Sailing El Burro: Sailing in Greece
Community
Feb 20, 2026
If You Want Something in Life, Reach Out and Grab It
Meet Julie. Together with her husband Greg and their two cats, she’s currently sailing the Mediterranean. Right now, they’re spending the winter in Greece, on the island of Kefalonia, moored in an unmanaged marina and surrounded by a small community of fellow sailors they now call friends.
From Land to Sea: How They Began Their Sailing Journey
Julie knew absolutely nothing about sailing when she met Greg twelve years ago. He already owned a small sailboat and was part of a regatta team, so he’s the one who introduced her to sailing.
Even back then, Greg often talked about his dream of living on a boat full-time. Over time, that dream slowly became theirs. They bought a Dufour 1800 together, and later stumbled upon their current boat, a Swift 33.
They always had this strong urge for more freedom… to step away from what society expects of you. They wanted a challenge, something completely outside their comfort zone.
So they quit their corporate jobs, left their hometown in Belgium behind, moved aboard, and sailed down the French canals to the Mediterranean.
The Best Parts About Sailing
Seeing dolphins for the first time next to their boat was a “this is it” moment. But it’s really the small moments that make sailing magical: doing a night passage under thousands of stars, clearly seeing the Milky Way without any light pollution… waking up with the first light of day on the open sea… watching the sun reflect off the water and dance across the ceiling inside the boat.
Those are moments you simply don’t experience on land.
One big lesson? That you’re far more capable than you ever believe. Julie used to plan everything and constantly worry about the future and sometimes she still does, but sailing teaches you to let go and live in the moment. It’s shown her how important it is to be present and to trust yourself.
What’s one piece of advice?
A quote from their favourite movie, Into the Wild: if you want something in life, reach out and grab it. Don’t let others influence your dreams. Live the life that feels right for you. Do what you want to do, be who you want to be, and enjoy it.
