Surviving the Aegean with Ian.

It’s the end of my second year with Aegean Sailing and I am happy to say it seems to have been another successful season - with many happy crews who are ascending the RYA training ladder in both sail and power. My crews over the year have included: the very young; the young; and, the more mature – all of whom seem to have had tremendous stamina. After long sunny days sailing, the evenings have included: Salsa Dancing with Romanians; Pilates with Canadians; Running with Australians; Music lessons with Americans; and, Art lessons with French and English Artists. I’ve also not forgotten the extended social evenings with the Irish and Russians and the occasional running repairs to both boats and my aching frame!

The people that I have met when sailing are the greatest part of the job, each usually has a story to tell and the main entertainment is often just listening to those stories. My crews have ranged from families with inquisitive and talented young sailors, to mixed crews of: Lawyers; Merchant Bankers; Pilots; and back packing Aussies on tour. My favourite story is the life of a Palestinian American business man who lives in the Lebanon (middle name Vladimir!!). He simply refuses to give up, or grow old and has lived through civil wars, unrest and business crashes but he is one of the most positive individuals I’ve ever met. You may meet him on one of next year’s courses as he clearly intends to return. This doesn’t surprise me as we seem to become friends with most of our crews and I am still in touch with most of mine. Thanks to those who have sent me photos of our exploits, a selection of which Mel has placed on this web site to remind you of sailing in Greece. If you have other interesting photos send them to us as it’s a memory for us too.

Hopefully we’ll meet next year as the company is planning to expand – watch this space for news.