THE DIARY OF THAMI AND ARCHIE - MONDAY 22ND JUNE

An early start for an 08:00 arrival at the ‘Astilleros de Mallorca Branch-facilities’ within STP Shipyard for work-orientation presented by Rob van Wierengen and Alex, as well as various other project managers, who took the boys under their wing on their rounds of the numerous projects underway in the shipyard. They were taken on board yacht “Aquarius”, which is having an almost total rebuild, and has already been in the shipyard for almost a year. This was the project that the boys found most interesting of all the boats that they saw – which included “Espiritu de Xarey” and “Golden Eagle”. They also visited the workshops and rigging facility. Palma is the biggest refit and repair destination in the world and STP is filled with many very big yachts in various stages of work. One system that has been pioneered here is the assembly of scaffolding to frame the whole of (or part of) a yacht and then covering the frame with ‘heat-shrink’ plastic, thus making a ‘cocoon’ serving as a temporary-shed protected against the outside environment – usually for painting operations. They also got to see the 700 ton travel-lift lifting mechanism in operation, lifting boats out of the water and ‘chocking’ them up ashore for ongoing shore-side work.

After lunch in the workmens’ café “Pototeo”, Phil took the boys on a walk around the old town of Palma, visiting the Cathedral, various other interesting buildings and tourist attractions, and touring the working Santa Catalina produce Market.

A quiet dinner at the Wade’s house and then back to ‘Aloha-J’ for an early night.