I went into sailing at about the age of 20. I started with a 20-footer that was not a very glorious story, switched to a 25-footer that I still dream of, and currently own a 34-footer that can provide enough comfort for my wife and me.
But I was not always a boat-owner. For some reasons I sold each of the first two boats a few years after I bought them. In the meantime, I grabbed any opportunity to sail with friends' boats and occasionally I chartered small yachts for a reasonable price and sailed alone with Maro, my wife. Several boat deliveries and regattas (as a skipper or a crew member) added up to my sailing experience.
All these years I met several people and yachts sailing the Greek waters. They fell in different categories. There were the luxurious 50 footers and the modest 30 footers (a couple of which I have chartered myself), experienced sailors and shepherds (the translation of a Greek word meaning, of course, the not-so-experienced). But what they all shared in common (the people, not the boats), was Fun!.
Now let's come to the point!
Yes, if you like. There are boats costing 1.000$ a day with four double cabins that include air-conditioning, TV, ice-maker, dish washer and many things you could not imagine of (plus a qualified skipper of course), and there are boats at less than 200$ a day, like the ones I used to charter, that have 2 (double) cabins and everything a spoiled sailor would expect, like a fridge, a galley, hot water shower, a dinghy with an outboard and of course full marine equipment. And of course there is plenty of choice in between. Here is an explanation of how this is happening.
Sum the hotel, ferry and eating expenses of "normal" vacations (you can cook in the boat and believe me you very often prefer to eat or drink in a nice bay than in a crowded restaurant/bar) and think again! The conclusion is that sailing in the Greek waters is for everyone (or, at least, everyone who can afford vacations abroad).
The trick is to choose the right company, or even better the owner himself, make your expectations clear, and understand what you are going to get.
Exactly here! After working 23 years in the software industry, I had enough. So, I would like to use what I have learned all those years about sailing and the people in it, help people have the kind of vacations I do, and make a modest living out of it. So what can I offer?
No. But it's highly probable. Greece has 5% of the world's coastline and 3.000 islands and islets 227 of which are inhabited. There are waters for the sailor (Aegean) and for the tourist (Ionian). By the way, there are no sharks, tides, tornados or pirates (!) in the Greek waters.
Loving the sea is a must. Don't forget that you will actually live in it. If you have no problem with the sea (sea-sickness is not always a problem, people usually forget about it after a couple of days) I will try to show you what is that I like in it and help you guess. Follow this link and you will see some photos that I took and that may help you get an idea.
Just send me an email at budgetsailing@automaton.gr with the dates you're interested in (July and August are high season, winter is not recommended), number of people (adults/children), sailing skills and budget and I will reply with any options available.