La Juliana is a charter boat with a difference. It is the living history of an old passenger "golondrina" built in 1965 in Mallorca and that can be yours for a few days. It is the romantic project of a shipshipowner in love with these boats, who has personally redesigned the boat to make it the most Mediterranean and comfortable boat to spend your holidays.
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La Juliana is an old passenger boat, a wide and comfortable type of boat designed in the 60s to take tourists out for a ride, taking the air and touring the coast. Now the boat has been refurbished on the inside to offer a unique space from which to enjoy your holiday.
TOTAL LENGTH 18 metres
BEAM 4,5 metres
DRAW 1,2 metres
3 CABINS
ENGINE 225HP
The fantastic wooden stern platform of almost 8m2 is perfect for enjoying bathing hours from the boat. The ladder is very comfortable even for older people, and being almost at water level, it is ideal for breakfast or a romantic dinner on it.
A spacious aft deck where you can sunbathe or lie back at night to watch the stars... two benches of more than three metres on each side with compartments for fins and snorkelling and diving equipment to enjoy the water. Swimwear and towels will always be organised by our crew to ensure a flawless experience.
The huge bow sundeck easily accommodates four people lying in the sun or up to six lying in the cockpit while La Juliana sails. Away from the engine, it is the place to be while the boat sails, leaning back in the cockpit, watching the coast from the bow and listening only to the sound of the water against the hull as it sails. At key times of the day, such as in the morning, at anchor or at sunset, the skipper has selected playlists of vintage music adapted to each moment.
The saloon, dining and galley area is the central part of the boat's life, a huge open-plan space, cheerful and open to the sea and the breeze. Everything is distributed under a large shaded roof, something that only La Juliana has... no boat of this length has anything like it.
With the windows open, the air enters from all sides and the feeling is that of being under a large awning...
The dining room is on the starboard side, with a table where up to ten people can eat at the same time, enjoying the water with the windows open and the horizon of the sea.
The large dining table is made up of two pieces that can be converted into various configurations, adapting to the life of the boat and the number of passengers, from a table for 10 people to a spacious chillout where you can practice the "slow life" that La Juliana advocates...
Cooking with a window open to the sea is a unique experience. A fully equipped kitchen with induction hob, oven, toaster, coffee maker, kettle, two fridges, a powerful freezer...and two generous counters to cook together, to feel the pleasure of Mediterranean food after a good bath.
The sofa area next to the dining room is on the port side, with an L-shaped sofa that can accommodate 6 people around a low table for chatting, coffee, aperitif time...
Here you will find the library, specially selected by the owner, where you can find the best nautical literature and the best guides to keep you informed about the area you are sailing in.
The wheelhouse is the place where the whole ship is steered. This is where the helm is operated, the plans and charts are consulted, the logbook is written every day with all the events... a bridge that comfortably seats three people so that it can become a place for chatting and meeting, an opportunity to learn the secrets of sailing with the skipper.
All the controls are carefully designed by the shipowner with the utmost respect for the classic tradition of historic boats.
Next to the wheelhouse area is the chillout, a large mattress on the floor next to the window and the access door to the bow. It is a space to do yoga, take a nap, read a good book, or talk to the skipper during watch relays. The glass vase will always contain fresh plants and flowers picked from the coves and sailing areas.
The master stateroom has two large, wide, comfortable beds, 130cm wide. Each bed has a bedside table for books, glasses and personal items. On the bedside table there are two USB sockets for charging mobile phones, as well as a switch for the fan on hot days. The cabin has generous wardrobes with interior lighting and plenty of drawers for convenient storage of all your clothes. Shelves on the sides allow you to keep books and additional items on them.
The port and starboard cabins are two cabins with comfortable, wide berths. The beds are more than 75 cm wide and have USB sockets next to the headboard and bedside tables. The stateroom has a lighted wardrobe and shelves for books and other items. Like the rest of the ship, the cabins are bright and cheerful.
The shower is one of the most tonic moments of the day and La Juliana has a huge separate shower, bright and white, with white painted walls and floor to show absolute cleanliness and hygiene. On many boats the shower shares space with the bathroom but here it has been separated into its own spacious space, filled with natural light at all times thanks to an English skylight made of solid cast glass. The porthole allows ventilation and a view of the sea horizon when showering.
The washbasin and wc cubicle are of classic design with porcelain elements as used in the home. The washbasin and tap are early 20th century "Edwardian" models purchased in London, and the toilet is a full size, state of the art nautical technology, electrically operated and with fresh water, which eliminates any possibility of odours. In the bathroom there will always be the odd vegetable and a couple of books to browse.
The food on board is a fundamental part of the experience of sailing in the Mediterranean. At La Juliana you always eat well, you eat fresh and you eat healthy. We always try to offer local produce from sustainable sources, and we can offer the type of cuisine that the client requires on request.
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At La Juliana we limit the use of plastic, that's why the tableware is made of porcelain, and all the glasses and goblets are made of glass...and if any of them break, they are replaced. The plates and platters are personalised with the name of the boat and the cutlery is silver plated, acquired at vintage cutlery auctions. All these details are important to provide a unique experience in keeping with the spirit of the ship.
Each guest staying at La Juliana for stays of more than one week receives a beige towel, a white towel and a numbered toiletry bag. Each number corresponds to the assigned bed. The beige towel will be used on deck for bathing in the sea and salt water. The white towel will be the toilet and shower towel for fresh water. The numbered toilet bag will be taken to the bathroom when visiting and will be kept in each guest's locker so that nothing extraneous is left inside the bathroom cabin.
The crew of La Juliana has an established uniform, and T-shirts with the La Juliana logo can be purchased on request.
Most charter boats do not have good reference reading on board...there are almost no books and the travel experience suffers...
On La Juliana there is a varied nautical library selected by the owner and mainly related to the Mediterranean, the natural environment of the boat. Lots of literature, history, archaeological guides and references to marine fauna...
Joseph Conrad and his two masterpieces, Lawrence Durrell with his seductive tale, Paul Theroux circumnavigating the Mediterranean, the mind-blowing and hilarious Nauticomio, the story of Kack London on his ship around the world, Patrick O'Bryan as the best narrator of English naval history, Archaeological Guides to find the Phoenician ports and the remains on the coast.The fascinating Jaomi James as the first woman to sail solo around the world, Abulafia's great human history of the Mediterranean, understanding the waves and clouds in the key of meteorology, sailing with the stars... all this is in the library of La Juliana.
The Juliana was built in Mallorca in 1965 as a passenger ferry. The original name of the boat was DEBARIVI, an acronym formed by the surnames of the four partners of the company: DEzcallar, BAuzá, RIgo and VIdal. In the summer months it transported foreign tourists to the Cabrera archipelago, in what was the beginning of tourism in Spain and the world.
La Juliana was built in the Bennasar shipyard in the Port of Alcudia in Mallorca in 1965. Built entirely in wood, its dimensions are 16.5m in overall length and 4.5 in beam.
The Bennasar shipyards is a company founded by master builder Pere Bennasar in 1882 and dedicated his life to building "llauts", boats that have kept their shape and soul since the time of the Phoenicians.
Now Sebastián, great-grandson of the founder, maintains the company after four generations of master shipwrights. Construcciones Navales Bennasar is the oldest nautical company in Mallorca.
In 1984, Miquel Serra and his family, shipowners of the company "Excursions a Cabrera", decided to buy a larger boat for their company and reached an agreement with the shipowners of the "golondrina" "Debarivi", with which they began regular tourist excursions to Cabrera, and for 33 years took thousands of tourists from Colonia San Jordi to the Cabrera National Park.
Since 1984, Debarivi has been making transports between Colonia de San Jordi and the island of Cabrera, a route of 11 miles. In 1986 the engines and the structure of the boat were renewed and in 1988, due to the great demand from tourists for excursions to Cabrera, the company built a new boat, L'Imperial Jet, which began to operate in 1989.
In 1994, the need for a faster boat arose and the Colom II, 10.5 metres long, was built for urgent transport, diving excursions and sea rescue. From 1999 it became part of the company "Excursions a Cabrera", managed by the Serra Ferrer family.
"The smell of saltpetre and wet sand bring back memories of summer and leisure. Those endless summers of almost three months, like the teachers' holidays, when the annual visit to Cabrera was our greatest adventure: we crossed the eleven miles that separate Colònia de Sant Jordi from the port aboard the Debarivi - an acronym for Dezcallar, Bauzá, Rigo and Vidal - in a voyage that seemed to us kids as risky as crossing the Atlantic in a storm. Cabrera belonged to the military and fishermen... Debarivi and Colón, a splendid wooden llaüt without a cabin, acted as couriers and suppliers for the residents... As I like to return to places where I can repeat old black and white snapshots, I go back to Cabrera almost every year.
Debarivi has had its colour changed and is about to be retired. I haven't seen skipper Bauzá for years and sailor Rigo, flatter than an ironing board, spends his days on a ground floor next to the oven of Can Pons and Can Banyat. Debarivi, which enjoyed a monopoly on transport to the island for decades, has found a competitor... gliders that reach the island in 20 minutes. A real luxury for lovers of speed and haste".
In 2017, after 52 years of service discovering the natural heritage of Cabrera to thousands and thousands of Mallorcans and foreign visitors, the Debarivi is retiring. The most famous "golondrina" in Mallorca and what is undoubtedly the most iconic boat in Colònia de Sant Jordi, in the municipality of Ses Salines, says goodbye to passenger transport to become a private boat.
"We are very saddened by the departure of the Debarivi, one of the most beloved ships in our fleet...many of our friends and clients will remember her as the ship on which they discovered the archipelago south of Mallorca.
In mid-2017, its current owner, an architect and designer by profession, found the DEBARIVI in an advertisement and began the dream of being able to redesign it into a pleasure boat. A slow negotiation and study of the possibilities of refit culminate in 2018 with the acquisition of the boat and begins a dream that he had been pursuing for many years. The boat is transported in a truck from Ses Salines to its new destination, a shipyard in Badalona where the boat will be completely refitted.
Thus begins the story of LA JULIANA, the new name with which the boat is baptized.
From the end of 2018 until the summer of 2020, LA JULIANA is undergoing a careful restoration, with a single objective: to change everything so that nothing changes, so that the boat remains the same and maintains its character, but with contemporary equipment and an interior fit-out that allows the boat to be converted into a private pleasure boat.
The work is being carried out at the Badalona shipyard, where Carpintería Morales, one of the best shipwrights in Spain, is located. Alongside them, the installations are carried out by DRADISA, a company from Vilanova i la Geltrú that specialises in technical systems for ships. At the head of the work is the new owner, an architect and designer by profession, who directs all the work on a weekly basis, accompanied by Mónica Xufré, a consultant in the restoration of wooden boats.
The boat is finished in mid 2020, and already in the water, the final finishing works continue, finishing touches, accessories... and in June 2021 the boat is finally finished and ready to sail.
The works are carried out in the shipyard of Badalona, where Carpintería Morales, one of the best ship carpenters in Spain, is located. Together with them, the installations are carried out by DRADISA, a company from Vilanova i la Geltrú, expert in technical systems for ships. At the head of the work is the new owner, an architect and designer by profession who directs all the work weekly, accompanied by Monica Xufré, a consultant in restoration of wooden ships.
On July 10, 2021, LA JULIANA returned triumphantly to Cabrera, her home for 52 years...and here is the emotion of the shipowner who demonstrates it with music by Vangelis...
The ship makes its first season in summer 2021, visiting Cabrera and making a courtesy visit to its former owners in Colonia Sant Jordi, Mallorca. La Juliana generates great expectation and two articles are published in the local press:
DIARIO DE MALLORCA July 13, 2021
In addition, in 2022, LA VANGUARDIA publishes the article "This is surely the most beautiful boat in the Balearic Islands (and it is not a luxury yacht)"
which has great impact in the media:
LA VANGUARDIA August 20, 2022
Here are some pictures of the long refit process of the boat. Very soon this section will be much more complete, as this summer we are documenting the history of the boat.
Our prices are tailor-made to suit the client, their tastes and travel aspirations. We adapt to your needs to offer you the best experience, which is why La Juliana does not have a fixed price. If you are part of the CLUB you will end up being a real friend and you will be able to spend time invited on board by the owner of the boat. If you wish to have an exact quotation, please fill in the form in the BOOKING section.
To book simply fill in this form and we will get back to you within 24 hours. Some questions are very important to us as they help us to personalise your trip and offer you the best experience.
The shipowner has always thought that the aim of the boat is not only to enjoy the Mediterranean with friends, but also to meet new friends.
how to invite on board a stranger to enjoy the boat for very little?
how to invite old friends on board and at the same time understand the need to contribute to the small costs of their stay?
how to compensate loyal customers every year?
how to make customers become guests?
For that reason the Friends Club has been created.
All persons coming on board must register with the Club.
All persons making a reservation on LA JULIANA will be a member of the Club free of charge for 1 year.
All persons invited by the shipowner must join the Club and accept its conditions.
The advantages for everyone are:
Knowing the boat's route during the season in advance.
Two day trips per year.
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