Isla de Alboran

[idpnd]

Has anyone here visited the island of Alboran between Anadlucia and Morocco? I would really like to anchor and snorkel there since its a no-fishing zone. There's some talk of anchorages on the imray costa del sol, but it says all-stone on the charts..

 

[Wansworth]

There is another island called PEREJIL.This was the scene of allcout war between Spain and Morrocco in the early part of this centuary so I would check out if you can approch the island,it may have a military contingent ready to repel attackers especially if your flying the red ensign.

 

[capnsensible]

There is another island called PEREJIL.This was the scene of allcout war between Spain and Morrocco in the early part of this centuary so I would check out if you can approch the island,it may have a military contingent ready to repel attackers especially if your flying the red ensign.

Perejil is basically a large rock near Ceuta at the eastern end of the Straits and for accurate information, see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perejil_Island

Not exactly an all out war! In the few times I have been close, the only scrutiny apparent was that of the odd baleful goat.

Alboran, some 100 or more miles further east, has for many years been a Spanish possession and has a small garrison. I understand you need prior permission to visit, but from who or whether it would be granted, I have no idea. Take your SSR and ships papers just in case

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alboran


Good luck, bet you dont find a bar

 

[idpnd]

Hello, thanks for that! I'm on the Belgian flag and got plenty of red diesel on me (topical). Apparently you can go to Alboran with or without permit and they may or may not permit you to land.

Anyone been there? (Apart from Costeau, saw the island in one of the Frenchie legend's documentaries)

 

[Wansworth]

Perejil is basically a large rock near Ceuta at the eastern end of the Straits and for accurate information, see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perejil_Island

Not exactly an all out war! In the few times I have been close, the only scrutiny apparent was that of the odd baleful goat.

Alboran, some 100 or more miles further east, has for many years been a Spanish possession and has a small garrison. I understand you need prior permission to visit, but from who or whether it would be granted, I have no idea. Take your SSR and ships papers just in case

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alboran


Good luck, bet you dont find a bar

Well it seemed like all out war the way the politicos blew it up!!!!

 

[capnsensible]

Well it seemed like all out war the way the politicos blew it up!!!!

Yeah, those 6 cadets must have been terrifying!!!!

I get to go to Ceuta and Morocco a lot and never see any signs of animosity. Saw the incident itself in 2002 and it really was like handbags at dawn.

Ceuta is well worth a visit, Mellillia too. Much cheapness!!

 

[VO5]

There is another island called PEREJIL.This was the scene of allcout war between Spain and Morrocco in the early part of this centuary so I would check out if you can approch the island,it may have a military contingent ready to repel attackers especially if your flying the red ensign.

The Island of Peregil (or Parsley Island)...i...s not really an island.
It is a lump of rock a few yards off the Morroccan coast about the size of a hockey pitch.

Some years ago, some Morroccan goatherds had the brilliant idea of putting some of their goats on there to forage the odd gorse and brambles to be found there as the "island" as you call it is totally deserted and useless because it is limestone with lots of fissures and imperfections.

Now the Spanish military......suddemy appear with helicopters and hell know what and descend upon these poor inoffensive goats to shoo them off as the goats do not hold Spanish passports and for that matter nor do the goatherds as, for the Spanish nation........it is an affront of international magnitude to have their territory invaded in this way.

The Spanish press, radio and TV made a great meal of this and you can see clips of it on YouTube of Spanish soldiers brandishing automatic weapons and posing triumphantly to have their pictures taken.

Alboran is another matter......it is a small rocky islet which Spains claims is an important military base.....and is garrisoned to protect its interests......over there.

I landed there several years ago secretly for fun......and I can report nothing of interest is to be found there except a lot of seagulls and birds that migrate from Africa and descend to have a rest.

I was disappointed with the garrison. I remained undetected and was able to observe a few token troops looking very bored, that's all.

I expected to see a missile base or a state of the art military installation but no luck.

All the installations outmoded, you could say, steam driven......probably of Spanish Civil War (1933 - 1936) pedigree.

But Spain would have you think it rivals Portsmouth or even Amnapolis, the home of the US Navy.

 

[Wansworth]

The Island of Peregil (or Parsley Island)...i...s not really an island.
It is a lump of rock a few yards off the Morroccan coast about the size of a hockey pitch.

Some years ago, some Morroccan goatherds had the brilliant idea of putting some of their goats on there to forage the odd gorse and brambles to be found there as the "island" as you call it is totally deserted and useless because it is limestone with lots of fissures and imperfections.

Now the Spanish military......suddemy appear with helicopters and hell know what and descend upon these poor inoffensive goats to shoo them off as the goats do not hold Spanish passports and for that matter nor do the goatherds as, for the Spanish nation........it is an affront of international magnitude to have their territory invaded in this way.

The Spanish press, radio and TV made a great meal of this and you can see clips of it on YouTube of Spanish soldiers brandishing automatic weapons and posing triumphantly to have their pictures taken.

Alboran is another matter......it is a small rocky islet which Spains claims is an important military base.....and is garrisoned to protect its interests......over there.

I landed there several years ago secretly for fun......and I can report nothing of interest is to be found there except a lot of seagulls and birds that migrate from Africa and descend to have a rest.

I was disappointed with the garrison. I remained undetected and was able to observe a few token troops looking very bored, that's all.

I expected to see a missile base or a state of the art military installation but no luck.

All the installations outmoded, you could say, steam driven......probably of Spanish Civil War (1933 - 1936) pedigree.

But Spain would have you think it rivals Portsmouth or even Amnapolis, the home of the US Navy.

If this Belgian insists on invading Albaran we could have an international "Incident".As things are the new Spanish government need some reason to distract the population,what better than a ar overseas!!!!!!

 

[VO5]

If this Belgian insists on invading Albaran we could have an international "Incident".As things are the new Spanish government need some reason to distract the population,what better than a ar overseas!!!!!!

Yes, exactly. Flat broke and with massive unemployment problems.
History may repeat itself.
You would find Alboran untinteresting, I promise.
I landed there for a dare with a chum I did military service with many years ago. We landed at dusk and moved about at night. Then we laid up for the day and did another thorogh recce as soon as the sun went down and through the night. We got off the island at sunrise, undetected.

 

[Wansworth]

Yes, exactly. Flat broke and with massive unemployment problems.
History may repeat itself.
You would find Alboran untinteresting, I promise.
I landed there for a dare with a chum I did military service with many years ago. We landed at dusk and moved about at night. Then we laid up for the day and did another thorogh recce as soon as the sun went down and through the night. We got off the island at sunrise, undetected.

That was probably a garrison made up of fed up "Mili".I saw a tv programme recently that showed a proper military turnout,we are taking no chances after Perijil!!!!

 

[VO5]

That was probably a garrison made up of fed up "Mili".I saw a tv programme recently that showed a proper military turnout,we are taking no chances after Perijil!!!!

...Milli, exactly.
Small barracks, no band room, outside latrines (holes in the ground). Shower block.
Small mess, wooden tables and chairs, adjoining kitchen and waste bins.
Infirmary.
No armoury (weapons store) detected, or guns, or batteries or missiles etc.,
Radio room.
Meteorological station (one of four anemometer cups missing).
Whip arials.
Two old motorbikes.
One very rusty old jeep.
Two personnel trucks canvas covered.
A third one with wheels missing.
Some old tyres.
Back axle on wooden blocks (rusty).
Barrels of fuel.
Padlocked stores.
What looked like a guardhouse but unmanned and locked.
Lighthouse.
Outbuildings.
Very meagre road system.
Landing stage, one very old and ropey carvel built boat with very rusty inboard engine.
Heliograph.
Gorse and scrub, no trees.
Cliffs all around but climbable and no sentries.

I have just remembered, generator room. Diesel engine.
Everything unlit at night except for barracks.
One pillbox on Nortern side but unmanned and no weapons.
Sandbags.
A WW2 searchlight on a wagon with iron tyres.

 

[VO5]

I have just heard on the news the Spanish police have been firing rubber bullets into a riotus crowd in Barcelona supporting strikers.
Doesn't look good does it ?

 

[idpnd]

the fact that spain is about to collapse has very little to do with my anchorage

 

[emandvee44]

As I have nothing better to do at the moment I thought I would try a google and apart from some of the info posted by others above there is a u-tube video which is quite interesting - shows the island, helicopter, soldiers cleaning their weapons (rifles), launching the patrol boat (rib), intercepting an Italian fishing boat, some underwater shots of fish, and at the end a rather nice sunset.
I would think that utter boredom is the problem for the garrison.

I have just dug out chart BA 774 (Motril to Cartagena including Isla de Alboran) on which there is a fairly large scale plan of the Island. There are small craft moorings shown on the West side and the South East side.

What is important to potential visitors is the legend 'Intergral Reserve - See note', which reads:

Isla de Alboran - Integral Marine and Fishing Reserves
Entry into the charted Integral, Marine and Fishing Reserves is affected by numerous restrictions asnd prohibitions. For further details see Admiralty Sailing Directions. (I do not have these to hand so a photo of the chart instead)

Right - back to the prop. polishing!

Michael.

 

[VO5]

The restrictions refer to currently permission being granted by the Spanish Ministry of Defence in advance of an authorised vist.
Conditions in Alboran have changed since my clandestine recce long ago.
Now the barracks have been moved, they have better conditions. There is a total complement of 13 troops on the island who do 20 day stints. They have a gym. They also have an excellent table tennis table in case anyone is interested. It has been declared a nature reserve since my unauthorised incursion. There is an anchorage in the NE corner in 12 - 14 metres of water and a little sandy beach suitable for a landing with a rubber boat.