Sebastià A. Adrover: Mallorcans are pioneers in recreational boating

This Tuesday, June 25 at 7 PM, at Casa de Cultura ses Cases Noves, there will be a reading of the manifesto signed by nine friends from Santanyí before embarking on a historic journey. This remarkable feat is now known thanks to the publication of the book “Diary of the Santanyí Expedition Around Mallorca, 1899.”

The book captures the writings and impressions of these nine adventurers during the month and a half they spent circumnavigating the island. It has come to light thanks to Sebastià A. Adrover, who visited the studios of Pasión por el Mar to share their story in detail.

“It’s the story of a group of friends who were quite advanced for their time, as they were considered intellectuals fortunate enough to have studied, who decided to organize this journey,” he explains. To succeed in their endeavor, they drafted a document indicating their intention to circumnavigate Mallorca. “In that document, each one assigned themselves a mission, and a month before starting the journey, they signed the document,” he notes.

This document is significant because it is the first handwritten document in normative Catalan known in 19th-century travel literature. “It’s a Mallorcan document that, in a way, tells us that Mallorcans are pioneers in recreational boating, simply enjoying, knowing the island, discovering it because back then it wasn’t like it is now,” says Adrover.

Their first stop on this journey is in Porto Cristo, where they visit the Caves of Drach with a guide. They also explore the caves of Artá and stop in Canyamel and Formentor. “An interesting anecdote is that they search for the famous pine tree from Costa and Llobera’s poem because they think a poem like that means the pine must be something to see, but they don’t find it. So, when they pass Cape Formentor, they all recite the poem together,” he recounts.

They also stop in Alcudia to visit the old town and its walls, at Torrent de Pareis, and in Sóller. “Let’s say Sóller is the great discovery. Arriving by sea and discovering Sóller... You can see a radical change in the writing, marveling,” Adrover acknowledges.

This entire journey is made on the llaüt San Miguel, a traditional boat about 13 meters long where they live, sleep, and eat. “There’s even a document called the Expense Account that notes everything they loaded onto the llaüt, including the lamb they had hanging when they left port to use the meat,” he explains.

In addition to narrating their stops, impressions, and adventures during the journey, the nine from Santanyí wrote that this circumnavigation should outlive them. “It’s fortunate that, 125 years later, this manuscript has endured and reached us,” he emphasizes.

To commemorate the 125th anniversary of the feat accomplished by these nine Mallorcans, various events have been organized, including the recreation of the circumnavigation of Mallorca in Latin sailboats. “We’ve managed to assemble a fleet of nine Latin sailboats, and we will set sail on July 26 from Cala Figuera,” he explains. During this journey, they will also make the same stops as the nine from Santanyí did in their time. “We’ll stop in Porto Cristo, Canyamel, Alcudia, Sóller… The idea is to recreate the journey and finish in the port of Palma on August 3.”

Although the official fleet consists of these nine Latin sailboats, any sailor can join this recreation of the circumnavigation of Mallorca and accompany the fleet for a stage or the entire journey.