In Memory of Captain Francisco Font Betanzos

From Cádiz, the city of his residence, we receive the sad news of the passing of Captain Francisco Font Betanzos, whom we met over thirty years ago, in command of the ferries “Ciudad de La Laguna”, “Villa de Agaete”, “Manuel Soto”, “Ciudad de Santa Cruz de La Palma” –during EXPO 92–, “Manuel Soto” and “Juan J. Sister”, where he concluded his long professional career.

Francisco Font Betanzos, Paco to his friends, was a captain of the old school. A highly competent professional and a person of great worth: serious, formal, polite, correct, and with the character to make decisions. We were always honored by his friendship over so many years and especially remember the reunion that took place in 2013, a little over a decade since the last occasion, when, having coffee on the terrace of the “Playa Victoria” hotel in Cádiz, the idea for his doctoral thesis emerged.

That project materialized and after the corresponding courses and research work, it was titled “Origins and Constitution of the Trasmediterránea Company: Economic and Commercial Evolution in the 20th Century”. Supervised by Professor Francisco Piniella, current rector of UCA, it was defended by its author on December 19, 2008, at the Cádiz University and received the highest grade of “cum laude”. Later, in 2016, he became one of the three co-authors of the Centenary book of Trasmediterránea, alongside Laureano García Fuentes and the undersigned.

Francisco Font Betanzos was born in 1941 in Cádiz. He studied at the Official Nautical School of his hometown and also in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, graduating in 1964. After the internship period, in May 1966 he obtained the second-class Merchant Marine pilot license at the Tenerife school and in June 1968 the Merchant Marine captain license.

He completed his internships between March 1964 and January 1966 on the ships “Pedro de Alvarado” (Empresa Nacional Elcano), “Campoo” (CAMPSA), “Dómine”, “Ciudad de Cádiz” and “Ciudad de Granada” (Trasmediterránea), “Escatrón” (REPESA) and “Bruch” (CEPSA). In mid-1966, he began his professional stage with embarkations as third, second, and first officer on the ships “Almadén” (COFRUNA), “Ciudad de Pamplona” (Trasmediterránea), “Puentes de García Rodríguez”, “Calatrava”, “Puertollano”, “Cartago”, “Alcántara” and “Montesa” (REPESA).

He then joined the Trasmediterránea Company, where he would spend the rest of his professional life, as an officer on the ships “Santa Cruz de Tenerife”, “Juan March”, “Santa María de la Caridad”, “Santa María de las Nieves”, “Santa María de la Candelaria”, “Villa de Agaete”, “Ciudad de Huesca”, “Ciudad de La Laguna”, “Ciudad de Teruel”, “Manuel Soto”, “Antonio Lázaro!”, “Benifasar” and “J.J. Sister”.

His first command as captain was on the ship “Rivagijón”, leased by Trasmediterránea from the Suardíaz Group at the beginning of roll-on/roll-off transport in Spain and continued on the ships “Santa María de la Paz”, “Santa María de la Caridad”, “Santa María de las Nieves”, “Villa de Agaete”, “Ciudad de La Laguna”, “Ciudad de Zaragoza”, “Cala Portals”, “Levante”, “Monzón”, “Ciudad de Cádiz”, “Ciudad de Alicante”, “Ciudad de Ceuta”, “Ciudad de Compostela”, “Manuel Soto”, “Ciudad de Santa Cruz de La Palma”, “J.J. Sister”, “Ciudad de Algeciras”, “Ciudad de Badajoz” and “Juan J. Sister”, from which he disembarked at the end of 1997 after requesting early retirement.

Francisco Font was part of the crew that in 1975 traveled to Finland to take charge of the ferry “Villa de Agaete” –captained by Enrique Palacios Díaz–, acquired by Trasmediterránea from the Finnish company Silja Lines along with its almost twin “Ciudad de La Laguna”. He would return to Finland, and we coincided there in November 1992 during the construction of the ferry “Juan J. Sister”, delivered in May 1993, of which he would later become the captain.

Among his extensive professional history, we must highlight, among others, his participation in the evacuation of the Sahara aboard the ships “Ciudad de Huesca” and “Ciudad de La Laguna”. From that period, he holds the Naval Merit Cross with a white distinction, the Sahara Medal, and several recognition diplomas from the General Command of the Maritime Zone of the Canary Islands. He also holds the Silver Medal of the Red Cross for Shipwrecked Rescue, awarded in December 1992, for his intervention in various maritime disasters resulting in the rescue of 72 shipwrecked individuals.

In his last years, while battling the illness that ultimately defeated him, although there was no rest in the fight, from his native Cádiz he was a regular contributor to “Revista General de Marina” and “Revista de Historia Naval”. Some of his works are also published on the website www.trasmeships.es, coordinated by our mutual and esteemed friend Laureano García.

May he rest in peace, and all our gratitude to his memory and the friendship we have enjoyed.

During the visit to the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy, alongside its director CN Fernández de Mesa and Temboury and the deputy director CF Millán Gamboa

Francisco Font Betanzos and the undersigned, a heartfelt meeting in Cádiz (2013) after twelve years of absence

Photos: archive of Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo