Captain Vasilis Gkelis, originally from Dervenochoria, has sailed on 21 different ships with various companies throughout his long career. The final vessel he served on was the M/V "ATHANASIOS."
“I had no connection to the sea,” he recalls. “I was studying to get into Panteion University, and I end...
Dimitris Kalampalikas, a naval architect from Volos, graduated from the Athens University of Applied Sciences while already working at a shipyard specializing in wooden vessels. Since 2004, he has been actively involved in shipbuilding and ship repair, collaborating with most major shipping companies...
Captain Giannis Zorgias from Faliro has 20.5 years of maritime service. During a hold cleaning operation in America, he narrowly escaped certain death due to fumes in the cargo hold. He was hospitalized at a port hospital, while four other crew members did not survive.
"I first boarded as a junior...
Captain Gerasimos Dellaportas from Ithaca first set sail in July 1964 in Palermo, Italy, aboard the M/V "OLYMPIC SUN," a 32,000-ton vessel owned by Onassis’s company
He has since dedicated over 40 years to the sea. A devout believer in both God and himself, Captain Gerasimos highlights, "Islanders h...
Chef Simos Aikaterinis, hailing from Vrontados, Chios, shares his story on "Fair Winds and Following Seas," recounting: "My father was a landman, but all four of his sons followed the sea and the ships. I first embarked at the age of 15, alongside my younger brother, on the 'M/V BYZANTINOS MONARCH'...
The founder and president of Daskalakis Congress & TRV and the initiative Kales Thalasses me Ygeia kai Asfaleia, Ms. Iro Daskalaki, spoke about the significance of Greek shipping through the centuries and the challenging yet crucial role of Greek seafarers. She emphasized that their health and safety...
Thanos Kondylis, PhD in History from the University of Athens and author, is the guest on “Saturday Shift“, the two-hour weekend special edition of the show “Fair Winds and Following Seas” with Antonis Karagiannakis on Voice of Greece, on Saturday, March 29, 2025.
The discussion revolves around his ...
Two days before setting off on his next voyage, Captain Dimitris Petrakis from Kimolos spoke on "Fair Winds and Following Seas" and Voice of Greece.
He shared his emotions just days before his departure, describing "the sadness and melancholy of leaving the island and the indescribable joy—like a...
Captain Giannis Kouyoumtzoglou, currently anchored at Samarinda bay in Indonesia waiting to load coal, spoke briefly on "Fair Winds and Following Seas" to greet the audience.
Next, Master Charalambos Taratoridis, originally from Pyrgochori in Kavala, shared his 38 years of documented and dedicated...
Maritime analyst, lecturer on shipping topics at educational institutions and organizations abroad—particularly in the United Kingdom—member of the Chios Marine Club, HESGB, author, and co-founder of allaboutshipping.co.uk, John Faraclas, spoke on the show "Fair Winds and Following Seas" about the cur...
The CEO of the Elefsina Port Authority S.A., Mr. Apostolos Kamarinakis, is the guest on “Saturday Shift”, the weekend special edition of the show “Fair Winds and Following Seas” with Antonis Karagiannakis on Voice of Greece, on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
Mr. Kamarinakis is also a Rear Admiral of t...
"Fair Winds and Following Seas” celebrated World Poetry Day with a special episode dedicated to those who are inspired by, write, and create from the sea, ships, voyages, harbors, lighthouses, capes, holds, sailors, captains, seamanship, and shipping.
The following participants read their poems:
Captain K...
The CEO of NAVIGATOR SHIPPING CONSULTANTS, Danai Bezantakou, speaks about how interesting, unlimited, and profitable the shipping industry is, as long as you work hard, correctly, and with a plan. She also mentions the conference organized by her company at a central hotel in Athens, titled “NAVIGATOR A...
Nikos Stavridopoulos, who lives in Athens and hails from Asia Minor, embarked on his first voyage in September 1970 from Piraeus aboard the M/V WORLD MONARCH, owned by Niarchos. He chose to become an engineer because it would offer him more job opportunities on land after his time at sea.
With 27...
The Secretary General for the Aegean and Island Policy, Mr. Manolis Koutoulakis, spoke on “Fair Winds and Following Seas”, highlighting the importance of projects and interventions aimed at addressing water scarcity on the islands of the Aegean and Ionian Seas.
He also discussed the ongoing efforts to ...
On “Fair Winds and Following Seas” we share exceptional stories from our sailors, each told in their own unique way, giving them a personal and meaningful touch. These are incredible accounts from ships, ports, and seas around the world, with the sailors themselves as the true heroes of these adventures.
Produced and...
Captain Giorgos Georgoulis, lecturer at the Department of Shipping and Business Services at the University of the Aegean, speaks on “Fair Winds and Following Seas” about the recent maritime accident involving the collision of two ships at the Immingham anchorage (waiting anchorage), near the ports of ...
Veteran Chian captain and maritime studies associate at the Oinousses Naval School, Argyris Chatzelenis, talks about adjusting to daily life after so many years at sea, on ships, and in the academy.
Among other things, the captain mentions:"What I miss most is sailing the sea, not swimming in it—because I...
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