History of SV Delos
Brian Trautman purchased an Amel Super Maramu back in May of 2008 after he had dreamed about sailing across the ocean for four years. This is a 53-foot cruiser that was built in La Rochelle France back in 2000.
He had read a book in his local library in Seattle that sparked the idea of traveling and fueled his passion for sailing. Previously, he had only sailed on lakes around his area, so the ocean was a challenge he was looking forward to.
After planning for four years by selling possessions, increasing savings, and quitting his job, he finally left Seattle in August of 2009 and ended up in New Zealand in October of 2010.
Brian talked his brother Brady into traveling with him for a month from Mexico to Tahiti, and he was instantly hooked. Brady sold everything he had, cashed out his savings, and left University to join him full time.
When Brian made it to New Zealand, he ended up finding the love of his life Karin. He originally asked her to go sailing for a weekend, but she did not want to stop.
After the trio made it to South Africa, they found another member in Alex Blue. Brady talked her into staying with them and traveling full time as well.
The group eventually ran out of money when they landed in Australia, so they needed to work for a year to get back on their feet. Another sailor they met there had recommended that they should start recording their traveling experiences and post them on the internet.
Since that time, they have produced over 200 sailing and scuba videos traveled over 70,000 nautical miles and visited 45 countries with 50 different people on board at various times. Their success has allowed them to continue sailing full time and providing free content to others.
Why the Name SV Delos?
Sailing Vessel Delos is the name the group came up with when they began thinking of what to call the brand. It is simple and easy to remember. Delos is the nickname of the boat they are on, which is a unique story in itself.
When Brian purchased the boat from another sailor, that person named it Delos. The story behind it was about mythology dealing with Zeus and Leto.
Leto was banned from being with the Gods by Hera, who was Zeus’s wife after Leto got pregnant by Zeus. The children cannot be born on Earth, so Zeus asked Poseidon to make a place for her to give birth.
Poseidon created a magical place called Delos where she could give birth to Artemis and Apollo. This was a location somewhere between Heaven and Earth, which intrigued the previous boat owner. Brian decided to keep the name as he found interest in the story too.
What is Unique About SV Delos?
While many people post sailing videos, there were not a lot of individuals posting full-time sailing around the world videos at that time. It took a while to build an audience and get people’s attention. They started out with just 10 or 20 people watching their content, but later it grew to the thousands.
The beauty of their content is that they can make whatever they want and it is powered by their fans. By donating and watching their videos, fans are obtaining mostly free content unless they decide to purchase brand items or give to them.
One cool thing about their content is that they post it every Friday with something out of the ordinary or engaging. On top of that, you can track them in real time to see where they are to get a feel for their adventure.
How Much to Maintain Delos and Their Adventure?
There are a lot of factors that go into play for anyone trying to sail full-time. The cost of your food, gear, maintenance on the boat, and insurance can get expensive quickly.
For SV Delos, their costs are unique for their situation and they have had time to practice their methods. Every sailor and crew will vary, so it is important to know your budget before heading out.
Personal Expenses and Food
Personal expenses can rack up to around $500 per person. This can be more or less depending on what food they buy and their location with current prices.
They spend a lot of their time making meals and planning what they are eating, while typically buying things in bulk when they can. Eating out is fun, but costly for a lot of people.
Other expenses include various travel costs and fees associated with places. For example, parking your boat at a marina or taking on fuel.
Insurance
They claim that their boat insurance is roughly two percent of the boat’s value per year. Insurance means liability, simple medical coverages, and other coverages related to the boat.
These costs vary depending on where they are traveling. For example, their insurance costs rose when traveling across the Indian Ocean in comparison to the Caribbean.
Maintenance
Calculating the costs of maintaining a boat are going to be different from one individual to the next. It is all about the size, how complex some systems are, and how well you keep the boat in shape before other issues arise.
According to SV Delos, they put aside nearly 1.5 percent of the boat value each year to help cover costs. For example, a $100,000 boat would require $1,500 each year.
By using that rule of thumb, you can at least start a fund towards maintenance in the event pumps or sail repairs come into play. You have to factor in oil changes and other preventative maintenance measures to make sure the boat runs smoothly.
Can You Join SV Delos?
The short answer is yes, you can physically join SV Delos on their adventure. Most will have to continue watching their videos for all of the action.
If you want a shot at traveling with them, you can check out their crew page to learn more in detail. Basically, they allow some fans the opportunity to join them with contests they run.
Usually, they have been on social media websites and promoting them to a Patreon page. When they post these, be sure to check them out for more details.
So far they have had roughly 50 people from all over join them on their journey. Some of these were a mix of family and friends, with a handful of them being complete strangers.
If you are not satisfied with that, you could look into your own adventure with a sailboat and start traveling across the sea. Who knows, maybe you can run into SV Delos one day?
