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Francisco J. Morales Verdejo (Almería, 1986) once hoped to spend most of his professional career beneath the sea, working as a diver.
However, an encounter with a merchant navy first officer changed his outlook and he decided to reshape his future so he could spend the rest of his life on the sea. He graduated in Nautical Studies and began his career at Baleària in 2016 as a third officer. He is currently captain of the fast ferry Jaume III.
Q. Where did your passion for the maritime world come from?
A. I have always been connected to the sea. I was born, grew up and still live in Almería, very close to the beach. However, I started sailing by chance. I was training to work as a diver and, on one of the safety courses, a merchant navy first officer told us about his job and lifestyle. It really caught my attention, so I asked what I needed to do to follow that career. A few months later I was already in Cádiz studying Nautical Studies.
Q. You have built your career at Baleària, what path did you follow to become a captain?
A. My first opportunity was as third deck officer on the Bahama Mama, responsible for navigation watches and safety equipment. I was promoted to second officer and, in 2018, to first officer on the Abel Matutes. I worked on different ships and experienced company captains trained me in manoeuvring for entering and leaving port, as well as berthing and unberthing. Once you have the basic knowledge, you need more specific training for each type of vessel, and that is how I began my time as captain on high-speed craft. Each position carries different responsibilities, which makes every promotion feel like a new job. I have taken on every new challenge with enthusiasm and renewed energy.
Q. You have sailed on many ferries. What has each one taught you?
A. Changing ships lets you meet many people and experience different situations, which enriches you enormously as a professional and gives you a broader range of knowledge, styles and personalities. It is a great opportunity. My approach has always been to take and learn the best from every professional I have worked with, then go one step further and find a new idea or a better way to carry out a particular task.
Q. What have been your biggest challenges on board?
A. Without doubt, taking part in the shipyard work, delivery and launch of the Hypatia de Alejandría, one of our most innovative smart ships . Preparing the company's first gas-powered ship from scratch and making sure that, from the very first day we operated from Barcelona, it departed on time and without any incidents was extremely demanding and rewarding at the same time.
Q. What are the main advantages of the fast ferry Jaume III route?
A. The first is speed: we connect the islands in half the time of any conventional ferry , both while sailing and by reducing manoeuvring times. We also offer all the services and experiences available on the rest of the fleet. Another distinctive feature is that the passenger decks are lower than on other vessels, so the views are much closer to the sea, heightening the feeling of sailing, something passengers find fascinating and really appreciate.
Q. How does the ship perform on the Alcúdia - Ciutadella route?
A. Last summer was exceptional, considering the intensity of traffic between Mallorca and Menorca. We lived up to expectations and kept to our schedules. Passengers know that and show it by choosing to travel with us. As an interesting detail, on the journey from Ciutadella to Alcúdia, on days when the sea is calm and the sky is clear, you can see the mountains of Mallorca's Serra de Tramuntana. And for keen observers and marine wildlife lovers, it is easy to spot dolphins and even huge whales practically all year round.
Q. What do you enjoy most about being a captain?
A. Being the link between many people: deck, engine room and on-board services, all essential to the smooth running of the ship and its services. Part of my job is coordinating the different teams so that we are all pulling in the same direction, and that includes being ready to manage any situation efficiently and effectively. It gives you a real boost of positive energy when the whole system works and everything goes well. Our customers reach their destinations on time and satisfied, all thanks to the combined effort of our crews.
Q. Which Baleària destination do you like most?
A. The Balearic Islands. From there it is hard to choose because every island has its own charm. Menorca is the most recent one I have had the chance to discover and it has spectacular landscapes and places, as well as a wonderful sense of calm.
Family comes first
Francisco is clear that family is his priority in his free time. “My first visit is always to my grandmother María del Mar. No matter how often I tell her that I am perfectly fine when I am sailing, she worries, so when I come home she is very happy, and so am I.”, he explains. He also enjoys recreational diving, both scuba and freediving, and combines it with trips on his motorbike. “I still need to explore the Balearic Islands and northern Morocco. And of course, I'll travel with Baleària!”.
