An ‘old salt’ shapes a new breed of seafarers

A quick sweeping glance around Chief Engineer Antonino Gascon’s office would give any visitor an immediate impression of the man whose long, determined strides, firm handshakes and piercing eyes remind you of “an era when ships were made of wood and men were made of steel.”

His office walls are covered with framed representations of the old seafaring world, pictures that have been washed into monochromatic stills by time, and perfectly aligned medals from countless naval achievements. Now in his “senior” years, C/E Gascon continues to exude the sturdy form of a sailor, dressed in practical wear, and converses in the blunt and booming manner of a true seadog.