[The Ship’s Log – 26 May 2026]
Listening to Voice of Greece and “Fair Winds and Following Seas,” Chief Engineer Kyriakos Zalis, serving aboard the tanker Runner, sent to us the following message:
Good morning from the Far East.
UTC +11 | Local Time: 16:00“And yet, the sun still hangs high in the sky, reminding us from its lofty place just how small our planet truly is.
I am delighted to share these thoughts with you. When I return home safely, I hope to look back on them with my family as a record of this voyage and of the challenges it brought along the way.
This journey began in late March, when we departed Trieste, Italy, on 25 March. We sailed in ballast across the Atlantic, loaded cargo in the United States, transited the Panama Canal, and then set course for South Korea, where our cargo was discharged.
It has been a nonstop voyage of nearly two months, spanning oceans, time zones, and even the calendar itself. We moved 18 hours back in time and then crossed the International Date Line, gaining a day ahead. Somewhere along the way, there was a Friday that simply vanished—a day I never lived through and will never remember.
And the story is not over yet. If current plans hold, we will soon be heading back toward Europe, with a loading stop somewhere in Africa, rounding the Cape of Good Hope on the way.
Jules Verne may have imagined a journey around the world in 80 days, but from where I stand, reality tells a different story. Judging by this voyage, a true circumnavigation seems much closer to 120 days.
Warm greetings to everyone.”
In a second message, Chief Engineer Kyriakos Zalis writes:
“Thank you for your kind words and for the valuable work you do through ERT’s broadcasts and, of course, through the internet, which now makes it so much easier for us to stay connected and listen from anywhere in the world.
I first discovered your program through the KVH platform, along with the ERT News broadcasts that we watch on board each afternoon, a few hours after they air. During one of your recent broadcasts, I heard about the Voice of Greece app on the Play Store, and that finally allowed me to listen live. To be honest, until then I did not even know exactly which days and hours your program was on.
The reason I sent my previous message was to remind people that there are hundreds—perhaps thousands—of fellow seafarers out here, far away from our loved ones, often forgotten by the state, navigating dangerous passages and, all too often, finding ourselves easy targets in both times of conflict and times of peace.
I would like to send all my love to Matina, my personal hero, who gave me three wonderful children—Dimitris, Konstantinos, and Isidora—and who has stood by them as both mother and father, raising them largely on her own and without help, while also standing steadfastly by my side throughout all these years.
Thank you.”
Kyriakos Zalis, from Megara
Chief Engineer, M/T Runner
We warmly thank Chief Engineer Kyriakos Zalis for his heartfelt message and his generous words. To Kyriakos, to Matina, and to all those who make their living at sea while carrying their families in their hearts, we send our very best wishes. Voice of Greece and “Fair Winds and Following Seas” will always be there to keep you company on your journeys across the world’s oceans.
