What did I learn during my sabbatical?

This year I celebrated a big birthday, and in addition, our firm recently had its ten-year anniversary, so it occurred to me that it is time to realize a long-time dream: going for a two-month sailing sabbatical. The idea was to sail the Greek islands, maybe an island per day, and to have friends and family join us for a week or so. The longest vacation I had ever taken in my life has been two weeks, so pushing it to 8 weeks or 60 days felt like uncharted ground.

In many ways it turned out as the realization of a childhood dream, and in many ways, it triggered some unexpected learnings that I wanted to share with you.

The benefits of disconnecting

The weeks prior to the sabbatical were very busy, but the day we landed in Greece marked a radical disconnection: no more business meetings or calls, no work appointments, no deadlines and no deliverables for two months.

The attention moved to wind and weather conditions for our sailing day, which island to go to next, where to stop for a lunch break, where to find shelter for the night, where to fill up the water tanks and where to go and what to have for dinner. The other area of focus was on the crew: how are they doing, what are their needs, their ability to contribute to the sailing, mooring, or stocking up on groceries.

In that sense, my mind was not idle, but focused on very different questions and issues and completely disconnected from the typical business routine during the year.
It allowed a different sense of time and a strong presence in the moment.

The power of nature

Wind, weather, waves, and the topography of the Aegean islands determined our days and weeks.

Winds we had loads of. Whenever the famous Meltemi blows (these can be winds of up to 40 knots for a couple of days) you don’t want to be out, or if you have to, you want to go downwind with small sails.

Nature humbles us as it teaches us our limitations. But it also surprises us with dramatic sights, and magical experiences. Nature rewards courage, when you put yourself out there and learn to move; you experience your limits but also sharpen your skills and broaden your senses. 

As Terence McKenna put it: 

‘Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up.’

These 60 days we lived in and with nature. I usually got up around sunrise and often went to sleep relatively early. During our stay the water temperature rose from 17 to 24 degrees; which obviously impacted our swimming routines. The wind varied between no winds (2 days) to very strong winds (above 30 knots, about 10 days) mostly from northerly directions which determined our next destinations. Every day was different and the masterplan was adjusted accordingly. Some islands stayed out of reach while other unexpected islands or sights showed up and surprised us, ex. the schools of dolphins, sea turtles, the full moon rise, the turquoise waters of a hidden bay or the jumping swordfish.

It was also fascinating to observe how nature did its magic on the friends and family crews who joined us for about a week at a time. Whenever we had a crew change it usually started with a day of strong winds and some serious sailing. The newcomers were left somewhere between awe and respect, a sense of vulnerability and adventure that greatly supported the bonding of the crew.

The (ancestral) experience of one team/crew

During a typical birthday party, even one that spreads over a weekend, I felt that there would only be limited time to really interact and connect with the guests that come from far to celebrate together. Hence, the idea of inviting friends and family for a week or so, would offer the opportunity for closer relationship, exchange and connection. The boat is called C-Ya, and it became a ‘see you’ and gathering place for 8 weeks.

During these weeks I was reminded of our ancestors who lived as hunters and gatherers. They lived in small teams, shared a space, were usually on the move and complemented each other with different skills and roles.

A sailing crew is not so different: we are on a journey, moving every day. Our movement is conditioned by nature, where the winds take us; we need to work together and distribute different roles according to skills and experience. And in the evening, we sit together, eat, talk, play, sing and dance.

Our yacht was the crew’s home for a week. And while the yacht design with 10 berths is relatively generous it is still a limited space and serves as a body of resonance. No real place to hide.

The exposure to nature, the limitations on the yacht and the closeness with other crew members create intimacy and strong bonding during the journey.

The beauty of a simple life

As we sailed through the Aegean islands, deeply immersed in nature we also experienced how our set of needs changed compared to the lives in the big city.

First priority was to find the shelter of a safe mooring spot for the night. This is a rather basic need, at the basis of the Maslow pyramid. And we found the most amazing bays, fjords, nice little fishermen’s villages as well as more touristy places with night life. Food was never really an issue, since pretty much every anchor bay in Greece comes with a taverna. We never got tired of Greek salad, fresh fish and rose wine.

Drinks were also always assured as several crews put special emphasis in a fully stocked bar and wine ‘cellar’. One crew opened the bar as soon as the sails were set.

Water is a scarce resource on a boat. The boat comes with a 300l tank of fresh water, and filling up the tank requires a stop in a port. Therefore, I ask all crews to be very mindful with the use of water; the working water pump can also be heard on the boat, so excessive use of water is strongly discouraged. And the crews diligently follow the guidance.

Being thrown back to the basics of the Maslow pyramid comes with many expected and unexpected reactions:

• Many friends felt that one can survive without the long daily shower, and that a short fresh water shower on the bathing platform after the swim in the sea can feel like real luxury.
• Some less experienced sailors contributed their skill of cleaning the dishes in a bucket with salt water and have them dried on the bathing platform
• A friend who had initially requested to stay a couple of nights in a real bed of an island hotel ended up falling in love with her cozy cabin and enjoyed every single night on C-Ya
• Another friend with some recent claustrophobic experience triggered by an earthquake found some liberation in the wide bays under the moon and stars
• A friend who had grown up in East Germany fully savored the freedom of exploring bays and islands without having to ask for anybody’s permission
• A day or two without internet connection eases the mind and allows for connection with nature, with friends and oneself
• We all used a lot less clothes than we had planned for

• And how did the couple work out?
  Carolina had been on our annual sailing trips for the last 20 years; and yet it is fair to say that the 8 weeks sailing experience was not exactly her wish. She knew that it was a childhood dream of mine and her joining was a loving birthday gift.
  We grew as a team and increasingly relied on our complementary skills. She became a knowledgeable anchor woman, and her self-made anchor release line set new standards. She is also the handywoman on board, and you should have seen her bonding with the old men running the islands’ hardware stores.
  The deep immersion into nature and its healing effect on humans is something we both cherish and share. We are looking for the raw, the real experience, without the packaging.

  What makes a good sailor?

  Since at sum people we help leadership teams become high performing teams I am obviously tempted to spell out some learnings that link the sailing and leadership. Here is an attempt of some building blocks of a good sailor:

• Be in the moment and have a plan: sailing requires strong presence in the moment, depending on the wind and weather conditions; but you also need to anticipate and have a flexible masterplan using weather windows and patterns.
• Embrace nature and become part of it rather than looking at it as something alien
• Use the winds of life rather than fighting them. Bertrand Piccard, the explorer who flew a balloon around the world, tells the story that there are winds in pretty much all directions and different altitude levels. You need to get to the right flight level to get to where you want to get; but this requires to let go of unnecessary weight.
• Embrace digital technology: the Windy and Boating apps were our daily companions; we also used the Anchor app which sends you an alarm if the boat moves outside a predefined area.
• Check your anchor: when you’re exposed to strong winds and your only safety is your anchor you want to make sure that it holds including in changing wind conditions. In real life this is the question about groundedness.
• Work as a team: I highly respect single hand sailors; and yet I strongly believe in sailing as a team activity. Complementary skills are needed and you can easily see the difference between an average or a high performing team
• Clear communication, often with signs, as you might not be able to hear each other in strong winds.
• Be resourceful: a lot needs fixing on the boat. Carolina could show her handywoman skills on a daily basis.
• Ask for help: we learn by doing, and yet getting help from more experienced sailors is valuable
• Nothing too much (this was the inscription of Delphi’s Apollo temple): in particular during strong winds sailing with reefs makes a huge difference. Take the reefs early, before it is too late.
• Never get too comfortable: never get overly confident; a new challenge will be around the corner
• Make it look good: tidy up the boat, in particular the lines. The tidiness assures functionality when you really need it.

The Greek Islands

Over the 60 days we landed on 60 islands. Each one is different with its special touch, history and experience. All have in common great hospitality and good local food. Many friends have asked us for our favorite islands and requested hints for their own planning. While I am struggling to come up with a hitlist, mainly because every single experience was not only marked by the beauty of the place and the friendliness of its people but also the state (and winds) we arrived in. A calm bay with some simple Greek salad and fresh fish felt like paradise after a day in strong winds and waves.

And yet, here are some islands that we really enjoyed and that you might like if you go by:

• In Dodekanes: Symi, Nysiros, Kalymnos
• In Cyclades: Antiparos, Koufonisia, Serifos, Delos
• In Sporades: Alonnisos, Skyros, Skopelos

How did it go back home without me being around?

After the first couple of days back at home and at work I start to appreciate how well things went while we were gone. Our sum partners did great work for our clients and also stepped up in the development of the firm. The back office was smoothly steering requests and deadlines to either the sum partners or the time after my arrival.

It is very encouraging to see how performing teams fill the gaps; and that one should not take oneself too seriously.

Some facts related to our journey
We were sailing on a Hanse 458, built in July 2021; a new boat, and yet the winter at the Lavrion base had made some of the lines rather stiff and it took some time to get them running again.

We had chartered with Istion Yachts in Athens; their slogan is ‘beautiful yachts, beautiful people’ and we can confirm that they live their purpose. The Istion teams at the different bases were all very knowledgeable, skillful and proactive in helping and serving us. During the 8 weeks we had a couple of maintenance topics (ex. anchors) that got all solved very professionally. I salute the base teams for the ability to deal with at times rather challenging situations, the strong winds, the limited infrastructure in the ports and the special requests from crews.

We had 28 friends and family visiting us, from Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, USA and Greece.

We visited 60 islands and travelled a total of 1360 nautical miles, which equates 2520km. That is the roughly the road distance between Hamburg and Athens.

While most of the distance was done sailing, we still had about 150h on Diesel engine, and we used about 500l of Diesel during the 8 weeks. The engine is also needed regularly to charge the boat batteries. We hope that in the future sailing yachts will be equipped with electric engines and batteries.

Let me close with a couple of questions for you:

• Are you offering the opportunity for sabbaticals in your company?
• Are you ready for a sabbatical? What would be your sabbatical project? A childhood dream?
• How would your team respond to your absence?
• What stands in the way for you to offer yourself a sabbatical gift? Can you remove those obstacles?
• How connected do you feel to nature?
• Why wait?

Cheers,
Ekki