The Spirit of Iryna & Denis: Life at Sea

Denis and Iryna on their boat

As we sat anchored in the bay in Grand Canaria, we admired a two masted wooden boat just behind. “What a beauty” , we both murmured, knowing full well how much work is involved with a boat with lots of wood, (remembering our first boat, Aereperennius)

When we got to land to check in to the marina the next day, Denis introduced himself. “I’m your neighbor in the bay”. It was the owner of Iryna, that gorgeous boat. After a chat, we found out that he and his wife had been living on their boat for a dozen years, and that Denis does boat and sail repairs.  The next day we decided to contact Denis to modify our storm sail which had been cut wrong. When we asked where the work would be done, he answered, “On the dock, and I will sew it by hand. Since the job will take a few days I will charge by the day, not the hour”. Deal made, and the work began. After three days together, we got to know Denis and Iryna, and I decided to interview them.  

Iryna during the interview on Bluesiana

S: Hello! Can you introduce yourselves?
Iryna: Hello, my name is Iryna. We are two crew on our gaff schooner. We are from Ukraine, from the Black Sea. My husband’s name is Denis. I am 42, and my husband is 45.

S: Tell me where you are from and how you met each other

Iryna: We were born in Odessa, in the south of Ukraine. We also grew up there. We met each other in the local yacht club 24 years ago.

What is your education?

Iryna: I went to a French school. Then I graduated from university as a linguist of the Russian language. Denis is an engineer.

S: What first attracted you to boating?
Iryna: When I first came to the yacht club, I was so surprised and excited to see many boats. I remember the atmosphere, the sails, and people going to Turkey and Bulgaria and coming back to Odessa. I understood then that I wanted the same life. We didn’t have sailors in our family.

Denis: It was just after the Soviet Union fell apart. Boats were not private—they belonged to universities, factories, or sailors. They were being sold, and young people were invited to learn. You could join any crew and become part of a boat.

S: Denis built your schooner. How long did it take?
Denis: Two summers, but in total about two years.

the plan

launching day for Iryna

Iryna: Over four years, Denis built three boats,

Denis: Two to sell to finance the project, and then our schooner made of wood, plywood, and fiberglass. And the name is Iryna!

S: How old were you when you decided to live on the boat full-time?
Iryna: I was about 30 when we sold our flat and moved onto the boat full-time.

S: What spurred you to do it?
Iryna: The idea of freedom. We felt we were not free where we were.

S: Was the decision impulsive or planned?
Iryna: It was planned. I had been dreaming about it since childhood.

Iryna at sail

S: What does a typical day look like for you?
Iryna: Everyone has a routine, even on a boat. It’s just a different kind of routine. For me, rowing one mile is normal, but for others it can be difficult.

S: How do you manage daily life—shopping, washing?
Iryna: We do laundry once a week and shop every two or three days. We don’t have a fridge, so I prefer to buy, cook, and eat on the same day.

Our crew gave Denis a hand

S: How do you earn money?
Iryna: It depends. In Greece I worked in a café. Denis works in boatyards repairing boats or hand-sewing sails, like he did for your boat!

This is what hand sewing a heavy sail looks like:

Denis: Sometimes I play music in local pubs, too.

Iryna: We also published three books—Denis wrote two technical books about boat construction and my non-fiction book about our life, philosophy, and story, currently only in Russian.

S: How do you manage living in a small space together?
Iryna: We don’t have problems with that. A small boat still gives freedom because you can move anywhere. For me, it feels freer than living in a small apartment in a big city.

S: What has this life taught you about yourself?
Denis: It is a demanding life. You must be healthy, clever, and flexible. You need to communicate a lot. It’s like the yoga lifestyle—you constantly work on yourself.

S: What do your family and friends think?
Iryna: My parents do not support it. My mother says, “Forget the boat, be normal.” But I don’t want a normal life—I want to follow my dreams. Denis’s family supports us because they come from a sailing background.

S: How many languages do you speak?
Iryna: I speak Russian, Ukrainian, and French fluently. I also understand English, Greek, Portuguese, and Spanish.

S: Why do you love languages?
Iryna: It’s my passion. I’m a linguist and I love understanding people and cultures. It fits in so well with our lifestyle.

S: Tell me about your writing.
Iryna: It took about two years. It is a true novel about our boating life. At first, I didn’t believe I could do it, but as Denis had already written two books, he encouraged me: “Write more.” My first writing experience was a small article about Mallorca. It gave me confidence.  Now I’m working on my second book which is a continuation of the first one.

S: What skills have you developed?
Iryna: I became stronger and healthier than before. I had a serious back injury 12 years ago and couldn’t walk for half a year. Now rowing has made my back stronger than ever.

S: What was your scariest moment at sea?
Iryna: Sailing in 50 knots in the Alboran Sea for about 100 miles. We were afraid of losing the mast. After that storm, we stayed in Melilla for six months to repair everything.

S: Would you ever return to living on land?
Iryna: No, never. We can’t even sleep on land. In a house, we just lie and look at the ceiling. We always want to return to the boat.

S: Isn’t it hard to develop long lasting friendships with this lifestyle?

Bluesiana crew with our new friends

Iryna and Denis: There are always new places, new ports, new connections, our friend group just gets bigger and bigger, and we meet up with friends even years later. That’s how it is at sea.

S: Where will you be in five years?
Iryna: Maybe the Caribbean. But we don’t make plans. If we decide to cross oceans, we go.

S: What is the hardest truth about this lifestyle?
Iryna: Social media shows only beautiful moments, but real life has the same problems everywhere—politics, society and daily struggles. You never see this side of life online.

S: Do you feel rich or poor?
Iryna: Sometimes we work for a few months and then can live even a full year without working. We stay at anchor and don’t pay electricity. So yes, we are rich because we are free from constant work.

S: Why live without many comforts?
Iryna: It is our choice. Fewer things mean fewer problems. If something breaks, we repair it. If you don’t have it, you are free.

S: What advice would you give to someone dreaming of this life?
Iryna: Start with a small boat and learn how to survive and repair it. Don’t begin with something big and expensive. But most importantly—do it. Don’t wait.

Folks, I can only mirror their feelings. Time is one thing that is finite. We need to use it wisely and not miss any opportunity. The spirit of adventure is in all of us if we dig deep.

Where to find Denis and Iryna:

www.ddg-yacht.com for boat projects, repairs, and a history of the company

facebook page

youtube links