Retire Early Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this financially independent lifestyle, they invite you to take advantage of their wisdom and experience.

Sailing through the Historical Harbor of Brindisi, Italy

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli

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Billy loves the sea, and here we are in the Historic Seaport town of Brindisi, Italy. So what does he do? He charters a private boat to go out sailing.

For $300Euros, we are able to have a sailboat for 3-4 hours through the harbor and beyond.

WooHOO!

Armando the Captain

Initially, when we showed up this sunshiny morning, we thought that Armando pictured here was the owner of the boat.

Billy had only spoken on the phone or communicated via WhatsApp with Luigi to plan this excursion and when Armando arrived, we made the assumption that he was Luigi.

The dead giveaway was that Armando didn't really speak that much English, and Luigi did, so we were somewhat confused.

No matter... We checked to be sure the name of the boat was the same - Dragut - and it was.

One out of two wasn't bad.

45 foot sailboat Dragut

Luigi did turn up to see us off on our sail and that clarified things for us.

He mentioned that the name of his boat was after the legendary pirate and Ottoman naval commander, Dragut.

Turgut Reis, his real name, was a military genius.

Dragut - a practicing Muslim - was able to expand the Ottoman Empire's reach across North Africa, and raided numerous Christian shipping and coastal towns thereby amassing wealth.

Some consider him the "greatest pirate warrior of all time."

This multifaceted man was also a skilled politician and oversaw the construction of docks, fortresses and public buildings in the territories under his command.

In the Ottoman world, he is considered to be a hero, but he's a pirate from the point of view of Christian Europe.

One thing for sure, he was brilliant.

Akaisha and Luigi having a laugh

As I mentioned, Luigi showed up with his easy-going air and ability to laugh and joke.

Once he learned I was Italian, well, we hit it off very well.

Mama mia!!

We are still docked at the port and behind us you can see the palm-lined promenade made for easy walking.

Below deck on the Dragut

When someone says "It's in shipshape", this is what they mean. Tidy, clean and in good condition, just as you see here.

There's a place for everything and everything is in its place.

There are the control panels and desk on the right and the seats and dining table in the center.

One of the bedrooms is to the left.

The galley

Looking from the other direction, you see the galley. There's a gas stove, oven, sink and drawers of kitchenware and table settings.

Luigi owns a couple of boats. This yacht plus another larger one can be chartered to go to Greece if that is of interest to you.

The idea of sailing to Greece was very attractive to Billy.

Historic buildings as seen from the yacht

The cream colored building on the right with the black shutters is the Palazzo Montenegro.

It was a 16th century palace and shows as a prime example the Baroque architecture in Brindisi.

The harbor from a distance

This harbor was significant to the Roman Empire, and the military genius Dragut wanted Brindisi for the Ottoman Empire.

Further outside is the Alphonso Castle. Built in the 15th century, this castle defended Brindisi from Dragut during the Ottoman wars.

In World War II this cove also played a crucial role in defending Italy.

Deep water harbors are coveted for military installation and the wealth that international trade of goods brings.

Grimaldi Lines cruise ship

These days, cruise lines make their business from travelers wanting to go to Sicily, Spain, Greece, Sardinia and Tunisia.

This cruise line is the Grimaldi Group, owned by the Grimaldi family. This shipping company is based in Naples, Italy and was founded in 1947.

Captain Billy

Billy is in his wheelhouse.

He would have loved to have had a life at sea.

First mate

This man was the first mate and helped Armando change the sails and rigging as needed.

Fortunately for us, he spoke fairly good English, and told us stories along the way.

We were hoping for some stronger winds, but they were light that day.

A bit of a disappointment.

Maritime Memorial for Sailors

This Maritime Memorial is a 54-meter tall monument honoring fallen Italian Sailors.

It was built almost 100 years ago and is in the shape of a rudder celebrating the city's maritime history. The names of the fallen soldiers are engraved on the walls of the memorial chapel which is located at its base. This same chapel also houses the bell from the battleship Benedetto Brin, which sank in Brindisi harbor in 1915.

Funded by public donations, the construction took approximately 10 years.

A marble statue of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, is at the top of the monument.

The Palm-lined walkway of Brindisi Harbor

While we did not get the adrenaline-style of sailing we were looking for, the day was beautiful and we enjoyed the vistas of this amazing Historical Harbor.

Would we recommend chartering a boat out of Brindisi Harbor?

Absolutely!

Contact info:

Luigi Cuppone

+39 348 383 7907

Retire Early Lifestyle appeals to a different kind of person – the person who prizes their independence, values their time, and who doesn’t want to mindlessly follow the crowd.

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