Several users have expressed their dissatisfaction to Passion for the Sea after being notified that they must leave the Caló de s’Oli mooring buoy field in Formentera this Wednesday and find a safe alternative on their own due to the approaching bad weather. PortsIB’s conditions set a maximum wind speed of just 10 knots for the use of these facilities.
DID YOU LIKE THIS CONTENT? WELL... YOU HAVE ALL OF OUR FULL PROGRAMS HERE!Several users sailing in the waters around Ibiza and Formentera have contacted Passion for the Sea in recent hours to express their concern after receiving the notification (shown at the bottom of this article) that Ports de les Illes Balears (PortsIB) will close the Caló de s’Oli mooring buoy field in Formentera this Wednesday, September 9th, from 10:00 a.m., due to deteriorating weather conditions.
The decision means that reservations will be cancelled and the amounts paid will be refunded. From that point on, however, the sailors themselves must find a port, berth or alternative area in which to shelter their vessels before the storm arrives.
The information obtained by this publication concerns users of the Caló de s’Oli field. Passion for the Sea has not yet been able to confirm whether the same notice has also been sent to users of the other mooring buoy fields managed by PortsIB in Ibiza and Formentera. The official reservation network currently includes three facilities in the Pitiusas: Badia de s’Alga-S’Espalmador, Es Caló de s’Oli and Platja de ses Salines.
The closure comes amid a particularly adverse weather forecast. For this Wednesday, rain, thunderstorms and winds of approximately 22 to 32 knots (40 to 60 km/h) are expected, along with waves that may reach between two and three metres. AEMET is forecasting a significant deterioration in conditions throughout Wednesday in Ibiza and Formentera, with strong winds and rough seas.
In the case reported to this publication, five vessels travelling together had planned to stay in the Caló de s’Oli mooring buoy field. Four eventually managed to find a berth at La Savina port, while a fifth vessel, 14 metres in length, still had no available alternative and had to continue searching for shelter before conditions deteriorated.
It is precisely this situation that has caused dissatisfaction among users. No one is questioning the advisability of leaving a facility when there are safety reasons to do so. What sailors are raising is the question of what happens afterwards: the reservation is cancelled, PortsIB refunds the cost of the buoy, but finding an alternative falls entirely on the skipper, with no guaranteed relocation.
The booking terms state that, when force majeure requires the service to be cancelled, the user may recover the fees paid but cannot claim additional compensation for any expenses resulting from the cancellation.
And those expenses can be substantial. An overnight mooring buoy for a vessel of up to 15 metres costs €53.24, while finding a berth at a nearby port can cost several times that amount. In one of the cases reported to Pasión por el Mar, the cost of a single night for an 11.70-metre-long, 6.55-metre-wide catamaran at La Savina can be around €400.
But another aspect of the conditions of use has particularly caught the attention of the affected sailors: PortsIB sets a maximum wind speed of 10 knots for the use of its mooring buoy fields.
The official terms expressly state that when the wind exceeds this intensity, PortsIB and the company providing the service decline any liability for damage that may be suffered by vessels or people. They also establish that, when a storm is forecast, the field’s supervising officer may order vessels to leave.
The 10-knot figure is particularly significant from a nautical perspective. This is not an exceptional wind speed. As a reference, the typical summer thermal breeze in the Balearic Islands can easily exceed this limit. The Mallorcan embat, for example, gradually increases in strength throughout the day and can reach around 15 knots.
Therefore, wind conditions that are part of a relatively normal summer day of sailing can already exceed the threshold beyond which PortsIB no longer assumes responsibility for the use of these facilities.
From a regulatory standpoint, PortsIB’s conditions are clear. Mooring buoy fields are primarily intended to regulate anchoring and protect Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows. They are not considered refuge areas and must be used in favourable weather conditions.
They also require skippers to follow the instructions of the personnel responsible for the field and allow them to order vessels to leave when a storm is forecast.
Therefore, the closure of Caló de s’Oli is consistent with conditions that users accept when making a reservation. The issue now being raised by sailors is a different one: what response does the system provide when those conditions cease to be met?
Because when the weather deteriorates and the need to find a safe place increases precisely because of that deterioration, the sailor must leave the buoy, find an alternative on their own, bear any additional cost and hope that there is availability at nearby ports.
And finding such a berth is not always possible, particularly in the middle of summer and for vessels of certain dimensions.
The situation experienced this Tuesday in Formentera therefore highlights the practical limitations of mooring buoy fields which fulfil an important role in regulating anchoring and protecting the environment, but cease to provide coverage once winds reach the 10-knot threshold and do not guarantee an alternative when weather conditions force vessels to leave.
Good morning,
We are contacting you because you are scheduled to arrive today at the Caló de s’Oli mooring buoy field at 6:30 p.m.
The mooring buoy fields are designed to protect Posidonia oceanica, providing low-impact mooring for vessels in transit and for a limited period of time, always in favourable sea conditions and never as a refuge area in the event of storms.
In view of the weather warnings issued by AEMET (State Meteorological Agency):
On 09/09/2025, YELLOW ALERT for coastal phenomena:
[Attached: AEMET weather warning screenshots]
For this reason, the Caló de s’Oli mooring buoy field will be closed from 10:00 a.m. on 09/09/2026. We will also cancel reservations for this day due to force majeure, taking into account the weather forecast.
We recommend that you seek shelter in protected coastal areas or port facilities. In this case, you are entitled to a refund for this day of your reservation, which will be credited to the card used to make the payment.
If you wish to spend tonight there and leave before the storm arrives at 10:00 a.m., you must contact us by email so that we do not cancel your reservation. It is important to bear in mind that, in this case, you must leave the mooring buoy field before the storm arrives.
We apologise for any inconvenience this situation may cause you.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Science, art and biodiversity take centre stage at the 10th edition of ‘Qué Celeste’ in FormenteraMarina Port Valencia concludes its first SailGP with thousands of fans 
