Living on a Self-Sufficient Sailboat for 10 Years. VIDEO

20 April 2020

12,171 2 minutes read

Brian and Karin Trautman have been living on a self-sufficient sailboat for 10 years, and their boat is set up so they can be off the grid in remote places for months at a time with solar and wind power providing electricity, a water maker that turns salt water into freshwater, multiple freezers and loads of storage space for food, and even a small washing machine on board!

Video: living on a self-sufficient sailboat for 10 years

They’ve sailed SV Delos – a 53′ sloop rig ketch – 83,000 nautical miles which is the equivalent of circling the earth at the equator more than 3 times. Their latest adventures include sailing as a family with their 6-month baby, Sierra, and outfitting the boat with a heater so they can explore the Arctic this summer after several years in the Tropics.

Delos is a 53 foot Amel Super Maramu and she is one of the finest built cruising sailboats in the world! She was built in La Rochelle France in 2000 and has seen what most sailboats dream of seeing.

Why the name “Delos?”

The name Delos may sound familiar; it is a mythical island off the coast of Greece. The story began long long ago when Zeus, god of the sky, cheated on his wife with a human. Even more disastrous – he got her pregnant. When the half-god-half-human twins were born, Zeus’ wife banned them from being born on any land. Poseidon, god of the sea, took pity and raised a small piece of land from his underwater kingdom for the twins. The island of Delos was a floating oasis for the half God, half-human offspring, and is now our floating oasis.

What makes this world cruising sailboat so special?

She’s a sailing ketch (2 masts) and has enough room to comfortably sleep 6 people. Delos is able to turn salt water into freshwater, sun into energy, provide food and shelter, travel for months on end without visiting a dock, and best of all, be the place we call home.