Escuela Náutica Sudoeste

A great amount of trainees has pleasantly attended our profitable courses since we started our activity at the Sudoeste School of Navigation. Responsibility and quality above all have allowed us to easily teach our customers the art of navigation. The obtained results speak for themselves: well-trained pupils, personalised attention for everyone, success regarding the methodology employed, our own fleet to fulfil the sea practices, a competent team of trainers and a high level professional staff. Skippers, Merchant Navy Officers, mates and collaborators with a wide professional experience, have helped us to become one of the most reputable consolidated school of navigation in the south of Spain.

We are established at the Mazagón and Punta Umbría harbours, by the mouth of the rivers Tinto and Odiel in Huelva. An excellent area of navigation where you can always find smooth water and light breezes well protected from the hard west winds. Enjoy a pleasant sea journey along the beaches of Doñana National Park. Warm days, quiet sunsets and, after mooring, have fun on mainland! (Routes and itineraries). Everything from a completely different point of view: the sea. A sensation of freedom which will transform your holidays into an unforgettable experience you will be able to share with your relatives and closest friends.

Thinking about your commodity and lack of time, we also give lessons during the weekends.

Instructors and School Staff

Maximiliano Navas Garatea
Sudoeste General Manager - Merchant Navy Captain - Bachelor of Law

His formal training is widely diverse: Merchant Navy Captain appointed by the Panama State Naval and Consular Office; Merchant Navy Officer appointed by the Spanish Merchant Navy; Bachelor of Navigation and Sea Carriage by the University of Cádiz; Lawyer, Bachelor of Law (specialised in Private Law) by the University of Seville; Mercantile and Maritime Research Student at the University of Seville; Master of Maritime Law by the University of San Pablo CEU in Madrid and the Maritime Research European Institute; Superior Commissioner for Maritime Damage by the Insurance Higher Studies Institute. Fluent in both Portuguese and English.

At present, he is the General Manager and only Administrator of both 'Sudoeste' and the legal firm called 'Gabinete Marítimo Mercantil - Abogados' (Mercantile Maritime Office - Lawyers); the head of this firm being held by himself. Agent for the Panamanian Bureau of Shipping (Republic of Panama) and for the Liberian Bureau of Maritime Affairs (Republic of Liberia) regarding the south of the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain); Naval Surveyor for ships with Liberian and Panamanian flags; Partner of the Portuguese Lawyer's Office 'Cabral & Navas - Advogados' (Lisbon); Member of the Maritime Law Spanish Association (I.M.O. España).

His further training comprises courses on different branches: from Navigation to Law and Management. He holds several Merchant Navy Specialised Professional Courses such as Radar Observer, Radio Operator, Sea Traffic Naval Controller, Inert Gas System / Crude Oil Washing (COW), Oil tankers, Chemical Product Transport, Liquid Gas Transport, etc. Sailing Trainer appointed by the Spanish Federation.

His professional experience starts and ends within the sea. He joined different gas and refrigerating merchant ships. Afterwards, while finishing his Law studies, he worked as a ship's surveyor to, later, run a consulting firm belonging to the European Union, the Business Innovation Centre Algarve - Huelva. He finally established his own lawyer's office, the fruit of his labour being the birth of the firm 'Asesoramiento y Defensa Jurídica GMM Abogados' (Legal Defence and Advice GMM Lawyers). The creation of the company 'Gestión Marítima Sudoeste' (Sudoeste Maritime Management), more related to the pleasure navigation, was originated due to the maritime specialisation of the firm.

Among his works and publications, we should highlight his degree thesis on Navigation and Sea Carriage "Régimen de responsabilidad del transportista marítimo en el Código de Comercio. Especial referencia a la navegabilidad del buque" (Commercial Code System of responsibilities for the sea carrier. Special remarks on the ship navigability), awarded with the maximum mark; his memorandum for the Master of Maritime Law titled "El contrato de arrendamiento del buque. Póliza BARECON 89" (The ship hiring contract. BARECON 89 Policy); and his present doctoral thesis on "Seguridad y Navegabilidad del Buque" (Ship Security and Navegability).

Adolfo de la Cruz Vargas
Sudoeste Delegate in Seville - Merchant Navy Officer

His formal training is completely focused on the sea. Bachelor of Navigation and Sea Carriage, as well as Commissioner for Maritime Damage, he is specialised in Dangerous Goods Manipulation for Harbour Organisation Components. He has obtained an excellent training regarding ship surveys by means of many specific courses such as those on Quality and Organisation of Survey Entities, Training of Dock Operators, Harbour Dangerous Goods Manipulation Terminals, or Nautical Compass Adjuster. At present, he both continues his studies of Law at the University of Seville and finishes his doctoral thesis: "Experto Universitario en Peritaciones y Tasaciones: I. R. D., V. A." (Expert University Student on Surveys and Valuations: I. R. D., V. A.). Fluent in Italian (level CELI - five years) and perfect in English.

Nowadays, he manages the local office Sudoeste established in Seville, works as a trainer for the Sudoeste Nautical School and collaborates with GMM as a Naval Surveyor for the Republic of Liberia Bureau of Maritime Affairs.

His professional beginning can be found within the sea. He joined different gas, container and refrigerating merchant ships for years. He has worked as Chief Surveyor at the harbours of both Seville and Huelva for the Ship Technical Survey Society and, for several years, has been doing many services related to the sea carriage and pleasure navigation, fulfilling liquidation tasks as well as working as a Damage Surveyor. He is a Compass Adjuster and Co-ordinate Trainer on courses about Security and Dangerous Goods referred to the IMDG Code, given by the Spanish Merchant Navy Official School.

With respect to his further training, we must underline the great amount of specialised courses received: Maritime Security and World Rescue System; Advanced Nautical Kinematics; Maritime Satellite Radio-communication Simulation; Sailing Simulation; Risk of Fire Evaluation Onboard; Sea Traffic Analysis; Seagoing Tugboat; Work Design Application Onboard; Sea Pollution; Introduction to the Industrial Hygienic; Teaching Audio-visual Technique Applications; etc.

Among his works and publications, we should highlight his degree thesis on Navigation Along Guadalquivir River, awarded with an outstanding mark.

Miguel Godoy Cordón
Dock Master - Coastwise Master

Dock Master of our boats, he is the person in charge of maintaining the ships belonging to Sudoeste. He works as a trainer for the Nautical School and, being an expert Coastwise Master, he accompanies our customers in those voyages which need a master or skipper to help them. He has a wide professional experience regarding the sea and we must emphasise he firstly joined a ship during the seventies, more than a quarter of a century ago. At present, he also works for the Harbour Authority in Huelva.

He has recently gone for years aboard tugboats belonging to the company AUXMASA in Huelva. He has been the person in charge for both the company Mar Bravo S.A. and the maintenance firm Soler. He worked as a professional specialised in tasks related to the maintenance of ships subcontracted by several companies such as, Huelva ENAGAS, Río Tinto Minera S.A., Dragados y Construcciones S.A. or even the Dockyard in Huelva. Previously, before taking root in his homeland, he was a Fishing Technical Adviser in Central America, particularly working for the firm Eurocommodity S.A. in Nicaragua and the Seafood Company DIMAROSA in Mexico.