Crew
Our principles:
Security: it is always rule number 1 at sea, whether on a sailboat, yacht or tanker.
Requirements: every year, perfect maintenance of the boats and improvements, quality family cooking
Kindness: our work has a meaning and it is beautiful: to give Happiness …
A family business means adding together experiences, perfect knowledge of our boats, unwavering motivation to offer the best to our passengers … who come back often! It must be said that with more than 16,000 km of coastline (as much as all around the Mediterranean!) And its thousands of islands and islets, Greece can be visited dozens of times without ever returning to the same island…
Our vision for our cruises:
Authenticity: our perfect knowledge of the Greek archipelagos allows us to offer travelers a succession of picturesque coves and ports without being limited to major tourist centers. The meals on board (half board), are a family greek cooking of excellent quality.
Quality / price ratio: Since the beginning of the company, our priority has been quality, whether in terms of boats, itineraries, meals and crews. It comes at a price, so you will find cheaper than us on the market. We have passengers returning for the eighth time on board.
Harmony with nature: our fifty (sails and motor) consume in a month what a big motor-yacht consumes in an hour… for the same number of guests. Their solar panels and an electronic management of a powerful bank of batteries allow to use very little the generator 🙂 … while on most boats of this size the generator runs 24 hours a day (pollution + noise pollution). It also imposes a cuisine based on fresh products and … no one will complain!
The team:
Themistocle, who carries now the whole business on his shoulders.
Capt. Themis
On our schooners from a young age, Themistocle was “sailor”, then “sailor-cook”, then 4 years skipper of the ANATOLIE, then on the SYROLANA (27 m) and finally on the KAPETAN KOSMAS.
KAPETAN KOSMAS and Captain Themis (on young age!)
Elina: she will answer all your requests.
Elina
A key element of the company: she takes care of bookings and logistics with efficiency and kindness.
In July and August, we leave the then very windy Cyclades, for the green islands of Sporades and Ionians …
The Cretan: Manolis
Captain Manolis combines kindness and experience for an authentic discovery of the Greek Islands.
Capt. Manolis
After 4 years at the helm of a special forces military embarkation, Manolis skippered a caique of excursions on the island of Crete for 6 years before joining us in 2016. He has been the captain of the Syrolana for several years.
The Syrolana in a confidential cove …
Originally a sailboat skipper, Ilias returned to the sailor’s hut before taking the helm of the Anatolie
Capt. Ilias
Ilias is great. He loves his job and always makes the best of it.
The ANATOLIE
Nikos is the captain of Kosma
Capt. Nikos
This former maritime authorities boat captain for urgent operations joined us this year.
The ANATOLIE
“The Father” : Alexander called “The Great … BEAR!”
Capt. Alex
Founder of the schooner cruise business, Alexandre is now retired.
You can invite him to drink an ouzo on board if you go to Syros
Origin of the family company :
Photo from 1982: Alexander on the family's first boat, the Cirolana, named after a marine isopod. A name chosen by lannis Matsakis, professor of Ecology at the University of Athens. His students then set up many environmental projects including the maritime reserve and seal protection of Alonissos. Our schooner Syrolana owes its name to its ancestor, but the spelling has given way to Syros, our base island.
Greek from the diaspora, the grandfather, Prof. Ioannis Th. Matsakis, received in 1977 an arrears of pay reserved for veterans decorated during the war, and decided to use it by building a 12-meter wooden caique, a “Trehandiri”, the event at the origin of the maritime orientation of the family.
The professional activity of gulet cruises in Greece, started by his son Alexander more than 20 years ago, is based on the island of Syros, in the center of the Cyclades. Today it is “the grandson” Themistocle, on the boats from an early age, who took over the family business.
Ioannis Matsakis, "the grandfather", took part in the battle of Crete and the cave from which he sent radio messages to the allies is known today as "the cave of the Radio", near Cape Sideris, in the East Crete. In this photo, taken just before his voluntary engagement, his mother Despina does not know if he will return ...
