Captain Charalambos Kiakotos, originally from Kardamyla, Chios, and now living in Volos, speaks on “Fair Winds and Following Seas” on Voice of Greece.
For him, the sea is home. “I grew up in a seafaring family, close to the sea. My father was a ship’s captain and my mother a radio operator. Everywhere I went, I heard stories about seafarers, their voyages, and their ships—at the café, among friends, at work, at home. So there was never any doubt that I would become a captain. After graduating from the Merchant Marine Academy of Michaniona, I embarked on my first voyage in 1999, aboard the 45,000-ton chemical tanker M/V MASTUM L, operated by the Lebanese company Serres. When I first stepped aboard, it seemed enormous. Now that I work on very large crude carriers (VLCCs), it seems tiny by comparison.”
Captain Charalambos also recalls an unforgettable moment from his long career at sea. “In July 2022, my crew and I rescued 100 refugees aboard M/V ERMIONI, off southern Italy. That moment, and the emotions written on those people’s faces, will stay with me forever.”
Finally, he discusses www.logmysea.com, the website he created to help seafarers calculate the sea service they need to qualify for retirement.
Produced and presented by Antonis Karagiannakis