Couple Lives And Sails On 53-Foot, Self Sufficient Sailboat For Over 10 Years Now

Aug 31, 2021 by apost team

For most people, taking to the water on a boat for just a week or two is a big deal. But for others, the water is where they feel most at home, so they either live on the coast somewhere or as is the case with fishermen, spend a good portion of their lives out at sea.

But one couple loves being out at sea so much that they've made it their permanent home for over a decade. Brian and Karin Trautman, along with their 1-year-old daughter Sierra, have embarked on the adventure of a lifetime and they have no plans to change up their routine any time soon!

Brian, who hails from the United States, had gone to New Zealand for an 18-month trip and while there he met and fell in love with Karin, who comes from Sweden. The couple shared a love for sailing and before long they'd made a four-year plan to set out on the high seas together. Well, that trip turned into a much longer one that now includes their daughter.

Now veterans of the sea, Brian and Karin's boat is also no ordinary sailboat. Named SV Delos, the couple has sailed the 53-foot sloop rig ketch over 83,000 nautical miles — that's the equivalent of circling the earth's equator more than three times! 

SV Delos is also incredibly well equipped, allowing the couple to go off-grid in remote places for months at a time. This is because it harnesses solar and wind power for electricity, allowing the Trautmans to sail anywhere in the tropics. All the while, Brian and Karin have been documenting their adventure on their own YouTube channel.

But the couple is setting their sights on new waters this summer, as they've equipped SV Delos with a heater so that they can explore the Arctic, after spending several years in the tropics.

A heater is far from the only useful technical apparatus onboard SV Delos. As the experienced seafarers that they are, Brian and Karin have loads of other gadgets on board too. These include the aforementioned solar and wind power generators, multiple freezers, a small washing machine and lots of storage space for food. In fact, SV Delos even has a water desalinator on board! This allows the Trautmans to turn saltwater — of which there is an abundance around them! — into water that's safe to consume.

However, living permanently on a sailboat doesn't come without its challenges. Karin revealed that cooking can be difficult and the couple can go months without consuming fresh fruit and vegetables, instead, relying on canned foods that don't perish. Another aspect that isn't quite as easy as being on land is teaching Sierra how to walk, which, unsurprisingly, is more difficult in a bobbing boat.

But despite this, the couple is incredibly happy with their lifestyle and it seems they wouldn't have it any other way. And while their goal is to avoid living on the land when possible, the couple has a network of friends around the world who do help them out when their ship needs repairing. This allows them to get back on the ocean as quickly as possible, which is exactly where they wish to be.

apost.com

What do you think about Brian and Karin Trautman's sailing lifestyle? How long could do you think you could live on a boat? If you learned something from this, then pass it on to those you know!