Abandoned boats to be auctioned off in April

The chance to enjoy the Canaries from your own boat or yacht has been offered by the body that runs ports and harbours in the islands.

Puertos Canarios has announced details of an auction of a dozen vessels that have been abandoned by their owners in ports here and are available for a knockdown price to avoid the authorities having to foot the bill for their continued presence.

With starting prices ranging from a few hundred to 20,000 euros, the boats (including small fishing boats and a yacht over a century old) are expected to attract keen interest, even if the buyers may well need to be spend large sums on extensive repairs and/or modernisation work.

Most interest is likely to centre on the Ora et Labora, a German-built yacht from the late 19^th century which was once used for recreational fishing of the coast of Africa but has spent nearly 30 years in Playa Blanca (Lanzarote) after suffering an on-board fire. The yacht was refurbished to be converted into a floating museum but the plans were shelved despite considerable investment. It was used for tourist excursions around Lanzarote a decade ago.

Of the twelve boats due to be auctioned off next month, six are located in Fuerteventura, two in Gran Canaria and one in Tenerife. Prospective bidders are invited to visit the boats in their harbours ahead of the deadline for sealed bids, which must be submitted by 10 April through the Puerto Canarios offices in Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) and Santa Cruz (Tenerife).