Portuga, Culatra anchoring, more restrictions coming.

[greeny]

Looks like anchoring in the Ria Formosa Portugal will be restricted even more soon. For those who use the area this article may be interesting. Restrictions have been in place for a few years now but looks like there will be more. ICNF vai ordenar ancoragem de embarcações de recreio na Ria Formosa

 

[veshengro]

One of my old regular anchorages. I often wondered how long it would be before the money potential was considered. Same thing happened over in Espalmador South of Ibiza, one voyage I anchored there outward bound for Greece and on my return a few months later mooring bouys and fees had appeared.

 

[Seven Spades]

This is tragic news. Do you know if it is just the area off Culatra or the whole system? Without it there will be a shortage of anchorages, Portimao being one of the few remaining.

 

[Goldie]

Bad news! Nor do I think the balance between moorings of <12m and >12m has been apportioned anywhere near appropriately. I’ve been in there several times over the last few years and at 12.06m, I’ve usually been one of the smaller boats.

 

[Seven Spades]

I agree 11 moorings for 12m+ seems wholly inadequate. What are boat bigger than 18m to do?

I don't understand the problem here. There is no mention of sea grass, everyone should be using holding tanks and anyone who has been in that area will be all to aware that it is like a F1 track at times with local boats doing well over 20knts.

If they are trying to do something about the sea bed(and I cannot think why the area is so vast anchoring there is like sticking a pin on a football field) then they could do what they do in Salcombe and put in moorings that allow multiple boats to raft up.

 

[Seven Spades]

If I had to take a wild guess I would say it is an attempt to get rid of the livaboards who anchor there for weeks at a time so that it does not become a floating gypsy camp.

 

[Seastoke]

Surely it is better to pay and protect the sea bed

 

[Seven Spades]

Is this being done to protect the sea bed? Is it being damaged? I am not sure the movie for this is anything to do with seagrass.

 

[greeny]

Is this being done to protect the sea bed? Is it being damaged? I am not sure the movie for this is anything to do with seagrass.

On the face of it , yes it's to protect the sea grass and species that live in it. It's Portugal though and it's normal to be suspicious about the real incentive to do this. Sorry I haven't seen the movie yet. . There have been anchoring restricted areas for a few years now, but this is one step further. I can't say I am surprised because every time I visit, the number of boats seem to get larger and the "anchorages" have grown in size proportionally. Will it be first come first served system or will there need to be pre-booking before arrival? Cost? Maximum length of stay? Who will administer and police it? All questions yet to answered.

 

[lusitano]

On the face of it , yes it's to protect the sea grass and species that live in it. It's Portugal though and it's normal to be suspicious about the real incentive to do this. Sorry I haven't seen the movie yet. . There have been anchoring restricted areas for a few years now, but this is one step further. I can't say I am surprised because every time I visit, the number of boats seem to get larger and the "anchorages" have grown in size proportionally. Will it be first come first served system or will there need to be pre-booking before arrival? Cost? Maximum length of stay? Who will administer and police it? All questions yet to answered.

Management and Admin etc to be handed over to "Friends of Culatra" - equivalent to island/town council - upon completion.

 

[Graham376]

This has been on the cards for years but many previous announcements coincided with pre-election promises, which never happened. Decline of the seahorses has been a problem for a long time but they're mainly located in the eastern anchorage, not directly off Culatra town. On several occasions, poachers have been arrested for stealing them, with one crew reported to have a tank holding several hundred.

The tree huggers have been trying to restrict anchoring and moorings for many years and it looks like they at last have the funds. Our mooring is quite a distance from Culatra, off Faro town and we were warned all of them could be cleared away and that was 17 or 18 years ago when we bought it. Last year, the Clube Nautico were stopped from laying any more and we're all waiting to see what happens. There have also been more boats anchoring in the channel to Faro, near 21 green buoy, over the past couple of years and police have on occasions had to tell boats who were blocking the channel to move.

We'll back on board in a week or so and will ask if the Capitania has a chart showing the proposed areas of change.

There are also reports that anchoring off Portimao may also be stopped as there are some historic wrecks in the area.

 

[greeny]

This has been on the cards for years but many previous announcements coincided with pre-election promises, which never happened. Decline of the seahorses has been a problem for a long time but they're mainly located in the eastern anchorage, not directly off Culatra town. On several occasions, poachers have been arrested for stealing them, with one crew reported to have a tank holding several hundred.

The tree huggers have been trying to restrict anchoring and moorings for many years and it looks like they at last have the funds. Our mooring is quite a distance from Culatra, off Faro town and we were warned all of them could be cleared away and that was 17 or 18 years ago when we bought it. Last year, the Clube Nautico were stopped from laying any more and we're all waiting to see what happens. There have also been more boats anchoring in the channel to Faro, near 21 green buoy, over the past couple of years and police have on occasions had to tell boats who were blocking the channel to move.

We'll back on board in a week or so and will ask if the Capitania has a chart showing the proposed areas of change.

There are also reports that anchoring off Portimao may also be stopped as there are some historic wrecks in the area.

Not seen any reports of that here in Portimao Graham. Although around 2008, they did buoy off a large area up off Praia Grande and spent nigh on 2 years diving and doing archaeological surveys. The results of which identified several minor points of interest but no further action to be taken. When the river dredging and new port arrangements were hot in the news 2 years ago, the project included removal of all artifacts (mainly cannon) and their display in the Portimao museum. That project is currently still waiting commencement. ( suspect it all about money as it usually is). It is considered that most of the ship remains, if any, were destroyed in the large scale river dredging that was completed over 20 odd years ago to reshape the river to what it is today. That was before my time. It would not surprise me if the anchorage off Praia Grande eventually becomes buoyed and chargeable although I've never seen sea grass or sea horses there . Its full almost year round and could be a nice earner for someone. The main channel of the river was again dredged about 12years ago(approx, guessing) so again anything down there has been majorly destroyed / disturbed.
The only area that I have heard is under consideration for a no anchoring classification is opposite the Naval dock where the Ferragudo anchorage is always overspilling into the main channel and can often impede the ability of the navy and large cruise ships to manoevre. Sometimes sailors bring these situations onto themselves by ignoring common sense.

 

[Graham376]

If I had to take a wild guess I would say it is an attempt to get rid of the livaboards who anchor there for weeks at a time so that it does not become a floating gypsy camp.

They cleared the gypsy pool a few years ago and several fines were issued, one person we know fined €1,500 for "civil disobedience" not having left when told to. Evidently a German guy was locked up for firing a flare at or near police.

 

[steveallan]

If I had to take a wild guess I would say it is an attempt to get rid of the livaboards who anchor there for weeks at a time so that it does not become a floating gypsy camp.

Weeks ?

 

[greeny]

Weeks ?

Haha. yes - years in some cases..

 

[Hambleton]

This is tragic news. Do you know if it is just the area off Culatra or the whole system? Without it there will be a shortage of anchorages, Portimao being one of the few remaining.

All the channels looked at and designated primary or secondary for navigation, with boats over 12m heavily restricted, as at Arrábida. Tragedy for sailors, tasty gift for orcas...

 

[Hambleton]

Weeks ?

And a real kick in the teeth for Portuguese and Spanish sailors who love their summers there, now lost to we foreigners

 

[Graham376]

All the channels looked at and designated primary or secondary for navigation, with boats over 12m heavily restricted, as at Arrábida. Tragedy for sailors, tasty gift for orcas...

Have you seen anything published? Link?

 

[Hambleton]

This has been on the cards for years but many previous announcements coincided with pre-election promises, which never happened. Decline of the seahorses has been a problem for a long time but they're mainly located in the eastern anchorage, not directly off Culatra town. On several occasions, poachers have been arrested for stealing them, with one crew reported to have a tank holding several hundred.

The tree huggers have been trying to restrict anchoring and moorings for many years and it looks like they at last have the funds. Our mooring is quite a distance from Culatra, off Faro town and we were warned all of them could be cleared away and that was 17 or 18 years ago when we bought it. Last year, the Clube Nautico were stopped from laying any more and we're all waiting to see what happens. There have also been more boats anchoring in the channel to Faro, near 21 green buoy, over the past couple of years and police have on occasions had to tell boats who were blocking the channel to move.

We'll back on board in a week or so and will ask if the Capitania has a chart showing the proposed areas of change.

There are also reports that anchoring off Portimao may also be stopped as there are some historic wrecks in the area.

I understand that the same boat-hostile German company that owns Olhão marina has the moorings contract for Ria Formosa. They've been on a charm campaign with Culatra residents. Iberian sailors are disorganised and probably not well liked or influential. Seahorses bit of a red herring imho, but aquaculture isn't, and those growers not keen on our sailory poo, or the residents that keen on our dinghies, dragging and complaining. A terrible shame, huge loss and sign of more to come. Look at Arrábida, you can't get near shore. Once they have the natural park designation the rest is easy

 

[Hambleton]

Have you seen anything published? Link?

ICNF, UAlg e Fundo Ambiental firmam protocolo para instalação de fundeadouro na Culatra