Crew!

Jose Morales (Captain, Weatherman) as a true engineer has always enjoyed aerodynamics, whether in planes or in boats. After starting a successful career in CASA as an aerospace engineer, he and his brother-in-law Pepe founded Rentamaran, a boat charter company based in Alcoceber & Madrid that later also became the official Gib Sea dealer in Spain. Rentamaran was really an excuse to materialized a dream, to subscribe to every sailing magazine possible and, of course, a great excuse to sail along the coast of Valencia, to Islas Columbretes, and to the Balear islands. After moving to the United States, Josian became a member of the J-port club in Eastport, Annapolis. In 2005, after lot of deliberation, he finally fulfilled his lifetime dream with the Badum.

With the Badum, Josian had two great plans. The first one was to re-create Colon's trips to the Americas and the second was to return to Spain by boat in memory of Juan de Onate (founder of New Mexico) 400 years ago. The first one is yet to be planned, and the second one is finally happening!

Pepe Sola (Captain, Star Navigator, Diver)  Pepe's experience and love for sailing goes so so far back, that he still has to think about its origins.... 

Borja Escalada (Medical Officer, Spares Officer) started in the world of sailing at about 10. At 12, he started to do windsurfing (and he still practices it). He got more interested when he moved to the US and, with some friends and my brother Juan, we bought Flamenco. We put an ad in the paper saying "Have boat who would teach us how to use it" and many sailors responded. The boat was just a year older than me, so there was lots of renovations and improvements to make. From that, he switched to a 37-feet boat in 87. Borja has changed it so much that it feels he built it from the start. Borja has lots of 'ground' experience with 53 books about sailing and less experience on water, including 5 horrible and exciting days from Bermudas to NY, several regattas in the Potomac and with the Badum. Thanks to the great Morales family, we have been sailing a lot in the bay and we are going to have an unforgettable experience abroad the Badum.

Juan Escalada (Safety Officer, Sail Master) grew up windsurfing around the straight of Gibraltar. Despite sailing in the Optimist Class at age 10, he didn't really get into the sport until he and a group of four other Spaniards bought Flamenco. After sailing Flamenco for three years (she was a green Cal 25) its owners sold her and now Juan and co-owner Guadalupe de la Portilla own Fandango. Juan has also raced a bowman for several IRC series and has made a blue water passage from Bermuda to Norfolk.

Luis Cortes (Navigator, Mechanic, Cook) With his dad, Luis's first offshore adventures first started when he was 14-years old. With little sea experience, a compass, a apaper chart and unlimited enthusiasm, dad and son steamed La Gamba (a 22-ft cabin cruiser of plywood construction with an I/O Volvo Penta) from Melilla to Fuengirola. The sailing passion came later when Luis purchased in Vermont a No-Name Cal-25 and used her to explore Lake Champlain with his family, from the Richelieu River in Canada, to Whilhall at the North end of the NY state Barge Canal. It was in Vermont that Luis and his son Luisito upgraded from the Cal-25 to Don Quijote, a 41-ft Ta-Chiao Ketch rigged with a Clipper bow, a three-year project! The project was completed in the summer of 1994 and the Don Quijote was launched in Lake Champlain near Shelburne, Vermont, to immediately start a 14-day sailing journey sailing Don Quijote to her new berth in Annapolis, Maryland. Luis is a licensed Merchant Marine Officer from the U.S. Coast Guard; Pat Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary of the 5th District South, Flotilla 19-03; USCG-certified Coxswain; PADI-licensed SCUBA diver; and a 12-year Volunteer Firefighter veteran at the Waterbury Center Fire Department (WCFD), in Vermont. Finally, and most importantly, Luis comes to Badum with four years of culinary experience gained during the 70's as a chef-owner of a restaurant in Madrid, Spain.

Marta Morales (PR & External communications officer, Deputy Cook, Entertainment Officer) started sailing at the age of 7 in the Club de Vela Alcossebre (Valencia) in Hobie cats. By age 17, she was a sailing instructor  and attending the high-performance sailing center (CAR) in Santander (Spain). During her college years, she was a racer and treasurer for UVA's Sailing Team, sailing in both 420s and Lasers and participating in the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate league. In the past three years, she has only sail sporadically with the Badum and has no experience in blue water sailing but she hopes this will be the first of many to come!