One of Mallorca’s biggest attractions is the sea and its outstanding coastline, and local nautical company MEDVOLT Marine has taken the experience of sailing in the Balearics to the next level by developing and building electric Mallorcan Llauts, the traditional sailing vessels which have been used for generations and are legendary for Lateen or Latin sails.
MEDVOLT has developed, and is continuing to, a new sustainable nautical tourism experience to enable people to discover and enjoy the sea in Mallorca and its nautical tradition and culture.
The project is fully aligned with the recommendations for the development of Responsible Tourism and conservation of the marine environment of the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) and the SDGs of the Paris 2030 Agenda.
Leading the way
In a traditional Llaut with a lateen sail, which was crucial for the development of ships that were manoeuvrable and reliable under sail power alone.
With modern construction and electric propulsion, the electric Llauts offer a unique sustainable and eco-friendly experience.
MEDVOLT is a recently created Mallorcan company formed by professionals with a lifetime of experience in the development and production of fibreglass and high-performance composite materials.
Its multidisciplinary team of professionals has years of experience in boat building, tourism marketing, shipbuilding, sustainability and conservation and it is leading the way, not only in Mallorca, but in Spain.
Heavenly
There are currently seven electric Llauts in operation for excursions, four in Mallorca, one in Minorca and two on the mainland, and interest and demand are increasing by the day.
The experience is heavenly.
Having sailed on traditional Llauts in the past with their engines pumping away all the time, spewing out emissions accompanied by the smell of fuel and other toxins, sailing out of Puerto Portals and round to Illetas in complete silence was a sensation like no other.
Be it under sail or with the electric engine running, there was no noise. It was pure silence which apart from enabling those on board the opportunity to relax, enjoy an easy conversation without having to shout above the noise of the engine, allowed you to sit or lie back and quite literally feel and hear the wind through your hair and relish the delights of sea and the marine environment, knowing that you are not damaging the marine environment and the ecosystem. To be honest, it’s very hard to put the experience into words; the best solution is to book a trip.
There are a number of options offered by MEDVOLT. They operate sunset sails of around two hours, half-day excursions and full-day trips and there is also the option of trips designed for the family with all of the nautical toys, such as mini-subs, stand up paddle boards, snorkelling equipment, underwater cameras etc. to keep the children entertained.
Leading hotels
MEDVOLT has already been signed up by a number of Mallorca’s leading hotels, such as the St Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort in Costa d’en Blanes, and interest and demand are strong.
The excursions and the green philosophy and the project is proving very attractive to foreign visitors, especially North Americans, Scandinavians and Britons, not to mention visitors from the Middle East, some of whom may own their own superyacht but, as has been pointed out on a number of occasions, have never been able to enjoy sailing without the noise of the engines.
To be able to simply hear the sea is overwhelming and unique.
The M7 model, with its Latin sail, has an electric autonomy of up to 12 hours, but the main objective is to get the Llauts under sail once the electric motor has been used to exit ports.
It is what the company likes to call “slow sailing”, it’s all about being at peace with the sea while respecting the marine environment in a sustainable way.
The M7 model, which has a capacity for seven plus the skipper, each of whom is considered to be an ambassador for the company and is multilingual, is charged overnight.
Then, depending on how much the electric motor is used and at what speed, it is fit for a full day’s sailing.
A smaller version, the M5, is solar powered and MEDVOLT also has a selection of electric ribs.
Conversion services
Apart from building the new electric Llauts, the company offers a host of eco services at its shipyard on the Can Valero industrial estate on the outskirts of Palma and in Alcudia.
MEDVOLT offers boat conversion to 100% electric solutions or hybrid systems.
Their goal is to help the development of a more sustainable nautical industry, and specifically to conserve and enjoy our Mediterranean Sea in a respectful way.
For more information:
www.medvoltmarine.com/en-gb