Nikos Hadjinakis, shipowner of Baru Quality Shipping Co. from the village of Karavostamos in Icaria, is a guest on Saturday, October 14th, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. Greek time (rerun at 11 p.m.) on Voice of Greece and the show “Fair Winds and Following Seas – Saturday Shift”, curated and presented by Antonis Karagiannakis.
Nikos Hadjinakis talks about his beloved Icaria, his unforgettable childhood years, the sea, seafaring and barges. He talks about his mother, Maria, and his father, Mastro-Stefanos, who was also a sailor, their risks, the crucial decisions and how they managed to create the shipping company called Baru.
He talks about the circumstances of the time, the fortunate events that helped them on, the sacrifices and the hard work it took to get where they did. At the same time, he talks about Greek Merchant Shipping today, how he envisions the future and what advice he would give to young people who want to work in it.
He tells old stories from his uncles and fellow sailors about their adventures and their lives and shipwrecks. As for the secret of the longevity of the Icariots, he quotes Menelaos Lountemis who wrote: “Icaria is the fire that all the winds blow upon but no one blows out. Because fire is the soul of the Icariot.”
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