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Volunteer Work Exchanges On Boats And Yachts
From the traditional boat designs of Turkish gulets and Malay sailing boats to Dutch barges, work exchange websites provide some great opportunities for messing about on the water – once you’ve got everything shipshape that is.
A word of warning: while the idea of working on a boat sounds appealing most skippers will expect a lot of hard work. Though no stranger to graft, having worked in a Malaysian paddy field, blogger Sally Thelen’s stories of life on a Malaysian sail boat, from the endless sanding and varnishing to jumping ship, are well worth a read (via Wayback Machine).
Help us in the fight against marine pollution while travelling along the beautiful west coast of Norway
Join up with this NGO and you will be travelling along the deep fjords and high mountains of the Norwegian coastline tackling marine pollution. Beach cleaning and helping with the logistics of their pop up classroom used to educate local school children are the main tasks here. Their coming season is almost booked but apply anyway to join their waiting list for other dates. Or stay with Elena and Frode. They go out to sea in their own boat in most weather from a lighthouse located on a small island in the arctic part of Norway.
Visit our family in a stunning location in Toftir, Faroe Islands
Sailing and the water are important to this family of five, who will assign tasks around the house and garden to volunteers depending on their skill set. Volunteers here should be aged 25+, able to drive a car and willing to stay for at least three weeks. They love having digital nomads stay.
Experience life on a barge or boat in Netherlands, travelling around France
Europe’s inland waterways are your playground here, on a Dutch barge skippered by the third generation of a shipper family. Tasks to do to earn your keep include cleaning, housekeeping, shopping and preparing meals. And serving an aperitif to the skipper at 1800 hours exactly. One hour from Paris, creating an off grid lifestyle on a houseboat is another option to consider.
Live aboard, learn how to sail, cook or help to repair sailboat on Caribbean side of Guatemala
Live in a marina on Dmitry’s sailboat. After the chores are out of the way, he will teach his new cook/housekeeper and handyperson how to sail. In the evening, watch the sunset, have a drink and get to know the community. There may also be the chance to continue exploring the world by joining the crew of one of Dmitry’s friends.
Come to Lake Como and help with boats in Italy
Mark is still around from when we first wrote this piece on our old blog many years ago. Sanding and varnishing were the main tasks that needed doing then, to keep two wood boats maintained for use on Lake Como, but this year two volunteers are needed in September to put the boats away for the winter. Apparently, Mark’s singing voice has diminished in the past few years and he would also like to host those with experience in either voice training or songwriting.
Help us show this amazing place and live in a tropical paradise in Santa Catalina, Panama
Orcas, dolphins, manta rays, sharks, lots of turtles, and so many different kinds of fish are what you will see when volunteering with this snorkelling company that runs tours to Coiba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They are looking for volunteers to help show this amazing place to their guests. They welcome people with a variety of skills and experiences but you must be able to speak English and Spanish to volunteer here.
Help me on my boat and experience ocean adventures in Ko Samui/ Ko Tau, Thailand
This is the perfect opportunity for you to come and live on a super yacht and experience the beauty of Thailand from the sea side, says Matthias, who has difficulties taking care of the boat alone and his girlfriend is starting to complain. Most of the work during your two month minimum stay will be concerned with cooking, cleaning, and maintenance. Boating experience is preferred but not required.
Help us finish refitting our 33 foot Wauquiez boat in Cartagena, Colombia
From their boat Kiwani – meaning “person who likes to give a helping hand” – Via and Antione intend to work with local communities and farms and create content about off grid living. Currently, they are working on the boat so there are less opportunities to sail. Still, you could learn a lot here about construction, boat maintenance, carpentry, electricity, welding, fibreglass, and much more.
Come help us repair our sailing ship and learn about boat-building in Actium, Greece
Consider this as a kind of internship in boat building, say Austrian-Swiss couple Ralph and Julia, and come away with some practical skills to use on your own home or campervan. Or stay with Barbara in the Saronic Islands. She’s a cautious sailor, preferring to wait for ideal conditions rather than bash into headwinds or motor all day, and offers a berth on board her 32ft sailboat, sharing the cost of food, in exchange for two hours of cleaning, polishing, sanding, painting, and varnishing per day.
Help us build and run our floating project and boat repairs in Langkawi, Malaysia
Massimo and his wife Judy have been long time hosts ever since they purchased a decommissioned Malaysian Police vessel with a view to transforming it into a floating hostel. The project is coming along steadily and they have been told by previous helpers that the food and drinks they supply are not bad. If fishing, reading, cooking, kayaking and going to the beach are the things you like to do, then this is a good place for you.
Enjoy your time on my boat and help me around the home too in Datca, Turkey
Help Serkan, a DJ by night, around the house, with gardening and on his boat and time off can be spent spear fishing and snorkelling. Accommodation is in a private room with meals cooked by his mum.
Au pair help for a sailing family in Southampton, UK
Access to two English teachers is one of the perks here for volunteers looking to improve their language skills.
Image courtesy Ree Dexter.
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