessel with nearly a hundred years of history, which had served as a floating home for 25 years to Belgian sailor Vincent de Froidmont.

The Consell de Formentera has finally managed to remove it. The extraction of the Scipio 1924, carried out last Thursday using a crane brought over from Ibiza, cost around 10,000 euros. Its destination: the scrapyard.

The second sailboat that has not been retrieved by its owners and remains on the rocks for now is the Helisara. Due to its size and the difficulty of accessing the area where it is stranded, its removal will require more complex technical work. Its extraction is planned as the next step in the ongoing process launched by the Consell to remove abandoned boats.

The August 2024 storm

On the morning of August 14, a front of torrential rain and hurricane-force winds swept across Formentera. The storm, unexpectedly violent, led to serious incidents at sea, affecting many boats in the area.
Dozens of motorboats and sailboats anchored along the coast couldn’t withstand the onslaught. Among them were two sailboats.

The Scipio 1924 ended up beached near the Fishermen’s Guild, in the area known as Sa Sequi, while the Helisara was hurled against the rocks near es Molí de Sal, on Ses Illetes beach. The scene left behind, with so many boats stranded along Formentera’s coast, was as picturesque as it was tragic.

History of the Scipio 1924

Built of wood and nearly 10 meters long, the Scipio 1924 was more than just a boat: it was the home of Vincent de Froidmont, a Belgian sailor who had chosen the sea as his way of life. For 25 years, he lived aboard his sailboat, anchored in various spots along Formentera’s coast, until the storm took everything away. His boat was left stranded on land, beyond repair.

Environmental impact and economic cost

Although the stranded sailboats did not cause visible fuel spills, their prolonged presence along the shore led to a gradual deterioration of the environment. The wooden hull of the Scipio 1924, being an old structure, began to break down and was subjected to repeated looting, creating waste that affected the coastline.
At this point, the Consell de Formentera has taken on the responsibility of managing its removal using public resources. It’s an emergency measure aimed at protecting the Ses Salines Natural Park. However, the economic cost of these operations is significant.

The legal path to recovering those expenses involves declaring the boats as abandoned waste and initiating administrative or judicial action against their owners. In practice, this process tends to be slow and difficult, especially if the owners do not respond or lack the means to cover the costs. Despite this, the Consell insists that all possible avenues will be pursued to ensure such abandonment does not go unpunished, and that those who pollute or abandon vessels are held accountable.