Capt. Michalis Christodoulou from Skyros speaks to “Fair Winds and Following Seas” on Voice of Greece.
He was aboard the M/V Achilleas, approaching the port of Kymi from Skyros on the ferry’s daily route.
Capt. Christodoulou reflects on Greek seamanship, the Greeks’ love of the sea and their enduring attraction to adventure and the unknown.
“We have carried all this within us since ancient times. We Greeks cannot live without the blue of our seas and open waters. We are raised and nurtured by the sea. From Odysseus to the present day, we have sailed the world’s oceans and distinguished ourselves. We owe much of what we know to the generation before us, just as they learned from those who came before them. We worked hard, with love and devotion to the sea and our maritime tradition. That is how we became a global maritime power. I knew from the age of six that I would become a seafarer.”
Speaking about the younger generation, he says: “They, too, have everything they need to excel. With new technologies and modern systems at their disposal, they can take Greek shipping one step further.”
He also takes listeners on a journey through his beloved Skyros, sharing the island’s beauty, traditions and customs, festivals, music and cuisine.
Recalling one of his most unforgettable experiences at sea, Capt. Christodoulou returns to 17 October 2014, when the M/V Atlantis Trade arrived at the Port of Kashima in Japan from Canada, carrying 35,000 tons of grain, only to be struck by a powerful typhoon.
Produced and presented by Antonis Karagiannakis