Sailing SV Delos is a dream come true for many—sailing around the world to exotic places on a beautiful boat with a fun, friendly, and gorgeous crew. They embark on amazing adventures and even brew their own moonshine onboard. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?
In my Extraordinary Series on Making Sense of Cents, I feature people who are living life a bit differently. So, interviewing SV Delos was a must!
As some of you know, my husband and I (along with our two dogs) also live on a sailboat. So, I was thrilled to get the chance to talk to the crew of SV Delos!
Before we dive into the interview, here’s a bit of backstory on SV Delos and its crew.
It all began in May 2008 when Brian Trautman bought SV Delos. Brian had been sailing around the lakes of Seattle for several years but had never considered living on a sailboat, let alone sailing around the world. That changed when he found a book in the library about crossing the ocean on your own boat. It was a game-changer for him.
He spent the next four years dreaming and planning his first big trip—sailing to New Zealand. He sold almost everything and bought SV Delos in May 2008. It took Brian and his crew about a year to sail from Seattle to New Zealand.
A funny thing happened a few months after they reached New Zealand. They sailed to Australia and realized they had run out of money. So, they parked SV Delos for a year to work and save up. Another sailor suggested they start a YouTube channel, so they bought a $200 camcorder, and the rest is history. They now have a massive following and make a great living from their channel.
SV Delos is now home to Brian’s wife Karin, his brother Brady, and Brady’s girlfriend Alex. Over the years, they’ve had several additional crew members and have sailed to over 45 countries and covered more than 70,000 ocean miles. Recently, Brian and Karin welcomed their new baby aboard SV Delos!
If you’re interested in the sailing life, you’ve probably heard of SV Delos. Even if sailing isn’t your thing, their YouTube videos are incredibly fun to watch!
I recently had the opportunity to interview Brian Trautman of SV Delos. We talked about his sailboat, how the SV Delos YouTube channel makes money, their Patreon account, the hours they put into their business, saving for retirement, future sailing plans, and how things might change with a new baby on board.
Here’s a bit about their sailboat, SV Delos: It’s an Amel Super Maramu 53, ketch rigged (two masts), with three cabins, two heads (toilets/showers), a nice kitchen with a dishwasher, fridge, freezer, and even a washing machine. They make their own electricity with solar and wind power and have an onboard desalination plant for drinking water. They even brew moonshine onboard! Delos can carry enough food and supplies to last six adults for six months.
Finding internet while sailing used to be challenging, but now with mobile data, they can usually get internet in most ports by buying a local SIM card. They also use the Google Fi plan, which works in about 220 countries.
Running their YouTube channel and managing their business is a full-time job for the four core crew members (Brian, Karin, Brady, and Alex). They also employ four more people to help with editing, social media, and product fulfillment. Editing one episode can take 40-60 hours, and they aim to release four videos per month.
Their Patreon income works like a recurring crowdfunding project, where supporters contribute a few dollars each time they release a video. They typically release four videos per month, and supporters can choose how many videos they want to support.
They have set up their project as an LLC in the U.S. and created a 401K under the LLC for retirement savings.
Sailing costs can vary, but they’ve managed to make their project self-sustainable through video income, product sales, and crowdfunding. They plan to continue sailing as long as it remains fun and financially viable.
With a new baby on board, they plan to sail shorter distances and stay in familiar places for a while, like the Caribbean, where they have access to services and medical care. They want to show the reality of sailing with a newborn and the adventures it brings.
For health insurance, they mostly self-insure with an emergency fund of $20,000. They’ve found healthcare to be good and affordable in many parts of the world. Karin, being a Swedish citizen, has reasonable healthcare costs. For the American crew members, they buy high-deductible plans that cover major emergencies and use their emergency fund to cover the gap.
One place Brian is excited to visit someday is Japan. They were close a few years ago but chose to sail to Malaysia instead due to lower costs. They joke about taking the longest route to Japan by circling the globe first.
Brian’s advice for anyone wanting to do something similar is to go for the decisions that make you feel anxious and uncertain—they’re usually the most rewarding.
Are you interested in the sailing life? I hope you enjoyed this interview with SV Delos!