Former head of Maritime Rescue in the Balearics makes debut as author with ‘Navegar es necesario’

The book has been published by Mallorca Press, the publishing company behind Gaceta Náutica, where the author contributes a monthly column on the back page.

More than 150 people filled the Sala Magna of the Real Club Náutico de Palma during the presentation of Navegar es necesario, the first book by Miguel Félix Chicón Rodríguez (Tangier, 1960), a merchant navy captain and the historic head of Maritime Rescue in the Balearic Islands for 26 years.

Published by Mallorca Press with the collaboration of Astilleros de Mallorca, the book brings together 50 articles on nautical curiosities and maritime history that previously appeared on the back page of Gaceta Náutica, where Chicón has been writing for the past five years. Elena Pipó, director of the newspaper, explained that Navegar es necesario represents the crowning achievement of the GN Experience project, whose aim is to promote maritime culture and which in 2025 also included a children’s maritime outreach workshop and a collective art exhibition, in addition to this book.

The event was hosted by Mariona Forteza, the book’s editorial coordinator, and Diego Colón de Carvajal, CEO of Astilleros de Mallorca and author of the prologue. Forteza highlighted the importance of bringing Chicón’s texts together in a single volume, arranged in a way that gives coherence to the whole, and emphasized the care taken with every detail of the edition—from the choice of paper to the cover design and typography. “A book is an object with a soul that becomes part of our lives,” she noted.

Colón de Carvajal then engaged in a conversation with the author, beginning with a reflection on the influence of childhood on one’s professional, personal, and literary path. Chicón, the son of a fisherman, acknowledged that the crossings of the Strait of Gibraltar to visit his family in Algeciras shaped his maritime vocation. From a very young age, this was accompanied by a strong interest in reading and writing, a habit he attributes to his language teacher, “Miss Espinosa.”

The discussion moved through several of the themes addressed in the book: the etymology of the names of the winds, the Pacific route, the harsh living conditions on board ships in the 15th and 16th centuries, the poverty faced by sailors’ wives, and the often random reasons why some crew members fell ill with scurvy while others did not.

A large number of attendees purchased a copy of the book and had the opportunity to have it signed by the author.

Navegar es necesario brings together stories that combine historical episodes with descriptions of life at sea. Chicón explained that his aim is to bring readers closer to “the lesser-known history” of the sea through an informative approach, ranging from technical precision when required to the importance of the human factor on any voyage.

After growing up among hand-dyed fishing nets and ferries crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, Chicón arrived in Mallorca in 1975 to study nautical science and trained as a merchant navy captain in Palma and Barcelona. Between 1978 and 1994, he sailed as an officer on oil tankers, refrigerated vessels bound for Canada and the Caribbean, and also served as an ensign in the Spanish Navy. Later, as a captain, he commanded ferries and high-speed craft, facing complex situations such as a fire in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

His definitive return to Mallorca came in 1996, when he took on the role of head of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Palma, a position he held until 2022. He took part in major operations such as the rescues of the Sorrento, the Grande Europa, and the Don Pedro, as well as countless night searches, fires, groundings, and assistance operations for all types of seafarers.

Navegar es necesario is the first title published by Mallorca Press, the publishing company behind Gaceta Náutica.