5 mins read
The Jávea coastline is known for its timeless, natural beauty. But in the summer of 2025, a dramatic and unexpected new feature has appeared on the rocky shores of the Primer Muntanyar: the magnificent, 19-metre grounded sailboat named the Bau Bau.
What started as a maritime disaster has morphed into a local phenomenon, drawing crowds and dominating social media. But behind the striking image of this stranded luxury yacht lies a complex story involving a violent storm, a shadowy past linked to organized crime, a swift environmental cleanup, and a frustrating bureaucratic tangle.
This is the complete story of the Bau Bau sailboat in Jávea, from how it got there to the immense challenge of getting it removed.
The story began on the night of July 24th, 2025. A fierce summer storm, a gota fría, hit the coast with unexpected fury. The Bau Bau, a 30-ton Beneteau 62 luxury sailboat, was torn from its mooring in a nature reserve. Adrift and powerless in the violent waves, it was pushed ashore, coming to rest on the flat, fossilized rock shelves of the Primer Muntanyar. By morning, the storm had passed, leaving behind the now-famous Jávea shipwreck of 2025.
Within hours, the stranded yacht became a viral sensation. The image was too compelling to ignore: a symbol of luxury and freedom, utterly helpless on the rocks. The coast road quickly filled with a constant stream of onlookers, taking photos and selfies with the wreck. The boat aground on the Costa Blanca had become Jávea's most talked-about, must-see summer attraction, a strange and temporary monument to the power of the sea.
While the public was fascinated by the spectacle, the Jávea municipality and maritime authorities faced a pressing threat: a potential ecological disaster. The stranded vessel was a ticking time bomb of pollutants.
The primary environmental risks included:
To prevent a devastating leak into the sensitive marine environment, the town hall contracted specialist marine services company Kraken Trabajos Subacuáticos. In a swift and professional operation, the Kraken team boarded the Bau Bau and successfully extracted all hazardous materials, decontaminating the vessel and neutralizing the immediate environmental threat.
The crowds drawn to the boat are a summer phenomenon. Learn more in our guide on How to Avoid the August Crowds on the Costa Blanca.
As the story unfolded, intriguing details about the boat's history emerged. The Bau Bau had been previously seized by Spanish authorities during an investigation into organized crime.
It was later sold at a government auction of confiscated assets for just €85,000—a fraction of its potential million-euro value when new. The buyer, a Polish national with reportedly limited sailing experience, now found himself responsible for a logistical and financial nightmare. This dark past adds another layer of mystique to Jávea's ghost ship.
This is the question every onlooker asks. The answer lies in a complex web of logistical challenges and bureaucratic procedures.
Removing a 30-ton wreck from a protected, rocky shoreline is an immense engineering task. Options like refloating it (if the hull is intact), lifting it with a massive crane, or dismantling it piece by piece are all incredibly expensive and complex. The legal responsibility for these costs falls to the owner.
The removal process involves multiple government bodies, each with its own jurisdiction and set of rules:
Navigating the legal procedures and gaining the necessary permits from these bodies is a notoriously slow process. This jurisdictional tangle is the primary reason the Bau Bau sailboat remains on the rocks, waiting for its fate to be decided.
Q1: What is the name of the grounded boat in Jávea?
A1: The sailboat that ran aground on the Primer Muntanyar beach in Jávea is a 19-metre Beneteau 62 named the Bau Bau.
Q2: When did the boat run aground?
A2: The Bau Bau was grounded during a heavy storm on the night of July 24th, 2025.
Q3: Is the shipwreck dangerous?
A3: The immediate environmental danger was neutralized when a specialist team removed around 300 litres of diesel, oils, and the boat's batteries. However, the wreck itself remains a physical hazard, and authorities have warned the public not to attempt to climb on it.
Q4: When will the grounded sailboat be removed?
A4: The removal is logistically complex and requires navigating a slow bureaucratic process between the owner, the Capitanía Marítima, and the Coastal Authority (Costas). It is expected to take several more weeks, or potentially even months, before a plan is approved and executed.
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