SALTY air, a sea breeze and the sound of waves breaking as you drink your morning coffee somewhere off the coast of Madagascar.
What may sound like a dream for some is a day in the life of the crew members aboard the SV Delos, which recently docked at the Zululand Yacht Club after months of sailing across the Indian Ocean.
Living each day to the full while circumnavigating the globe, the crew’s adventurous lifestyle was made possible after Delos captain Brian Trautman (39) from Seattle, left the business world to pursue his sailing dream.
After completing his degree in Electrical Engineering and founding two companies, Brian reached his 30’s with the feeling that something was missing.
‘I was browsing the shelves and saw a book with a bright blue ocean on the cover, and the dream was born to create my own odyssey and sail around the world,’ said Brian.
After selling all his possessions that tied him down to a corporate society, three boats and endless days of hard work resulted in Brian’s dream becoming a reality when he bought Delos in Seattle in 2008.
Delos
‘I remember the first time I walked down the dock and saw Delos sitting there,’ said Brian.
‘She just screamed out take me across an ocean!’
With the initial intention of sailing the 53-foot single hull across the Pacific to Australia over the course of two years, Brian was captivated and has since been on the water for seven years.
Joined by his brother, Brady in Mexico in 2010, the duo made their way to New Zealand where they spent a year working in a restaurant as they built themselves up financially.
There they met Karin Syren from Sweden who fell madly in love with both Brian and the boat and joined the crew full time in 2012.
Crew
More than 30 people from nine countries have joined the Delos crew and have ventured to dozens of beautiful places including Malaysia, Philippines, Australia and the South Pacific, to name a few.
‘We’re all out here to have fun and it’s a pretty low-stress environment most of the time,’ said Brian.
‘Even on a 53-foot boat you can still find your own space. Just jump off for a swim to the nearest beach, or head up to the bow with your headphones in – it’s your own little world.’
The crew relies on sponsors, advertising, the ‘buy us a beer’ campaign and their famous videos made along the way to keep them afloat.
For more information or if you would like to sponsor, visit the SV Delos website or find them on Facebook.
SEE GALLERY HERE
