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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
16 Jun 2025
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Details
Description
I need one non-smoking, addiction-free, fit, agile and healthy helper who is familiar with boats and knows how to sail. It would be even better if you were interested in writing, as I am a retired magazine publisher, and now a freelance writer and author of five books. I live on my 32-foot (10 m.) sailboat.
I need help with cleaning, polishing, sanding, painting, and varnishing. You should know how to use basic tools and be neat and tidy.
In exchange for three hours of volunteering per day, five days per week. I offer a berth on board. We can share the cost of the groceries.
This summer, we will anchor near a beach, or tie to a quay near a small, tourist town with cafes, bars, shops, and beaches. Athens is only a bus or a ferry ride away. Depending on my needs and your sailing skills we might also sail, however this is at my discretion.
Over the winter, the boat will be on a mooring or in a safe harbour near a small village and beaches.
Types of help and learning opportunities
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Sustainability
Self development
Culture
Writing
Photography
Music
Languages
Cooking & food
Books
Blogging
Yoga / Wellness
Sailing / Boating
Nature
Dancing
Beach
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will learn how to live on board a sailboat and improve your sailing skills if we sail. I can answer any of your questions about sailboat ownership and being a writer. You are welcome to bring a writing project with you. You will meet local people and international boating community and have the opportunity to practice Greek, Polish, and English. You will eat healthy food and get fit. You will have free time to explore Greek islands and the mainland by foot, bus, ferry, rental bike or e-bike (not included). Or you can row the dinghy around the anchorage or harbour. Sometimes we share a rental car and explore places not accessible by boat. In winter the boat will be in a dry dock or in a marina near a beach, and there will be opportunities to go hiking, cycling, and running.
Help
This workaway offer is for people who are fit and like helping outdoors, often in hot weather, doing energetic, physical tasks in a methodical manner. You will be climbing over the bow rail or up and down a ladder to get on and off the boat.
I prefer volunteers who have some appropriate prior knowledge and experience, are independent and can help without supervision. Tasks could include cleaning, polishing stainless steel and bronze, sanding, painting, and varnishing.
You need to be a morning person because a day onboard begins at dawn. Sometimes you will be helping before breakfast or after sunset when it's cooler.This way, you can be done before the heat of the day and have the rest of the day free.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Polish: Fluent
Greek: Intermediate
French: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
Workawayers get a berth on the boat, shared accommodation. You should be less than 5'10" (170 cm.) tall and less than 160 lb. (70 kg.) to fit in the bunk. Bring only carry on luggage in a soft-sided bag or a small backpack (< 30 l.).
It helps if you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables as it is often quite hot in mid-summer to cook on board, but we will cook meat and fish as well especially in the cooler months and there is a bbq as well. Volunteers are expected to help with grocery shopping, food preparation, and clean-up which is part of shared living and not part of your workaway duties. Once a week we do an overall clean up and you will be responsible for cleaning the heads (the bathroom), the galley (the kitchen) or the main cabin.
There is usually a laundry close by in town or we use a bucket for washing small items. Showers are on land in the boat yard, marinas, beaches, or in restaurants/hotels for about €3-4 Euros, and we have an outdoor solar shower on board. Smoking is not permitted onboard and alcohol in moderation. Drugs are forbidden. There is Wi-Fi and plugs for charging batteries in most of the cafes onshore and a 12 volt, cigarette lighter type of plug powered by a solar panel on the boat for a USB plug. I also have a large capacity battery pack. In summer, I prefer to anchor out, but sometimes we might also tie up in a village harbour. You will have access to a dinghy to row to shore and a folding bicycle.
From November to April, the boat may be in a boat yard and you will be climbing a ladder to get off and on. Showers and toilets are in a separate building in the yard.
What else ...
Please come with shoes, clothes and a hat suitable for helping in the sun that you don't mind getting dust or paint on. In July and August, the temperature often reaches 35 - 40 degrees Celsius! If you are worried by insects, bring some non-aerosol insect repellent or a mosquito net. Also, sunblock and sea sickness medication if you get seasick. You will need to show that you have your own health and accident insurance. I expect everyone who stays on the boat to keep their and common areas tidy and clean. There is a 50 Euro security/damage/cleaning deposit.
I will help you with travel planning to get here once we connect. Athens is the most convenient airport and then you would be taking the train, a bus, or a ferry to get here.
*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️Please come only with a soft-sided carry-on bag as there is no room for big packs or suitcases.*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️️
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
I have limited amount of electricity and Internet available on board, so you would need to connect on shore in a cafe, or have a battery bank and independent Internet connection, but you would have time for your work. I often spend my mornings writing or working online and I could be available to help you with you own writing project as well.
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Feedback (10)
After the launch,… read more
Barbara is a great host and a lovely person. She is a wealth of knowledge, I’ve learnt so much from her and not just about sailing but life, food and experience. She is fair, generous and kind. Her… read more
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After the launch,… read more
Barbara is a great host and a lovely person. She is a wealth of knowledge, I’ve learnt so much from her and not just about sailing but life, food and experience. She is fair, generous and kind. Her… read more
In between working, we did some sailing and even a bit of swimming although the weather really… read more
About the work, I did some cleaning in and out the boat, sanded some parts of the deck, some grosseries,… read more
Barbara knows the local area well and is interesting… read more
