In 2014, Australian couple Elayna Carausu, 24, and Riley Whitelum, 33, set off on a global adventure aboard their yacht La Vagabonde, documenting their travels online along the way.
And in September 2016, their enormous success on YouTube saw them land a million-dollar luxury yacht deal – a 45ft Outremer catamaran funded by fans.
The couple set sail on their brand new yacht La Vagabonde II in February 2017 and have now visited a total of 45 counties and covered a staggering 40,000 nautical miles.
While their glamorous and exciting lifestyle may sound like a pipe dream for some, the young seafarers insist anybody can sail around the world as long as they are well prepared and do their research.
In 2014, Australian couple Elayna Carausu, 24, and Riley Whitelum, 33, set off on a global adventure aboard their yacht La Vagabonde, documenting their travels online along the way
The couple set off on their brand new yacht La Vagabonde II in February 2017 and have now visited a total of 45 counties and covered an enormous 40,000 nautical miles
‘If you are genuinely interested in saving money whilst sailing around the world, congratulations, your trying to get out of the rat race and onto the water and I think that’s awesome,’ Riley wrote on their blog.
‘It’s the hardest most rewarding thing Elayna and I have ever done. Be prepared because its not easy.’
The first thing Riley recommends is working as a crew member on different yachts and boats around the world.
‘Some of the most awesome people I have met have been crewing on different boats for years and years,’ he said.
In September, 2016, their enormous success on YouTube saw them land a million-dollar luxury yacht deal – a 45ft Outremer catamaran (pictured) funded by fans
‘It’s the hardest most rewarding thing Elayna and I have ever done. Be prepared because its not easy,’ Riley said
‘They don’t need to deal with any of the problems that come with owning a boat and believe me that is a big list. It’s cheaper, you’re more versatile, you meet different people all the time and you can call it quits as soon as you run out of money.’
For those who wish to buy a boat for themselves, Riley recommended the website Cruisers Forum as there are discussions about different models and sailing advice.
Research is also key, with Riley travelling – either on water or land – as much as he could before setting off full time.
The passionate sailor said that in this time he learned that those who wish to sail the world rather than travel by plane, must be more organised and well prepared than ever.
Riley said that those who wish to sail the world rather than travel by plane, must be more organised and well prepared than ever
The pair often catch their own fish for dinner and use fishing devices to catch deep sea fish
How did Elayna and Riley afford their yacht?
They are using the money they earn from their YouTube advertising – which can be anything up to $4,000 per clip – and partly the sale of their old boat – to pay for the boat at a discounted rate.
Their enterprise is supported through crowdfunding platform Patreon, with around 1,500 fans pledging anywhere from $1 to $100 per month if they like what they see around, and they also gain around two million YouTube views a month.
Elayna told FEMAIL: ‘We still pinch ourselves every time we wake up in the morning. It has really made our lives so much easier having such a fast, stable and safer vessel to cruise around the world in.
How La Vagabonde II came into our lives is quite a cool story. After seeing this particular kind of catamaran at an archipelago of islands in Venezuela, we fell in complete and utter love with it.
Instantly, Riley wanted one. I told him he was a dreamer. Despite my doubt, Riley reached out to the owner and marketing manager of Outremer (the boat company) and the response he received couldn’t have been better.
They we’re already following our voyage on YouTube and they loved what we were about. After flying to France to meet with them and a number of emails back and forth, we were lucky enough to buy our own catamaran, with some financial assistance from them with no strings attached. ‘
‘Spare parts, marinas, weather, rendezvous, daytime arrivals, equipment upgrades, Internet, groceries, fuel, water, repairs, navigating,’ he listed.
The hardest part is firstly purchasing the boat and cutting ties with your life on land.
‘All of the things you need to survive need to be organised or something else will give, usually money or comfort, sometimes both.’
Obviously one of the key elements of ditching full time employment for a sailing adventure is making money while at sea.
Both Elayna and Riley do this by working remotely and running their successful YouTube channel and website.
Obviously one of the key elements of ditching full time employment for a sailing adventure is making money while at sea
Both Elayna and Riley make money by working remotely and running their successful YouTube channel and website
Riley stressed the importance of stocking up on safety equipment before setting off as this saves money
For those who don’t care for social media, there are many companies who look for remote employees around the world.
‘One thing to consider would be if you need to get to the internet once a week or every day. If you need to be there every weekday then this seriously hampers your cruising grounds but if that’s what you got to do to get on board then that’s what you got to do,’ Riley said.
Riley also stressed the importance of going slow and concentrating on one area at a time – cheaper areas – and stocking up on safety equipment before setting off as this saves money.
‘You should buy the safety equipment you need. There are obvious things like life rafts and EPIRB [Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon] but it is up to each captain to think about exactly what is right for their ship,’ he said.
In terms of food, he recommends fishing to save money and investing in a $10 rig, or ‘Alfred’, which will catch ‘plenty of fish’
‘The hardest part is firstly purchasing the boat and cutting ties with your life on land. Cancel your TV subscriptions and car insurance and give it a go,’ Elayna said
In terms of food, he recommends fishing to save money and investing in a $10 rig, or ‘Alfred’, which will catch ‘plenty of fish’.
There is a large fleet of sailors moving together around the world constantly so you won’t be alone.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Elayna said her one piece of advice is to ‘just do it’.
‘Don’t be scared. It’s really not that scary at all,’ she said.
‘The hardest part is firstly purchasing the boat and cutting ties with your life on land. Cancel your TV subscriptions and car insurance and give it a go.
‘We had no idea how to sail when we first embarked on this wild journey and as long as you have a good crew and a positive outlook on the whole experience, you’ll be right.
‘If we can do it, you can do it. Plus the cruising community is the most helpful, kind, generous community I’ve ever stumbled across,’ Elayna said
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing however, with the pair experiencing a number of challenging experiences as well
The duo always make time for date nights despite being at sea
‘If we can do it, you can do it. Plus the cruising community is the most helpful, kind, generous community I’ve ever stumbled across. There is a large fleet of sailors moving together around the world constantly so you won’t be alone.’
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing however, with the pair experiencing a number of challenging experiences as well.
‘In the early days especially, having no clue about sailing and well… sailing,’ Elayna said.
‘Probably the most scariest time for me was off the coast of Sicily when we were greeted by an unexpected squall [wind gust] while having far too much sail up.
!['Probably the most scariest time for me was off the coast of Sicily when we were greeted by an unexpected squall [wind gust] while having far too much sail up,' Elayna said](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/19/00/484A9D6700000578-5286339-_Probably_the_most_scariest_time_for_me_was_off_the_coast_of_Sic-a-12_1516323436972.jpg)
‘Probably the most scariest time for me was off the coast of Sicily when we were greeted by an unexpected squall [wind gust] while having far too much sail up,’ Elayna said
Elayna and Riley fell in love as strangers and sailing novices several years ago and set sail shortly after meeting in October 2014
‘Lightening thrashing all around us, rain bucketing down and having to run around like headless chooks with the boat heeled over beyond any degree it had previously heeled to, pulling down sails. It was a proper nightmare.’
Elayna and Riley fell in love as strangers and sailing novices several years ago and set sail shortly after meeting in October 2014.
Elayna had been working in Greece as a musician for a travel company, when she met Riley , who was single-handedly sailing the first yacht – La Vagabonde – at the time.
Elayna had been working in Greece as a musician for a travel company, when she met Riley , who was single-handedly sailing the first yacht – La Vagabonde – at the time
The couple are about to cross the Atlantic Ocean for the second time, sail the Caribbean and so some relief work for the hurricanes that devastated the area
Riley had just bought a yacht in Italy and quit his job in Australia to sail La Vagabonde around the world, and while he didn’t have a clue how to sail when he first bought the boat, the couple fell in love and Elayna agreed to travel with him.
The couple now have a staggering 362,000 subscribers on YouTube and are about to cross the Atlantic Ocean for the second time, sail the Caribbean and so some relief work for the hurricanes that devastated the area.
‘After that we will be heading up the east coast of the US and go and anchor near the statue of liberty, a big change of scenery for us,’ Elayna said.