SPAIN

Correduría’s office is actually based in Getxo (on the coastline 12 kilometres from Bilbao and opposite it’s commercial port) and run by a team of four people headed by Jon Lachiondo whom is the fourth generation of a family that has been linked to Britannia and Tindall Riley for over 100 years.

In 1899 the Spanish ship “COBETAS” became the first non British flagged vessel to be entered in Britannia. Owned by a company based in Bilbao, she was entered through the office of Harris & Dixon in the same city. Many ships followed, including in 1900 a ship called “MARTE” commanded by Captain Santos Lachiondo, the great grandfather of Britannia’s current representative in Spain. Capt. Santos’ son, Pedro Lachiondo, joined Harris & Dixon in Bilbao and when Harris & Dixon decided to close this office following the outbreak of WWII, Pedro Lachiondo opened his own under the name of Correduría General Marítima in 1939. The three sons of Pedro Lachiondo joined Correduría in different stages being the company headed by Juan José Lachiondo until his son Jon Lachiondo, whom joined the firm in 1989, took over upon his father’s retirement in 1997.

Though for many years since first established, Correduría General Marítima have performed as ship agents, ship brokers and insurance brokers specialised in marine; since the mid 80s they have dedicated exclusively to the marine insurance business and mainly as the representatives in Spain of the Britannia P&I Club as well as their local port correspondents to assist those insured vessels that may encounter problems when calling in Bilbao.

Since the founding of Correduría, Britannia have covered around 90% of the Spanish owned or controlled merchant fleet. To celebrate the centenary of Britannia’s involvement in Spain (in 1999) a two day conference was organised in the magnificent surroundings of the Guggenheim Museum inaugurated just a couple of years before. Bilbao was no stranger to Britannia meetings having hosted the first Committee Meeting ever to be held outside London in 1974.