6 February 2026
Pedro García is the boatswain at Club de Mar-Mallorca and one of the people who knows the day-to-day running of the port best. After more than two decades with the Club, his career reflects the evolution of the marina, the growth of the large vessel fleet and the importance of teamwork in ensuring excellent service.
What has been your professional career path to becoming boatswain at Club de Mar-Mallorca?
I started working here in 2003 as a sailor, and about a year and a half ago I took on the role of boatswain.
Club de Mar-Mallorca has always been a part of my life. When I was at school, the school bus passed by and I remember noticing the Lady Moura, which impressed me with its size.
We have always had a small boat at home, and I have been fishing since I was young, so I have always been attracted to the nautical world. When the opportunity arose to join the club as a sailor, I didn’t hesitate, and since then I have developed my professional career here.
What do you remember about your early years working at the club?
My beginnings are closely linked to the previous boatswain, Sebastián, who came from the world of fishing. He was a key figure for us. Pablo, the other boatswain, and I were trained by him for many years, almost as if we were his sons. We were with him for around 17 years, until he retired, and he passed on all his knowledge to us. It was a real learning experience and laid a very solid foundation for the way we work.
How are tasks, shifts and training organised for the crew today?
The crew currently consists of seven people: two boatswains and five sailors, although in high season the workforce practically doubles. We take care of all port operations: moorings, crane, petrol station, coordination with divers, as well as the daily arrivals and departures of boats.
We work morning, afternoon and night shifts, both in winter and summer, but in the busiest months we reinforce our services. For example, in winter there is usually one person at the petrol station, while in summer there are two on duty at all times.
In terms of training, we try to pass on to new sailors the same values that we were taught: care for the environment, a job well done and maximum attention to safety. From properly sewing ends to operating the crane, everything is done with precision and care, always with a view to avoiding risks and ensuring that the work is durable.
How has the Club de Mar-Mallorca’s seamanship service evolved over the years?
When I started, there were already boats over 100 metres long, so the change has not been so much in size as in volume. Today, the number of boats measuring 60, 70, 80 metres and above has grown considerably.
This has led to an evolution in the service. We currently offer assistance with dinghies and pilotage services, especially for large vessels. I would say that 99% of these boats request this support, something that was not so common before and is now an essential part of our daily work.
Club de Mar-Mallorca has 543 berths, more than 70 of which are for large vessels. How does this compare to other marinas?
It is undoubtedly one of the club’s distinguishing features. We can accommodate a large number of vessels between 40 and 170 metres. Very few marinas in the Balearic Islands offer this service. In some cases, they can accommodate one or two vessels over 100 metres; here we can accommodate seven or eight simultaneously, which puts us in a unique position.
The club organises the Illes Balears Clàssics Regatta, one of the most important events in classic sailing in the Mediterranean. What is it like from the crew’s perspective?
The workload increases significantly during the Illes Balears Clàssics Regatta. A large number of boats arrive at the port. We have to adapt the usual moorings for boats between 8 and 25 metres, as well as completely reorganise certain areas of the port.
In spaces where there are normally around 20 moorings, we create up to 40. And the club’s daily operations continue as usual. To do this, we reinforce the team, but it still requires a great deal of effort. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also very satisfying to be able to host a regatta of this level and contribute to its success.
