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View of the interior of the Willow during the removal of fittings. SUR
The last photo taken inside iconic Willow paddle steamer in Benalmádena before it goes to the scrapyard
History

The last photo taken inside iconic Willow paddle steamer in Benalmádena before it goes to the scrapyard

Built at the beginning of the 20th century to sail the Mississippi River, it has been in Puerto Marina for more than two decades, during which time it has been a discotheque, restaurant and even a clandestine brothel

Lorena Cádiz

Benalmádena

Tuesday, 4 February 2025, 09:56

Yesterday afternoon (Monday 3 February), heavy machinery arrived at the marina in Benalmádena to dismantle the iconic Willow steamboat, which had been partially submerged in the mooring area for six years. This specialist machinery is now positioned next to the boat to slice it into pieces, along with a crane to handle the lifting. The dismantling process is scheduled to begin today and could take up to a month, as it is a complex operation.

Prior to this stage, the company hired by the town hall, which has initiated this entire process based on a court order, has been working on the preparations for days. It started by fencing off the entire area around the Willow to ensure safety during the works, especially seeing as many curious onlookers have visited the site in recent days to take photographs and bid their own farewell to the ship.

Over the last few days different materials and fittings were removed, leaving for posterity the last image of the Willow's interior practically empty before its end. In addition to this, a crucial step was the installation of anti-pollution barriers around the entire perimeter of the ship. This required the involvement of specialised divers.

Divers in charge of installing the anti-pollution barriers. SUR

These barriers ensure that in the event of an oil leak, it does not pass through the area and affect the rest of the harbour waters. It is worth noting that the barrier remains at surface level and does not need to be anchored to the seabed, as oil is lighter than water and would float in the event of a spill.

According to the data provided before the start of the operation by the council, the scrapping work will eventually cost more than 300,000 euros, but once the boat is gone, "19 moorings will be recovered, which will generate annual income of about 100,000 euros". In addition to this, the local authority said that the removal of the Willow means eliminating a source of pollution and a bad image for the port.

It was in March 2019 when a storm left the legendary steamship Willow semi-sunken in Benalmádena marina. Built at the beginning of the 20th century to sail the Mississippi River, it has been in Puerto Marina for more than two decades, during which time it has been a discotheque, restaurant and even a clandestine brothel. Before it sank in the storm, it was already in an obvious state of disrepair due to lack of maintenance.

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surinenglish The last photo taken inside iconic Willow paddle steamer in Benalmádena before it goes to the scrapyard