Naples – From the bridge to the heart of the shipyard: Corrado Gala, former boatswain of theAmerigo Vespucci, will symbolically return aboard the famous sailing ship of the Italian Navy on May 13, 2025, exactly 45 years after his first embarkation.
It was May 12, 1980 when, just seventeen years old, she left Sardinia to board the ship that symbolizes the Italian navy. Today, at 62, after a long military career and a new role as technical manager of Piloda Shipyard, Gala finds the Vespucci in the port of Naples, where the ship will dock until May 16.
A return that has the flavor of memory and of the indissoluble bond with a legend of the sea. The Vespucci, launched in 1931 in Castellammare di Stabia, is a three-masted training ship over 100 meters long, with a displacement of 4.100 tons and a capacity of 400 people.
A floating icon of Italian naval tradition, returned to its maximum splendor thanks to the complex extraordinary maintenance intervention carried out in 2019 by the Piloda shipyard, under the supervision of Gala himself.
During her long stay on board, Gala participated in historic missions such as the circumnavigation of the globe in 2002, and served under 22 commanders, some of whom were cadets under her command. "The Vespucci is not just a ship," she says, "it is a place where values are transmitted."
Today Corrado Gala is also a central figure in the ship's renovation process. The work carried out by Piloda included the replacement of the main and mizzen masts, the remaking of the shrouds and important structural work.
The operation marked a turning point for the Piloda Shipyard, which has established itself as an Italian excellence in the naval and military sector, with operational offices in Naples, Torre Annunziata and Brindisi and over 280 employees.
Also leading the group's expansion is Roberto Spina, sailor and sales manager, with 109 completed military orders. His connection with the Navy began on the Vespucci and continues today with the care of excellent restorations, also through projects with a strong social impact.
Piloda supports Scugnizzi a Vela, the association that involves minors from the Campania penal area in nautical training courses. Currently, the restoration of a wooden launch from the 50s that belonged to the Vespucci, used at the time by Gala himself, is underway. A symbolic passing of the baton between generations, in the name of the sea, rebirth and memory.
Article published on May 8, 2025 - 15:15 pm
The article talks about Corrado Gala, but it doesn't clarify how life on board the Vespucci has changed over the years. It would be interesting to know more about his experiences and also about the new generations that follow his example.
I found the article interesting, but there are some parts that are not clear. The description of the ship is detailed, but it would be useful to have more information on Gala's current role in the shipyard.