Salvage operation begins for burnt yacht in Ibiza port: over 1,600 kilos of debris removed

The Balearic Port Authority (APB) began salvage operations on Thursday—one day ahead of schedule—to refloat the yacht that sank at the entrance to Ibiza port last Friday after catching fire.

The operation has enabled the vessel, currently lying around ten metres below sea level, to be moved to the base of the breakwater at es Botafoc, according to a statement from port authorities.

The yacht is expected to be lifted out of the water and placed on dry land on Friday. This will allow waste treatment and lightening (removal of weight) operations to begin. APB president Javier Sanz and director Toni Ginard visited the site at es Botafoc quay on Thursday to monitor the work alongside Ibiza’s harbour master Luis Gascón.

During Thursday’s operation, one vessel towed the wreck to the quay, while another followed with an absorbent barrier to collect any liquid or solid waste. Once in port, additional containment systems were deployed, including a double absorbent and floating barrier to ensure maximum protection of the marine environment during the next phases.

The refloating of the yacht that caught fire in the port of Ibiza, in pictures.

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Clean-up operations

Alongside the refloating work, specialist teams have continued cleaning operations on the vessel. Since Monday, divers have removed a total of 900 litres of polluting liquids from inside the yacht. In addition, 900 kilos of solid waste had already been removed in previous days.

This Thursday, a further three sacks weighing 250 kilos each were extracted, bringing the total amount of solid debris recovered to 1,650 kilos. This has significantly reduced the risk of environmental contamination. All recovered waste will be transported to an authorised treatment plant for proper disposal, the APB confirmed.

Once the yacht has been fully lifted and placed on land, a technical investigation phase will begin, expected to last around a week, in order to determine the causes of the incident.

The APB has maintained full monitoring and control measures throughout the operation to ensure it is carried out safely, effectively and with respect for the marine environment, describing it as a “highly complex technical operation progressing as planned”.