The chairman of Boluda Maritime Corp and Boluda Towage on the highs and lows of a career in the towage industry
In the first in a series of features in International Tug & Salvage, the ITS Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2021 provides a vivid and honest account of life in the towage industry.
Where it all began
I started in the towing industry at an early age. I have had the tugboat company in my veins since I was a child. After leaving school and on weekends, my grandfather took me with him to the company he created in 1920 in the port of Valencia, Spain, Vicente Boluda Tugboats. I liked to play on the tugboats when they were docked. In fact, I learned to crew a tugboat before I learned to drive a car. By the time I was eight years old, I knew how to operate a tugboat.
My best moment in the towing industry
This was when I took over the company in 1982, after picking up the baton from my grandfather and my father, and because of the trust they both placed in me. It was an honour to join the executive team after completing my law studies at the Complutense University of Madrid years earlier.
My worst moment in the towing industry
There have been few bad moments as chief executive of Boluda Maritime Corp because I have been able to get back on course when there has been a setback. But my worst moments were when there were accidents with loss of life.
My greatest achievement
My greatest success has been to turn a family business, founded by my grandfather in 1920, into the second-largest company in the world in the towage sector thanks to the internationalisation undertaken since 1984. But this year, I am convinced we are going to become the undisputed leader because we are committed to it as a family business. I would also like to emphasise that I include in my greatest achievement having the best professionals in the sector, both in the crews and in the top management spheres, as well as in the commercial and administrative departments.
The most fun moment
Every moment of my life is fun. I laugh a lot and have a lot of fun every day because I love to enjoy life.
I learned the most from
The person from whom I have learned the most in the maritime sector is my grandfather Vicente Boluda Marí. I owe my passion for the sea to him, a great entrepreneur of the 20th century and a business leader in the history of Valencia. He came from a family of tannery craftsmen and, at the age of 16, in 1920 he invested the money from a family inheritance and bought half of a small wooden tugboat with an alternative steam engine. From his and my father’s hand I learned to love this maritime sector, for the contribution of the towing sector to the safety it offers to navigation both in the port and at sea, as well as in the rescue in case of any disaster.
My guilty pleasure
Cooking a good roast in my house in Navajas, in the province of Castellón, to entertain my family and my good friends. I am passionate about cooking and an avid reader of books on gastronomy. And although I have tried everything around the world, I love Spanish fried eggs.
My favourite tugboat
My favourite tugboats were called Nieto and Vicentin from the late 1950s and early 1960s, boats my grandfather dedicated to me, and used to take me on. Although all of them have a history and an unforgettable moment for me. I have very fond memories of those tugboats, but I am also very proud of each of the tugboats that have been added to the fleet following the takeover of companies in northern Europe. For me, they are a passion and I know in which port each of the 400 vessels that make up the current Boluda Towage fleet are in.
My favourite place
I had a big problem choosing a favourite place. Travelling and getting to know countries, cities and places is one of my undisputed pleasures. A pleasure that is complemented by my continuous travels due to my business activity. But if I must highlight one, I will choose the sunrises in the African jungle. The amalgam of colours in their images and the wide range of their varied sounds are unique and I keep them in my retina and in my mind.
My one regret
Some degree of regret is normal, it is part of the process of growing as an entrepreneur. Regret in business is understanding there was always a better way. But I prefer, rather than regret, to think I am fortunate to have learned from my mistakes.
My advice to a young person in the towage industry
It is very important for the new generations to be enthusiastic and excited about the prospect of working in the towage industry. I would tell them to fight for their dreams. And when it comes to starting a business, to take risks to achieve success and to always remember the ship is made by the crew. And above all, do not forget that we live on the sea.
