A Kiwi woman was found languishing in a dinghy 55 nautical miles off the Greek coast after her bid to go shopping ashore from her sailboat went awry.

The 45-year-old and her British husband were on holiday in Greece and were sailing the Aegean on a catamaran, according to the Greek Reporter.

On Friday, the woman decided to head to shore and do some shopping on Folegandros Island.

After finishing, she contacted her husband to say she was on her way back - but she never arrived.

This New Zealand woman was found floating in her dinghy in the Aegean sea, two days after becoming separated her husband on their catamaran yacht. Photo / Crete Live

He then called the coastguard and a search began which also involved a Hellenic Navy boat and three private boats.

Port authorities of Ios, Folegandros, Milos, Naxos, and Santorini were also contacted.

She was eventually found in her dinghy in the middle of the Aegean Sea, 55 nautical miles off the North of Crete on Sunday morning.

She was exhausted but able to walk herself from the boat before being taken to hospital after the boat landed on Heraklion.

Talking to local reporters, the woman said that the inflatable boat was drifted away due to the wind and she could not control the situation, Keep Talking Greece reported.