The vessel, built between 1966 and 1970 by the renowned Coastal Master of the Merchant Marine, returns to the port to preserve the memory of his legacy in maritime education and his lifelong passion for the sea.
In what promises to be an event filled with history and nostalgia, the Casa del Marino Museum will officially unveil the sailboat “El Patrón” this Friday — an emblematic piece donated by the family of its creator, Juan Vázquez Reséndiz, a distinguished Patrón de Costa of Mexico’s Merchant Marine.
Built between 1966 and 1970 by Vázquez Reséndiz, who also served as a marine practices instructor at the Mazatlán Nautical School, “El Patrón” arrives at the Casa del Marino as a representation of an era and as a tribute to a man who dedicated his life to the sea and to teaching.
The sailboat, crafted from the wood of a Huanacaxtle tree felled by a hurricane, was designed and built in the school’s carpentry workshop and successfully tested at Playa Sur upon completion in 1970.
This is a fully functional scale model — a symbol of the ingenuity and love for the sea that characterized Vázquez Reséndiz, affectionately known as “El Patrón.” For decades, the story of this sailboat lived only in family memory, until his son Alfredo Reynaga Romero, his grandson Alfredo Reynaga Chicuate, and one of his former students Óscar Pompa Salazar decided to share its story and honor his legacy in the city where his vocation was born.
“From the wood of the Huanacaxtle tree, my father built two sailboats,” recalled Reynaga Romero. “The first was ‘El Orión’, which was raffled and won by Mr. Humberto Herrera, who later renamed it. I searched for that sailboat for many years until I found it in Culiacán. The second was ‘El Patrón’, which remained at my father’s house for years, then at my brother’s, and now it’s here, displayed in this museum.”
He explained that “El Patrón” also changed hands several times after being raffled, eventually returning to the family. Although they once considered donating it to the Mazatlán Nautical School, they decided against it for fear that it might be taken elsewhere.
Instead, they contacted the Casa del Marino board of trustees, who opened a special space to display the sailboat — now a new attraction for museum visitors.
“When the museum project began, my son spoke with the board, and they made room for it. The donation went through, and now the sailboat has a beautiful place to stay,” said Reynaga Romero.
For his grandson, Alfredo Reynaga Chicuate, the sailboat is much more than an exhibit — it is a symbol of his grandfather’s love for the sea, teaching, and maritime practice.
“This exhibition represents the legacy and impact that Don Juan Vázquez Reséndiz left on his students and everyone who knew him, especially those who saw the sailboat in motion,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful coincidence that some members of the museum’s board were graduates of the Nautical School and knew my grandfather, honoring him in this way — something we’re deeply grateful for.”
His grandson also acknowledged the efforts of Captain Mario Velázquez and the Casa del Marino Board, who made it possible for “El Patrón” to be recognized in Mazatlán as a tribute not only to his grandfather but to all seafarers devoted to their calling.
Former student Óscar Pompa Salazar, a graduate of the seventh generation of the Mazatlán Nautical School, fondly remembered his teacher as a strict but kind-hearted man.
“We loved Don Juan like a father. The hazing back then was tough, but he always protected us. He’d tell us, ‘If anyone wants to mess with you, come hide in the workshop.’ He always had fruit, burritos, or coffee to share. He taught us not only how to navigate but how to be good men,” Pompa recalled.
He described Vázquez Reséndiz as a practical, self-taught, and adventurous teacher who sailed around the world without having been a traditional naval officer — navigating both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
“He was a pioneer of coastal navigation in Mexico, a restless and curious man who loved his craft. Talking about him is like reading pages and pages of history,” he said with admiration.
For the family, seeing “El Patrón” preserved in the museum is a way to keep his memory, craftsmanship, and teachings alive for future generations.
“It fills us with pride to know that my father will remain present in Mazatlán — that people will see he was a man of art, of navigation, of effort. He didn’t just teach with words, but with action,” said Reynaga Romero.
In every detail of the vessel — its design, its structure — the master’s dedication is evident. It was built through intuition, experience, and a profound love for the sea that “El Patrón” embodied every day.
In this way, the sailboat “El Patrón” becomes an invaluable piece of Mazatlán’s maritime heritage, a handcrafted jewel honoring a man who shaped generations of sailors — one that continues to sail today, not across the ocean, but through collective memory.
To Know
The unveiling ceremony for the sailboat “El Patrón” will take place this Friday at 11:00 a.m. at the Casa del Marino Museum, where it will remain on permanent display as a tribute to Professor Juan Vázquez Reséndiz, a symbol of the art, discipline, and passion that defined him in the pages of Mazatlán’s maritime history.