Join our vessel and be part of the world-changing project in Cote d’Azur, France

Details

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  Description

  My name is Christophe, I am from Paris but lived ten years in Australia and New Zealand - Sydney is my other home now. I am a photographer and now I am helping the Gaïarta association to transform a classic sailing boat into an ambassador of hope and change. This has been my lifelong dream, to create a vessel of environmental awareness, communication, collaboration and art:. This is a community project that work with all our diverse skills and multicultural visions, I think there is a lot for you to get out of being involved too.
  
  This has been a lifelong dream of mine - I am so privileged and thrilled to be able to make this dream into reality. Of course, to attempt to realise your dreams can also be frightening. We have work with peoples from all over the world to save of the boat, it has been a huge challenge, with much more work being needed on the boat than expected. But it is a complete labour of love. And the future for the project is limitless.
  
  I try and do things with care, with the mindset of quality – taking the time to do something right the first time – and mindfulness ,which is an aspect of what the entire project seeks to represent and share with the world. Not only sustainability, but the power for our actions to be regenerative to this planet.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  I have had my boat for almost 9 years now, although I first laid eyes on her 24 years ago, and have worked countless hours cleaning, clearing and repairing this marvelous yet tragically neglected vessel. My brother and some friends from Australia have come at various times to help and stayed on board for days or weeks at a time.
  
  By day we would work hard yet relaxedly, in the winter sun of the Cote d’Azur (the French Riviera). It is a pleasantly warm 15 degrees C by day and drops down to 8 C or so by night.
  In fact my Australian friend managed to work topless scrubbing the boat for days – covering himself in flecks of paint and then cooking us a beautiful lunch each day.
  
  In the evenings we might enjoy a meal in the galley together, drink wine, play guitar and sing, or watch a film. Perhaps we would go explore a nearby medieval castle Eze and feel like time-travellers in the silence of the night, or we would go to Nice and learn Brazilian drumming or visit a bar.
  
  We have so many nationalities, and the exploration of Biomimicry makes for countless cultural co-learning and exploration. This is really so amazing to learn from each other; hopefully, soon from you too ! :-)
  We speak French, English, and Spanish. Happy to have language days, where we choose one language and really help each other to progress in an open, fun way !
  
  This project exists and has evolved, being enriched so much thanks to all the volunteers who came and brought their vibrant hearts, talents, and presence with all their colors of life ! This is what keeps me going, and i am so thankful for it !-)

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  Help

  At this stage of the project, Ideally a volunteer/ crewmate would connect with themselves and with the world through a mixture of physical tasks that life on board require and mostly research into areas of your passion, like creative expression, ideas for projects, biomimicry, and sharing this with the public who come and meet our team as well as non for profit even where we present our associative tasks.
  
  Really it is quite endless the amount of helping and love that is needed right now.
  
  As well as this we want you to feel part of the project and explore it’s potential and your interests creatively… In the long term, to be a crew member would be more like:
  
  -Inputing your ideas into a fledgling project of global scope and vast potential.
  -Learning (and doing) together about boat sustainable new ways of regenerative innovation.
  -Hands-on tasks mixed with research, creativity and proactive motion (ideally you can take on a sub-project with passion and dedication, drawing on your experiences and dreams)
  -Sharing with the public the tasks we do and help reconnecting to nature thought our daily summer immersion at sea.
  -Sailing the world !
  
  We are now also having peoples from the public to stay with us on board in summer time to learn about the path we are exploring and we organise as well to explore the beautiful national park near by, to support reconnection to the natural world.
  
  To suit your needs you can do a mixture of physical tasks and other, such as research for biomimicry solutions, helping on crowdfunding campaigns and most importantly incorporating your interests. In this crucial time definitely a lot of help is needed. But it’s fun and rewarding.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  French: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  Languages are incredible as they are like different aspects of our personalities, different angles to see and experience our world. So interested in learning from each other ! This is essential in the project: how to embrace global change for good through a wider understanding of our world and a desire to embark on this deeply essential journey !
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  Accommodation

  Volunteers will have their own cabin on board with wardrobe and drawers for your things. There is a lamp to read by and a hatch in the roof letting in light from the sky and the stars. (If there are more than one volunteer at a time, we can renovate another cabin quickly however if not you can either share this cabin, or there is a mattress to sleep in the main room.)
  
  There is bedding and towels for you. The boat will be your home and your space. There is a comfortable kitchen with a single (and powerful – be warned) electric stove, running water, a big fridge, delicious French food and perhaps a beer or wine shared at the end of a hard days work and with our meal together.
  
  Whilst we are harboured at Villefranche-sur-Mer (an historic and gorgeous town on the French Riviera, a short drive or train journey from Nice) we have access to very nice hot shower and toilet facilities care of the harbour. They are a short walk from the boat.

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  What else ...

  The marina where the boat is harboured is Villefranche-sur-mer, 10 km east along the coast from Nice. It is one of the most beautiful harbours in the Mediterranean, located in a natural bay that has protected ships and absorbed cultures, history and battles for thousands of years. Inland are mountains, and wonderful nature, the coast is incredible, the possibilities for recreation after work are really diverse and exciting.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Our dear boat is moored in the port in front of the beach and their is a large space for cars in front of the boat :-)

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

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