On the Retirement of Julio Berzosa, Maritime Captain of Algeciras

In mid-1985 - I want to remember it was around May - Rafael Barceló, responsible for the Ship Inspection of the Military Command of the Navy of Cádiz at that time, introduced me to a young naval engineer named Julio Berzosa who had just passed the competitive exam and joined his team. After five years of work at ASTANO in the Ferrol estuary, where he performed his first job related to his career, he chose to enter the Administration, where for over thirty years he has been performing his duties from various positions.

A few months after his incorporation as a ship inspector in Cádiz, and as a consequence of the decision made by the General Directorate of Merchant Marine to strengthen ship inspections in those Spanish ports where there were refineries, Julio Berzosa was transferred to the inspection in Algeciras; then dependent on Cádiz. In January 2013, the DGMM decided to promote him to the category of maritime captain. A position he has held since then until his recent retirement.

If we consider that the Strait of Gibraltar is one of the areas with the most maritime traffic in the world - over 120,000 ships a year - and that the port of Algeciras is one of the leading ports in Spain in maritime traffic, including oil tankers, container ships, and passenger vessels, we can get an idea of the responsibilities and work carried out by the Maritime Captaincy of this port, where a group of officials form a dedicated team of professionals with great commitment and responsibility, who have been rightly and wisely led until the last moment by Julio Berzosa.

The actions and decisions made in favor of the safety and well-being of sailors during his tenure at the Algeciras Captaincy have been many; I remember some that had Julio Berzosa as a direct protagonist, such as the case of the tanker “Castor,” which, loaded with gasoline and dangerously cracked from port to starboard and without an inert gas system in service, he decided to board by helicopter and contribute with his knowledge and recommendations to avoid a catastrophe.

Regarding his special commitment and concern for the environment, it is enough to analyze the statistics concerning inspections carried out in this regard. Surely the amount of fines imposed for non-compliance with regulations is more than sufficient to cover the salaries of all team members.

Also, in the broad bag of satisfactions he carries and that one day he will be able to tell his grandchildren, we should add his teaching work in safety and other aspects related to ships: commissioned by the European Union, he taught courses in Estonia, Latvia, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Romania, among other countries, training inspectors from those countries.

The seafaring people who have had the privilege of enjoying his friendship and, in many cases, his protection over so many years, as well as his peculiar way of being and being, wish him a long and well-deserved retirement; confident that every time he crosses the Plaza Alta of Algeciras in a relaxed and well-deserved stroll, he will do so with his head held high, being greeted and approached by many of those who have known and interacted with him.

Happy retirement, Julio.

Photo: provided