Meet NauticEd Instructor Mike Soutos
“Passing on the knowledge is a duty – and a great fulfillment.”
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
Born by the sea, grew up swimming, fishing and playing around the waters of northern Aegean. Stepped on my first windsurf board when I was 12, when I truly faced, appreciated and eventually respected the power of the wind.
Having studied Civil Engineering in the UK and after another 15 years of working in corporate environments in England and Greece, I decided I do not want the sailboat project to be my retirement plan any more. Life only happens once! Quit the engineering job, found some funding, bought my beautiful Oasis, a Beneteau Oceanis 43. That’s it! Vacation is my occupation since then, skippering full time this and other boats in the Beautiful Waters of the Ionian Islands, Greece!
Favorite Type of Boating?
Sailing.
What’s your “style” of boating?
Cruiser (chill).
Favorite “type” of boating?
Coastal/Excursions.
What got you into Boating?
The love for freedom and nature!
What does boating do (or has done) for you?
Changed my life!
Most memorable boating experience?
That first charter after I quit my engineering job… I remember jumping in the water to untie a long line and not believing that this was actually my job now! And that sense of satisfaction, getting to see these people’s souls ready to burst from happiness and fulfillment at the end of a great sailing adventure! I will never forget that.
What are a couple of your favorite boating spots?
- Kastos, Ionian Islands, GR
- Ithaca, Ionian Islands, GR
- Paxos, Ionian Islands, GR
They all just have a very special energy to me.
What’s your favorite part about teaching boating students?
Passing on the knowledge is a duty of every man, and a great fulfillment too. I managed it through sailing.
What advice would you give a new student about boating? An experienced boater?
To a beginner: First put the oars on, then start the outboard. :-)
To an experienced: Be humble
What is a random fact about yourself?
I eat feta with everything apart from my coffee.
What’s on your boating ‘bucket list’?
- Greece to Italy passage
- Seychelles
- St Vincent – Grenadines
Author
NauticEd is a fully recognized education and certification platform for sailing students combining online and on-the-water real instruction (and now VR). NauticEd offers +24 online courses, a free sailor's toolkit that includes 2 free courses, and six ranks of certification – all integrated into NauticEd’s proprietary platform. The USCG and NASBLA recognize NauticEd as having met the established American National Standards. Learn more at www.nauticed.org.
The NauticEd Vacations team are Expert Global Yacht Charter Agents – when you book a sailing vacation or bareboat charter through NauticEd, we don’t charge you a fee – we often save you money since we can compare prices from all yacht charter companies. PLUS, we can give you advice on which destination or charter company will suit your needs best. Inquire about a Sailing Vacation or Charter.
