Partially Collapsed Roof of Historic Boathouse in Son Bauló

Part of the roof of an old 'escar' collapsed in Son Bauló

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On the morning of October 19, a piece of the roof of one of the small boathouses ('escars') in Son Bauló, the old coastal district of Can Picafort, fell. I was on site around 8 a.m.: the smell of damp wood and salty air hung in the air, a few residents stood on Calle del Mar and looked at the wooden debris at the edge of the gravel beach.

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How it happened

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The building stock is old, everyone here knows that who often sees fishermen mending their nets in the morning. According to neighbors, years of neglect and the constant intrusion of moisture played a role. The affected boathouse had shown cracks for a long time, the roof was rotten. In the end it could not hold.

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Who is responsible?

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The town hall says the repair is not in its hands: for coastal structures there are specialized authorities, and for listed buildings the heritage protection authority is responsible. A typical Mallorcan bureaucratic move — enough to make you shake your head when you see the loose beams.

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The residents I spoke to are upset: 'We don't want to wait until something falls on someone's head,' says a woman who has lived here for decades. Others have already put up provisional barriers, hoping no one comes too close.

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Danger and perspective

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The immediate danger seems contained — the street was not closed, but the spot is marked. In the long term the question remains whether more money and staff will be provided for the preservation of these maritime structures. For many residents, the escars are part of the town's identity: not grand villas but simple wooden buildings where boats live and stories of storms and dry summers reside.

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I will stay on this in the coming days and report when coastal or heritage protection authorities respond. Until then, residents hope for rapid securing measures — and for a bit more speed in the corridors of government.

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On-site observed and gathered — a small reminder of how important simple coastal maintenance is.