Like Gianluigi Aponte, he is originally from the Sorrento peninsula. He revealed where he found the strength and courage to guide the ship safely out of the Persian Gulf.

My faith, instead, carries me beyond, precisely when control is no longer enough.

Last Saturday, the MSC Euribia (IMO 9901544, MMSI 256281000 -sailing under the flag of Malta. ), captained by Lauro Maresca, crossed the Strait of Hormuz at over 22 knots of speed during a brief window of truce granted by the Iranian armed forces. This achievement has made the ship an important part of Italian naval history.

Having overcome his fear

Having overcome his fear and left the dangerous waters of the Persian Gulf behind, the maritime expert from Meta di Sorrento, who now lives in Sant'Agnello (the same place as MSC shipowner Gianluigi Aponte), took to Facebook to share his thoughts on those moments, posting the following message: 'There's a boundary inside me that I can't see, but I recognise it every time I reach it. It's the point where my abilities end.

 I could feel the weight of responsibility,

For years, I thought that was the limit. But no. That's precisely where my faith begins. Yesterday, when I crossed the Strait of Hormuz, I wasn't just a captain following procedures and reading instruments. I was a man facing something bigger than myself. I could feel the weight of responsibility, the subtle tension and the presence of fear. But it didn't stop me. In that moment, I clearly understood that my abilities and my faith are not two separate things." My faith, instead, carries me beyond, precisely when control is no longer enough," he adds. 

The fear was there. But it was no longer in front of me

They work together. My abilities keep me steady and give me control, allowing me to move forward. Instead, it is my faith that takes me further when control is no longer enough. The fear was there. But it was no longer in front of me. It was beside me, almost behind me, like something that no longer made decisions for me. As I moved forward, I felt that I was doing more than just my job. I was also crossing a boundary within myself. The one where I stop relying solely on what I know how to do and start to trust truly. Every time I reach that point, I realise that it's not the end. It's a transition. It's from there that I become more than I thought I could be.'

A few days earlier, 

A few days earlier, Captain Lauro Maresca had also shared his thoughts on the Iran-Iraq War on social media. 'In my life at sea, first on container ships and then on large passenger ships, I have been fortunate to see places around the world that I will always hold dear. I still remember the guests' amazement when St. Petersburg appeared on the horizon after passing through the Suez Canal, a waterway that unites seas and civilisations. 

Passing through the Suez Canal

Passing through the Suez Canal, a waterway that unites seas and civilisations. Splendid Beirut, the 'Paris of the Middle East'. And then there was the Red Sea, always calm and solemn, a natural gateway back to the Mediterranean. How many times have I sailed to Haifa and Ashdod, crossed the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb between Africa and Yemen or the Strait of Hormuz to enter the wonders of the Persian Gulf? 

Related : Aponte’s succession gift is the largest in shipping history

Memories, encounters and emotions.' 

For those who live by the sea, places like these are not just dots on a nautical chart, but memories, encounters and emotions.' Maresca continues: 'One of my best friends is Iranian. I have learned so much about his ancient and fascinating culture from him. I was also fortunate enough to visit Bandar Abbas, and I still carry those memories with me."

The sea should unite ports and peoples, not divide them.

Today, I ask myself why all this is being taken away from us, and why we are being made to suffer. The sea should unite ports and peoples, not divide them. I hope with all my heart that one day we can sail to these places again in peace and perhaps visit them with my family and friends. Every evening, I pray to God for only one thing: to put an end to this senseless hatred and dirty wars. The sea was born to unite the world.

Source : Shipping Italy

# Captain Lauro Maresca #Persian Gulf #MSC Euribia #Meta di Sorrento # Sant'Agnello # Strait of Hormuz #Gianluigi Aponte #St. Petersburg # Suez Canal