Meet Eva and Pietro, the dynamic duo behind Eco-Sailing, offering Vegan sailing holidays in the picturesque Aeolian Islands, aboard their stunning sailing boat Luna. With a steadfast commitment to sustainable travel and plant-based nutrition, they provide the ideal balance for explorers eager to wander without sacrificing their ethical principles. Aboard SY Luna, every meal is a celebration of conscious living and every destination is a testament to the beauty of sustainable exploration.
"Our hope is to inspire the open-minded that plant-based doesn’t need to be complicated to be tasty and that you can still enjoy the local food delicacies in a vegan way without missing out on your travel and sailing experience".
They first met volunteering on an ocean conservation ship and from then on they started to work together on several sailing catamarans for owners and private charters. Their adventures took them across the Caribbean, South of France, Corsica and Sicily. Pietro boasts over a decade of skippering experience, while Eva's passion for sea life was ignited during her time on the conservation vessel.
Whilst they were both vegetarians, they did come across challenges working on "non-veggie" boats. They eventually switched to a vegan lifestyle for ethical and health reasons. Mastering vegan cooking proved to be a learning curve, but it opened up a world of possibilities they hadn't imagined.
Recognizing the unique challenges of sailing as vegans, they dreamed of owning their own vessel. Enter Luna, a breathtaking wooden ketch built in 1977, now the heart of their business, 'Eco Sailors.' In 2024, they officially launched, offering all-inclusive sailing holidays with delectable vegan cuisine onboard in the stunning Aeolian Islands.
At Small Vegan Kitchen we love this concept. We are all about adventure, delicious plant-based meals and minimising our carbon footprint, so it was a pleasure to find out more about this amazing couple and their mission to offer eco-sailing holidays with a vegan menu!
Let´s find out about their galley!
1. Describe your galley
Our galley is located in midship on the Portside. It used to be more to the stern but in 2022 - 2023 we made a complete refit and changed it. It used to be very small and uncomfortable, she is an older boat from 1977 so she was in need of an update!
We designed it looking at other boats which were the same (eg, Beaufort 16) to get some ideas. Where the galley is now, there used to be a couch and a huge storage area behind. Now she has a LOT of cupboard space and we made sliding drawers under the galley which have been a game-changer. We no longer spend our time on our knees with our heads in the cupboard looking for that pot or pan that got lost somewhere in the back.
It’s an L-shaped galley with the stove in the middle right under the hatch, which serves as an extractor fan! We also added a saltwater tap which we didn’t have before. It makes a big difference and helps save water which is great.
SY Luna´s new galley refit.
2. What one thing would you change about your galley if you could?
For the moment, nothing! We are happy we took our time to redesign the galley and we feel we have come up with a great solution that works well for us.
3. What are your three favourite ingredients?
Oh gosh, that’s a difficult one. We cook with seasonal fruit and vegetables and try to buy as much local produce as possible, so it really depends on where we are and at which moment of the year. At the moment, we are in Sicily, so I’ll base it on here.
Eggplant
Lentils
Cashews
4. Have you ever provisioned for a long passage? What did you learn? Would you do anything differently?
We learned to write the first letter on the canned food, so you can easily take what you need without moving too much stuff.
We also prepared some easy-to-prepare meals (like lentil soup or curry) that we stored in Tupperware containers in the fridge, so when the weather conditions are challenging, you don’t need to worry about cooking for the first week at least.
We always keep dried fruit and nuts and our favourite snacks at hand especially during the night watches, so you don’t need to go looking for snacks in the dark. We keep a snack-pack in the cockpit.
5. What equipment can you not live without?
A good wok pan and a good knife! We have the whetstone to keep our knives sharp onboard.
6. Where has been the most difficult place for you to provision?
The Caribbean, as the choice of vegetables is not always so varied and tasty as in Europe.
7. What is your most loved recipe that you love to cook onboard?
This is another difficult question. I guess a Parmigiana, it’s an eggplant dish, with tomato sauce and Parmigiano cheese. We actually make our own vegan version which is delicious!
SY Luna full sails up and sailing off on an adventure
If you would like to know more about Eva and Pietro and follow their adventures you can find them here :
Website : www.ecosailing.it
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