Fair Winds And Following Seas

Vasilis Vasileiadis, President of the Panhellenic Association of Shipyards and Boatbuilders, speaks on "air Winds and Following Seas" and Voice of Greece. He sounds the alarm, emphasizing that "shipyards, boatbuilders, carpenters, and traditional wooden boats must be preserved because they are the...

Captain Thanasis Katsaros, from the village of Myrtia, Aetolia-Acarnania, near Lake Trichonida, initially aspired to become a mathematician but ultimately devoted his life to the sea with passion and professionalism. He graduated from the Syros Merchant Marine Academy in 1966 and embarked on his...

“In 1966, when I graduated from Neapolis High School here in Laconia, most of us turned to the sea and built our careers there—as captains, radio operators, engineers, and in other maritime professions. Only one classmate became a doctor, and another a professor,” recalls Captain Michalis Minogiannis. “I feel bo...

Journalist and author Stelios Vradelis discusses his new book, “The Wrong Person, in the Wrong Place, at the Wrong Time.” Speaking about it, he notes:“Throughout history, countless individuals—some unintentionally, others by choice—have shaped the fate of millions through their dec...

Mastro-Antonis Rafelelos from Sifnos speaks for a second day on "Fair Winds and Following Seas" and Voice of Greece. He first set sail from Piraeus in 1964 aboard the cargo ship ATHINAI of the Eugenides Company, as it was from the same island as him. "The ship operated the Latin America - Piraeus...

Mastro-Antonis Rafelelos from Sifnos speaks on "Fair Winds and Following Seas" and Voice of Greece. He never regretted the 35 years he spent working and traveling the seas as a marine engineer. "I finished school in Sifnos. We studied by sunlight and by the light of an oil lamp. Later, we moved to...

The Dean of the Department of Maritime Studies at the University of Piraeus, Mr. Angelos Pantouvakis, spoke on "Fair Winds and Following Seas" about the graduation ceremony of the English-language master's program, now in its sixth year. He emphasized the importance of maritime and shipping education...

The President of the Panhellenic Association of Retired Merchant Navy Captains (PESPEN), Captain Giorgos Exarchopoulos, spoke on "Fair Winds and Following Seas" about the work, issues, and challenges faced by the association, with the primary and most pressing concern being the reduction of pensions...

Dimitris K. Alexopoulos, author of the book “Relentless Radio” (Ασίγαστος Ασύρματος), shares the incredible story of his grandfather, Dimitris, who came from mountainous Phthiotis and achieved his dream of becoming a sailor, even though he had never seen the sea as a child. He became a wireless ope...

Captain Antonis Fytousis, from the village of Pitios in northern Chios, continued his storytelling and dive into the past with two incidents and events that marked his long career at sea. He didn’t fail to mention that, besides skills, the factor of luck is also essential. In 1992, aboard the 150,000-ton O...

Deputy Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Stefanos Gikas discussed the two-day "landing," as he described it, of a large ministry delegation in Syros, led by Minister Christos Stylianides. He highlighted the two most significant topics discussed in the capital of the Cyclades: Securing European...

Educator and soft skills expert Vasiliki Xyfteri shares her deep love for the sea and discusses how sailors can manage various situations they encounter during their time at sea by utilizing soft skills. She draws inspiration from her father, a sailor and practical second mate from Kranidi, who embarked...

Captain Antonis Fytousis from the village of Pitious in northern Chios spoke to "Fair Winds and Following Seas" about his beloved village with 47 residents and the reasons he pursued a career in the navy."It's a very lucrative profession, that's why I turned to the sea, which is one of my great passions....

Dr. Ioannis Patiniotis (aka Dr. Truth), CFO of a major shipping company, Chairman of the Expert Committee on Shipping of the EKO of New Democracy, Vice President of the Life Line charity foundation under Princess Katherine of Serbia, academic researcher in Human Resources, founder of...

Konstantinos Louvaris, a sound engineer at Greek Radio - ERT, from Tinos, talks about his beloved island and his experiences and travels in the Hellenic Navy, where he served as a leading seaman and signalman on the destroyer "KANARIS" and had several postings, including aboard the submarine "NIREUS." He...