sailing vagabonde catamaran

Sailing La Vagabonde: Net Worth, Boat, Crew and Elayna’s Income (2024)

Everything you always wanted to know.

Joshua Smith

Founder and Editor at Cruising Freedom

This is the definitive guide to Sailing La Vagabonde for 2024.

Over the last 6 years, my Youtube stats tell me that I have spent around 170 hours watching and researching everything I could about La Vagabonde because I adore their channel. 😎

Being obsessed, I’ve watched almost EVERY episode to date!

If you wanted to know:

➔ How Sailing La Vagabonde afforded all their boats

➔ How much they make on YouTube today

➔ What boat they have now and its upgrades

➔ How you can start crossing oceans

Then you’ve definitely come to the right place.

Think of this like a wiki for Sailing La Vagabonde.

Before we start, a quick introduction from me…

The Cruising Freedom Author

Ahoy, Matey! I’m Joshua from Australia.

I’ve built the perfect business to sail the world.

A business model which can allow me to:

➜ Own a catamaran debt-free

➜ Go for weeks without WIFI

➜ Create semi-passive income

➜ Inspire others to dream big

But more on that later… 🙂

La Vagabonde FAQs (2024)

La Vagabonde

Crew Members

Riley Whitelum (age 37) from Kimba, South Australia.

Elayna Carausu (age 34) from Perth, Western Australia.

Lenny Whitelum (age 3) who is now actively talking and swimming all by himself.

Elayna gave birth to their 2nd child, Darwin, in 2021, who is now almost 2 years old!

Riley and Elayna are NOT married, nor has Riley ever proposed to Elayna. They remain in a de facto relationship.

If you’re wondering if Elayna Carausu from Sailing La Vagabonde had breast enhancement surgery (fake breasts), then the answer is YES.

Riley actually confirmed it on a recent episode. He also appears to be juicing… 😲

Because, you know, they have to keep up…appearances…

Sailing La Vagabonde’s current catamaran is a 2022 Rapido Trimaran 60 with an owner’s cabin in the starboard hull.

This is designed for serious performance and sailing beyond the wind speed.

Some say this boat isn’t ideal for family cruising with very young children, and I tend to agree.

Sailing La Vagabonde’s previous catamaran was a 2017 Outremer 45 with an owner’s cabin in the starboard hull.

Previously to this, they owned a monohull which was a 2007 Beneteau Cyclades 43. This is the original ‘La Vagabonde’, a yacht that was designed for the charter market without a dedicated owner’s cabin.

They had planned to sell the Outremer but decided against it:

In short: They’re creating Vagabonde Adventures which will become a boat charter company where you can learn to sail on their very own catamaran.

Their friend Jack, a sailing instructor, will run the business so Riley and Elayna can continue sailing as a family.

More info at: VagabondeAdventures.com

A very wise choice I must say! They will still buy the Rapido 60 for themselves.

Before taking ownership, Outremer had spec’d the 45 at the factory in France with:

➔ Code D and Code Zero lightwind sails (the code D is Elayna’s favorite sail)

➔ Two upright 12v fridges in the galley

➔ Retractable daggerboards (a rather expensive optional upgrade, yet highly recommended)

➔ Twin 215hp diesel inboard motors

Meanwhile, Riley and Elayna have added:

➔ Fortress Spade Anchor (they use it as a spare)

➔ 560watts of solar panels on the bimini

➔ Dessalator Freedom Cruise Water Maker

➔ Watt And Sea Hydro Generator

➔ Inflatable tender called Cunningham II with 15hp Honda outboard. Their first tender mysteriously disappeared 5 years ago as it was being towed while sailing. (Whoops!)

Riley and Elayna are currently in Vietnam to assist in building their trimaran. It’s likely that they’ll spend a few months here before it’s launched.

Past Cruising

In prior years, Riley and Elayna have sailed extensively to:

➔ The Mediterranean

➔ The Bahamas

➔ United States of America

➔ The Azores

➔ Cape Verde

➔ Australia (Riley sailed as a crew of a racing team)

➔ British Virgin Islands

➔ Venezuela

➔ Panama Canal

➔ French Polynesia

➔ New Zealand (friends boat)

➔ Gibraltar

Affording It

They didn’t start out with an epic lifestyle and the freedom to live their dreams.

Riley worked for 4 years in the mining industry in South Australia (just like me!) and he saved $100,000, earning *just* enough to purchase his monohull before meeting Elayna.

Once their channel blew up, they were approached by various boat manufacturers, ultimately settling with Outremer.

The purchase of La Vagabonde II didn’t cost them $1,200,000 USD (the retail price of La Vagabonde’s Outremer 45), and instead, was based off their audience size and Outremer’s potential for marketing reach similar to a sponsorship deal.

(And if you’re wondering, I’ll be buying either a Seawind or an Outremer myself)

The La Vagabonde II catamaran itself, just like the original monohull, is legally owned by Riley and Elayna. Outremer simply assisted with the loan on the catamaran.

Outremer has never given a free boat to Riley and Elayna. This is the biggest false rumor on the internet which continues to haunt the couple to this day.

YouTubers are wealthier than we imagine, and after watching Riley and Elayna for many years, the following is my best estimation…

Right now in 2024, Sailing La Vagabonde has a net worth of $6,700,000 USD. This is based on the value of their two boats, online business and personal investments.

They have also saved around 85% of their income over the last 6 years.

Making Loot

In 2024, Sailing La Vagabonde makes money through:

➔ YouTube advertising revenue

➔ Amazon affiliate links

➔ Official La Vagabonde merch

➔ Elayna’s songs and CDs

➔ Their thousands of Patreons

➔ Brand sponsorship with Audible

So it’s clear that cruising YouTubers know how to monetize their audience well.

It’s estimated that Riley and Elayna make $27,000 per month in US dollars, or $8,200 per episode published . However, earning that much money requires 30 to 50 hours of editing to eventually publish one polished YouTube video.

Elayna recently created Vaga Bella Swim™︎ – a 100% recycled swimwear company that is definitely worth checking out.

Collaborations

Sailing La Vagabonde has collaborated with the following YouTubers:

➔ Adam Stern from Free Diving Family who held the Australian record for freediving

➔ Yosha, a previous crewmate of SV Delos , also stayed on board several years ago

➔ Eamon & Bec who usually do Van Life.

➔ Lost Leblanc who is a very popular travel vlogger

After all these years, I’m still waiting for a collaboration with SV Delos . 😃

Big Moments

Memorable moments in the Sailing La Vagabonde journey include:

➔ Being chased by a powerboat late at night during a potential pirate attack. This was on the original Beneteau. While Elayna hid in the aft cabin, Riley avoided the attack by throwing cans of tin food. Surprisingly (and fortunately) the strategy worked.

➔ Lenny having stopped breathing and being rushed to hospital.

➔ Sailing 22 knots in high winds without putting a reef in the main, causing Elayna to panic and the YouTube community to voice their concerns.

➔ Sailing Greta Thunberg across the North Atlantic with Lenny in tow.

➔ Freediving in the deepest hole in the world where Adam was featured.

In recent episodes, both Riley and Elayna have really struggled to manage 2 young children AND all the work that’s necessary on a boat.

Future Plans

With their Outremer 45 being listed for sale, Riley and Elayna are now working on building their 3rd boat, a Rapido 60, announced in June, 2021. It should be ready in a few months.

Interestingly, despite the growing family, they have chosen a boat with orientation for speed over comfort.

As mentioned previously, I disagree that this is the right boat for their growing family and many within the cruising community agree with my stance.

Key Takeaways

We can learn from Riley and Elayna that:

➔ Cruising isn’t always moonshine and sunsets

➔ Men and women play an equal role on board

➔ Much of the world is actually a safe place

➔ Raising children on sailboards is trending

➔ Always speak the truth, even when it’s hard

➔ You only live once, so make life happen

Riley and Elayna are authentic yet polished influencers of the sailing world. Some would say modern-day sea gypsies!

Fun fact: They even have their own Subreddit !

We see Riley and Elayna’s epic lifestyle today but we don’t see the consistent work over multiple years prior.

Getting here and finally living #boatlife certainly wasn’t an easy process, but through their commitment, but we can clearly see it’s been well worth it.

Create Your Own Cruising Freedom

Hey! 😃 it’s Joshua again…

I’ve been very inspired by [Channel Name] and their travels…

Some say I’m obsessed, but sailing the world is my childhood dream.

They’re living the dream, but that dream isn’t actually that far away.

I mentioned earlier about discovering the #1 cruising business model.

With this exciting opportunity, I’ll be able to:

➜ Generate a sustainable full-time income through learning basic skills

➜ Fund the purchase of my first sailing catamaran without any loans

➜ Do it without selling to friends and family (I found a better solution!)

➜ Share my lifetime passion for sailing, cruising and global adventures

Keen to discover more? Jump on the free training right now. 👨🏻‍💻

(I share more about it on the next page…🙂)

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Sailing La Vagabonde: Navigating Life’s Ever-changing Seas

By: Zeke Quezada, ASA Cruising Tips , online course , Sailing Story , Schools , women on the water

Elayna and Riley can be found sailing across your screen on the internet . They are living the life that so many sailors aspire to. They set out on a journey to live life on a sailboat and travel the world. Drop everything, start a new life, and call the ocean your neighborhood and a boat your home. The dream is attainable, and the goal is simply a few decisions away.  

How we move from part-time sailor to full-time cruiser might seem like a giant leap, but consider a career change or a move to a new city. Essentially, life decisions are large events in our lives. American Sailing spoke to Sailing La Vagabonde about their career arc leading up to their upcoming online class, From Zero to Full-Time Cruiser , where for the first time they will turn their  SLV Essential Sail Guide  into a class format with a live Q&A in partnership with American Sailing.

Sailing La Vagabonde with Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu

Sailing is more than just a mode of transportation; it’s a way of life that allows adventurers to traverse the world’s oceans, embracing challenges and finding beauty in the journey. No one embodies this spirit quite like the crew of Sailing La Vagabonde. With over 1.8M YouTube subscribers, they’ve become a sensation that has taken the world on a captivating voyage across the seas.

“With so many years and experience in the sailing lifestyle, how have you evolved? As people? As sailors? As a family?” The response from Riley Whitelum, the charismatic captain of the vessel, hints at the profound transformation they’ve undergone. Their voyage is a story of evolution—a tale of sailing, growth, and the bond of family. “This would honestly take an entire book to unpack, but briefly, we have been through several evolutions.”  From militant vegans to quasi-antisocial sailors to becoming parents while living aboard, they have evolved to a place where they can deal with most of life’s struggles even from the deck of their new trimaran.

Life Aboard

Imagine a daily routine where you rise and fall with the sun, where the sky above is your constant companion, and the vast expanse of the sea stretches endlessly in all directions. Life aboard Sailing La Vagabonde offers a unique blend of adventure and discipline. Elayna reflects on their daily life: “We eat healthier on the boat and move more day to day. We are more in touch with nature as we rise with the sun and go down with the sun.”

However, life at sea isn’t just about leisurely sunsets and tranquil moments. The crew’s days are filled with work, from filming their adventures to editing content and attending to business calls. It’s a life that demands both passion and dedication, and they have it in abundance. As Riley notes, “Having that drive and people relying on you is good most of the time.”

Challenges of the Open Ocean

The allure of sailing to far-flung destinations is undeniable, but it comes with its share of trials. Elayna opens up about one of her most challenging aspects: sleepless nights on rough seas. The “donkey slaps,” the grinding of winches, and the relentless rocking of the boat during night passages can leave even the most experienced sailors tossing and turning. Yet, it’s a challenge they’ve learned to face head-on, knowing that endurance brings its rewards.

Amidst the vast canvas of the open ocean, there are destinations that capture their hearts. For Riley, the Bahamas stands out as a place of extraordinary beauty and significance. It’s a locale where he honed his spearfishing skills and formed a deep connection with the sea. It’s a spot their son Lenny has essentially called home. The Bahamas represents the essence of their adventures—a place where isolation is outweighed by awe-inspiring landscapes.

In the world of sailing, self-sufficiency is essential. Riley has mastered the art of handling maintenance and repairs in remote locations, prioritizing mission-critical tasks and displaying patience when necessary. “You are fairly motivated to fix the engine or stop the boat from sinking if that is what is occurring.”  When faced with adversity, the crew’s unwavering determination to keep their vessel afloat is a testament to their resilience. 

Setting Sail

Before embarking on long ocean passages, meticulous preparations are a must. Riley emphasizes the importance of having a well-thought-out plan and fostering a positive crew dynamic. It’s not just about the technicalities; it’s about creating an environment where every crew member feels valued and empowered to contribute, ensuring a safe and smooth journey. Riley shares, “People often tend to forget to have a good attitude, a warm smile, and instill respect in your crew. I still do occasionally. If you create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and able to show initiative, you’ll have a much better crossing.”

Life on a sailboat means living within the confines of limited space. To maximize comfort and functionality, they’ve adopted a minimalist approach. Everything has its place, and items not used in over six months find new homes. This deliberate simplification allows them to focus on the essentials and savor the beauty of their surroundings.

Mental Health Matters

The open sea can be both awe-inspiring and isolating, which underscores the significance of mental health. Riley acknowledges that mental well-being is paramount for sailors. “We did a safety at sea course and were informed, retrospectively unsurprisingly, that mental health is the number one safety hazard for a cruising sailor. Humans crave community, and we are social beings. I think that much of the glorification of single-handed sailors or vaguely misanthropic people living only remote and avoiding people has been a little detrimental for the sailing culture and milieu.” While some might romanticize solitude, the crew of Sailing La Vagabonde recognizes the importance of community, exercise, meditation, and therapy in maintaining their mental health. Their commitment to each other’s well-being is a pillar of their journey.

A New Adventure Beckons

A new vessel awaits them—a 60-foot, 90% carbon marvel that promises to redefine their adventures. Riley’s excitement is palpable, describing it as “ridiculous” and “vaguely arousing.” This vessel will not only offer exhilarating speed but also enhance their safety in challenging conditions—a development that has them eager to push the boundaries of exploration. When asked about the new boat Riley’s personality shines through, 

“Dude. Come on. It’s ridiculous. It’s 60 ft long, 90% carbon, and will sail circles around anything in the water. It’s funky mustard with a carbon-rotating mast, and if I’m honest, it’s vaguely arousing just thinking about it. It’ll sail at 1.3 times the speed of the wind, which is seriously cooking and like seriously, most people don’t understand how fun that is, but also the safety factor when faced with a difficult forecast. This is unproven at the moment, but I think she’ll be about 2x the speed of the Outremer on most points of sail, so if there is an area of the ocean that is going to be unpleasant or dangerous in the next 2 days you can REALLY make sure you aren’t going to be there. That is a MASSIVE safety boon. Doing 15 knots in 12 knots of breeze in a flat ocean is not something that will get old. It just won’t. It will accelerate my learning as well, which is almost the most exciting thing, but no I think it’s the flat ocean 15 knots thing!”

Charting the Future

The journey of Sailing La Vagabonde has evolved over the years, reflecting a shift towards mindful exploration. They’ve decided to slow down, focusing on creating content they are passionate about. Their diversification into American Sailing School Vagabonde Adventures, Elayna’s book publication, and the development of an app with the YCA demonstrate their commitment to offering more to their community.

In the world of Sailing La Vagabonde, each day is a new adventure, a new opportunity to discover the beauty of the open sea and the depths of human resilience. Their story is a reminder that life’s true treasures lie not in the destinations reached but in the journey itself. It’s a tale of evolution, passion, and a family’s enduring love for the sea—a story that continues to captivate the hearts of adventurers worldwide.

Register now to hang out with Riley and Elayna and hear their tales first-hand, and perhaps set that spark ablaze in your own soul to venture out in to the great blue wonder that is the world’s ocean.

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Sailing La Vagabonde: Charting A Youtube Revolution On The High Seas

Are you captivated by the call of the sea? Ready for an adventure in places where land is a distant memory? Then join us as we navigate the open waters with Sailing La Vagabonde, pioneers in the realm of YouTube’s sailing community. Elayna Carausu and Riley Whitelum, the adventurous duo behind Sailing La Vagabonde, first hoisted their sails into the Youtube seascape back in 2014. Their initial voyage was one without fanfare. Little did they know that their humble beginnings would surge into a wave of success, propelling them into creating a YouTube revolution for sailing videos. The duo met in Greece, drawn together by a shared passion for travel and adventure. Elayna, the creative soul with a voice like a siren, and Riley, the experienced seafarer with a thirst for exploration, embarked on a journey that would redefine sailing content. Having no previous sailing experience, they purchased their first vessel, a 2007 Beneteau Cyclades, and named it 'La Vagabonde'. It was aboard this very boat that they began documenting their sailing and exploring escapades, earning them their first loyal viewer base. In 2016, their success led to a partnership with Outremer, a French yacht manufacturer, that yielded a brand-new Outremer 45 catamaran christened 'La Vagabonde II'. This glistening new vessel ushered the couple into the next chapter, one decorated with bigger challenges and exposed them to an enlarging global audience. Despite the picturesque horizons and enchanting sunsets, their journey has not been without stormy weather.  They have confronted pirates, battled harsh weather, and faced significant equipment failures. These difficulties served only to bolster their spirit, making their story one of resilience and determination, a true testimony to the human spirit's adventure. From the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, their sailing adventures span across 45 countries and more than 90,000 nautical miles. Today, they navigate not only the sea but also parenthood, as they are now joined by their little ones on the acclaimed La Vagabonde. Join the voyage with Sailing La Vagabonde to satiate your curiosity for the most exciting adventures, sundrenched destinations, and the genuine spirit of vitality and freedom that pervades the sailing community.

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The inside story of Greta Thunberg’s upwind Atlantic crossing on La Vagabonde

• February 13, 2020

To sail climate activist Greta Thunberg across the Atlantic – eastbound – aboard La Vagabonde was the voyage of a lifetime for skipper Nikki Henderson. She shares the inside story

Photos: Elayna Carausu / Nikki Henderson

The sea was ominously flat. Not that I could see it – except during those electric illuminations – and I wasn’t sure how windy it was. We had isolated the batteries and switched off power to the boat in case of an electrical strike , so the anemometer screen was blank, along with the rest of our instruments, but I judged it was blowing 40 or 45 knots.

Then the rain started. It was torrential; driving horizontally but also sliding off the sail above me, and blinding me. The light of my head torch was the only visual thing keeping the boat going in the right direction as I intermittently shone it down at my feet to where the compass was located. “Riley, let’s furl – now.” I paused for what felt like a few minutes, but was more likely a few seconds, “Like NOW, now!”

The crew had to contend with serious North Atlantic seas… but did enjoy some fast boatspeeds

It was that feeling where the wind increases, and you know it’s stronger than you have felt all night. I could feel nature’s pressure on the back of my legs, and the wind must have been in the high 40 knots, maybe even 50. The boat was flying. Another flash came, lighting up the sky just long enough for me to see the towers of water surging up either side of us as we carved through the water.

“This is ****ing amazing! This boat flies. We must have hit 20 knots,” I screamed at Riley, as shouting was the only way he could possibly hear me. He ran forward and furled the headsail. The furling line had broken earlier that day, and we had tied it together temporarily meaning Riley could only furl by pulling the line right at the drum and tying it to the bow cleat. We both regretted not fixing that line earlier in the day.

When he came back to the cockpit the wind was already subsiding and the rain had stopped. I was on a total high, ready to increase canvas again. “Make that call earlier next time, Nik,” he said. I felt put out, and must have showed it. “Nik, my kid is down there.” I thought of baby Lenny, and Greta. It was one of the most grounding moments of my life. When I had first discussed this trip with Riley I had described it as “bigger than any of us.” Those words suddenly felt very, very real.

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How did we get here?

In the autumn of 2019, Greta Thunberg, 16, and currently the most famous teenager in the world, was in the United States, having sailed across the Atlantic on the IMOCA 60 Malizia for the UN Climate Action Summit. She planned to travel on to Chile for the 2019 meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP25.

But civil unrest in the country meant the event moved at short notice: back to Europe. Thunberg was looking for a solution that didn’t involve an aeroplane. On 1 November 2019 Thunberg sent out a tweet from Los Angeles: “As COP25 has officially been moved from Santiago to Madrid I’ll need some help… to find a way to cross the Atlantic in November.”

Thirteen days later she left Virginia, USA, on La Vagabonde . This 48ft Outremer performance cruising catamaran is a liveaboard yacht owned by Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu, creators of the La Vagabonde YouTube channel . Along with their 11-month-old son Lenny, they came to the rescue. “I hear a certain young girl needs a ride across the Atlantic,” was Whitelum’s typically laid-back offer.

Appreciating the risks associated with the North Atlantic, and their precious cargo of baby Lenny, and 2019 Time’s Person of the Year Greta Thunberg, the couple contacted professional sailors in search of someone to bolster the crew.

“Nikki, meet Greta” read the message on the group chat that was started late in the evening on Thursday 7 November. We talked and talked, and two days after that first text I met Greta for real. We arranged to meet outside Norfolk, VA airport, next to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s electric car. The Governator had lent Greta and her father, Svante, his car as a green method of transportation while on their US tour.

In my bag were three sets of foul weather gear to share around, a drysuit, a medical kit, a paper chart portfolio, a handheld GPS and minimal personal belongings. Six strangers came together, prepared a yacht for a 3,000-mile ocean passage, informed the world’s media of our plan and swiftly set sail. It felt like we were trying to prove the impossible possible.

Social experiment

Preparing for an ocean voyage is always stressful. Going to sea is always a challenge. Sailing with strangers is always a bit of a voyage into the unknown. This trip was like some epic social experiment: two Swedes, two Australians, one baby, and a Brit. Two fathers, one daughter, a mother and baby, a captain: and a skipper. A climate activist, an ex-rigger, a semi-retired actor, a team boss, social media influencers, introverts and extroverts, leaders and followers.

Skipper Nikki and Greta, Time Person of the Year 2019

We were united by one steadfast purpose; to cross 3,000 miles of North Atlantic ocean, and one deadline; Greta was due to speak at the COP25, so we had four weeks to compete the voyage. We were motivated by more fluid incentives. Greta to continue raising awareness about the climate emergency, Svante to support and protect his daughter, Riley and Elayna to support the climate movement, experience an adventure and capture it on videos. Lenny had no choice.

As for myself? I wrote down my thoughts at the time: “It was one of those moments in life that takes you by surprise. Where you have to look inside your heart to think what is right.

“To get to know the person behind the shell, the voice that the world is listening to, is such an opportunity. To have the chance to help her on her journey is remarkable. The greatest opportunity is spiritual: I will get to know someone who will inspire me.”

Heading west to east across the North Atlantic in November on a sailboat is not a recommended place to be. Even the pharmacist in Virginia commented on it while he was helping me find ear ointment that was suitable for a baby. “Conditions this year aren’t great, you know. You make sure you check the weather now…”

He had the right idea. In the winter, statistically there is a high risk of severe depressions or tropical storms. These strong fronts can pack quite a punch in wind speeds and sea state.

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Conflicting aims
• 3. Greta at sea

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La Vagabonde

Sailing La Vagabonde YouTube

Sailing La Vagabonde are Riley and Elayna and their two boys, an Australian family documenting their journey around the world by sail. Their website says “despite no previous sailing experience”. Well they have plenty of that now!

They have two boys in tow: Lenny and Darwin.

This couple have been filming their adventures  on YouTube since 2014, first on a mono, then on an Outremer 45 and lately on a Rapido 60 trimaran. Watch from the start to experience lightning storms, pirate scares, financial problems, kit failures, water shortages, and everything in between.

These two sailing entrepreneurs have branched out into a whole load of stuff such as swimwear (Vagabella Swim), chartering (Vagabonde Adventures) and apps (Sea People). Good for them!

@SailingLaVagabonde

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Sailing la Vagabonde – What makes them so successful on Youtube?

Published April 4, 2023 · Updated April 4, 2023

Sailing La Vagabonde is a popular YouTube channel run by an Australian couple, Riley and Elayna. The channel chronicles their journey sailing around the world on their catamaran, La Vagabonde. With over 1.5 million subscribers and more than 400 million views, Sailing La Vagabonde has become one of the most successful sailing channels on YouTube. So what makes this channel so successful? In this post, we’ll explore the reasons behind Sailing La Vagabonde’s success and what we can learn from it.

Authenticity and Relatability

One of the main reasons behind Sailing La Vagabonde’s success is the authenticity and relatability of Riley and Elayna. They come across as genuine and down-to-earth, which makes their content relatable and engaging. They share their journey, including the highs and lows, with their audience, which creates a sense of intimacy and connection with their viewers. This level of transparency and authenticity is rare and is one of the key reasons why viewers keep coming back for more.

Quality Content

Another reason for Sailing La Vagabonde’s success is the quality of their content. Riley and Elayna are not just sailors; they are also skilled videographers and photographers. They produce high-quality content that is both visually stunning and engaging. Their videos are well-edited and feature beautiful cinematography, which adds to the overall appeal of their content. This attention to detail and quality is evident in every aspect of their channel, from their videos to their website and social media presence.

Consistency and Frequency

Sailing La Vagabonde has also been consistent in their content creation and frequency of uploads. They upload new videos every week, which keeps their audience engaged and coming back for more. They also have a regular schedule for their live streams, which creates a sense of anticipation and excitement for their viewers. Consistency is key when it comes to building a loyal following, and Sailing La Vagabonde has done an excellent job of maintaining it.

Engagement with Audience

Riley and Elayna also engage with their audience regularly, which creates a sense of community and fosters a deeper connection with their viewers. They respond to comments and messages on their social media platforms, which creates a two-way conversation with their audience. They also hold regular live streams where they answer questions and interact with their viewers in real-time. This level of engagement and interaction with their audience is another reason why Sailing La Vagabonde is so successful.

In conclusion, Sailing La Vagabonde’s success is due to a combination of factors, including authenticity, quality content, consistency, and engagement with their audience. They have built a loyal following by being genuine and relatable, producing high-quality content, being consistent with their uploads, and engaging with their audience regularly. These are all important lessons for anyone looking to build a successful brand or channel. By following in their footsteps, you too can create a thriving online community and achieve success in your chosen niche.

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Sailing La Vagabonde: Digital Nomads at Sea & New Boating App

Dreaming of dropping everything to sail the world? Sailing La Vagabonde Riley Whitelum & Elayna Carausu have done just that, becoming parents, digital yacht nomads and internet sensations in the process… 

They sailed greta thunburg across the atlantic and now, together with the young cruisers association, have developed a much anticipated boating community app, milly karsten reports ..

Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu have been sailing around the world for 9 years. With over 1.9 million subscribers to their YouTube channel, Sailing La Vagabonde, and helping to develop and launch the SeaPeople app, this Australian couple are certainly bringing a new and exciting dimension to seafaring.

‘It’s just dopamine hit after dopamine hit’, Elayna and Riley told me over a Starlink call between my London office and their boat off the coast of Amami Ōshima, Japan. 

Having met in Greece back in 2014, this Australian couple just weeks into knowing each other, took a leap of faith and set sail for the rest of the world. Elayna, tells me, “It was just meant to be one month of island hopping Greece and Turkey, and when my return flight to Australia was (…) Riley asked me, ‘do you want to come live on this boat with me and sail the world?’. Elayna was just 20, and Riley 29.

Having followed their journey on instagram and YouTube for years, I was keen to hear about their dreamlike and beautifully documented adventures first hand. However, these seasoned sailors, now parents, digital nomads, and internet sensations, also bring to light a new and continually evolving way of life, where sailors and adventurers can live and work on the go, at sea. They’re one step ahead of the working from home revolution – they’re over the horizon, and showing us what we’re missing out on. But it’s not all been picturesque archipelagos and plain sailing…

How has it been becoming digital nomads with Sailing La Vagabonde and creating content together at sea?

Elayna: It took a year for us to be able to earn a living from the YouTube channel (…) to earn what I could earn at a bar basically, it took a year for that, and it was hard work… and obviously didn’t cover the costs of setting up a production boat for bluewater cruising. 

Riley: If we go back and tell the story… We ran out of money and Elayna was making movies, but very infrequently, (…) a bit of a comical thing in between Elayna and I was that I was very practical, and I was saying well in the end what is it all for? Maybe we should be concentrating on basically anything else… 

Riley then admitted that in the beginning, with little income being made from these videos, he was sceptical, but Elayna saw potential, and asked him to give it time.

E: After a year we completely ran out of money, we had to fly back to Australia to get work. Riley worked offshore again on the oil rigs, for maybe what 3 or 4 months?… And we saved up again then flew back to the boat. 

R: But during that time our audience, which was quite small at the time, were freaking out, and they were like ‘is this going to be the end of the movies?’ … Some of those people said look, ‘sign up for this website called Patreon and we’ll all chip in a couple bucks and we can get you going again’. 

E: We got back to the boat with some savings that Riley had got off-shore, and in that time I’d set up a website with Patreon and I’d recorded an album of cover songs and got people to pre-order… it was desperate times and we got back to the boat and worked real hard for…

R: 10 more years!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to do this?

E: The only thing I would say is, don’t do it in the hopes to make money, do it out of passion.

R: It’s too hard…

E: We’ve seen people start out thinking it’s a good business plan, and hope on a boat and completely fail (…) that can’t come first, you need to sail and have fun and, have the videos be an afterthought and it’ll evolve. 

R: Or you know, the videos can be your passion, but sailing and boats has to be as well, you can’t have that as a secondary (…) you need to be tough basically, you need to be able to live a really hard life, not because you think you’ll make some money out of it (…) very few people are going to get compensated adequately if you consider it a job… If its a way of life that you enjoy, then yeah, it’s a banger way to live!

Are your parents and friends fully on-board?

E: We started at a time when travel blogging was just kind of new, (…) For our friends and family it was really surprising and weird, and when we’d go home for those first few years people didn’t really know how to talk about it with us (…) mostly they wouldn’t even ask, it was like we were doing something so out there it was hard to even talk about it. 

R: Social media still had that stigma… We operate in a bit of a grey zone, because we’re not merely Instagrammers, I like to think we’re not… We are on social media, but we’re not documentary film makers either, although we try to get as close to that as we can these days. So people didn’t know where to put us immediately…

E: We’re definitely not tik-tokers, (…) we’d rather just work really hard on YouTube, make good quality movies that people can sit down and watch and learn something, rather than the fast paced [Scrolling].

What has it been like raising your family on board?

R: The great thing is that Lenny in particular really and truly loves the boat, (…) we’ll spend more time away than he’d like, and that’s exactly how we’d want it, we want them to be excited to go back to the boat.

E: We bought them both back when they were only 6 weeks old, tiny little babies (…)  There’s so many easy little hacks, for example a chair that clips into the saloon table that clips them in when Riley and I have to go and take a reef (…) I think learning to sail trained us for children, because someone always has to be alert (…) someone has always got the kid hat on, like someone’s always aware of where the kids are and if they’ve got their life jackets on.

E: Sailing and young children are very comparable!

R: Equally disastrous!

Sailing La Vagabonde & Greta Thunberg Across the North Atlantic 

In 2019, climate activist Greta Thunberg made a double crossing of the Atlantic to attend two climate conferences, her return eastward journey was made on La Vagabonde with Riley and Elayna – a harrowing winter crossing, and one which Elayna was not convinced of doing. Yet, when asking the sailing duo what their best experience had been, they’re answer was this:

R: The most rewarding is the most difficult, so whatever your hardest passage was, arriving after that is the most rewarding, so that’s going to be the Greta Thunburg trip across the North Atlantic. 

E: We had a week to prepare for this trip, we had a really great female English sailor, Nicky Henderson (…) so we had Nicky, Riley, Me, Greta, and Greta’s Dad.

R: And Lenny…

E: Who was only one… and when we left there was snow, there was ice on our boat the day we left and it was snowing, in the Chesapeake Bay, it was freezing.

R: Milly it was a ******* disaster!

E: It took us 19 days to get across the other side, and in that time there was freezing cold weather, there was hot water from the Gulf Stream…

R: There was lightning that was striking the water right near… Nicky was at the helm, she is such a rockstar… we just cannot believe how incredible… what a leader she is! 

R: I mean I could talk about that for hours… we had to go up the rig in 20 knots… the furling line for the headsail snapped and I had to go out the front in legitimately… we don’t even know what it was, but it was well over 40, because it had sustained 40 for I don’t know how long, and then the wind picked up and that’s when the line snapped (…) I had to go forwards, like crawling on my belly to try and furl in manually the headsail, while Nicky was trying to go dead downwind… 

E: You felt ‘the sublime’ on that crossing didn’t you 

I asked what this was…

R: More philosophy… So, in order to have an encounter with ‘the sublime’ the necessary ingredients are power outside of your control, particularly if it’s nature, and you need to feel threat of your life, so your life needs to be basically out of your control (…) and it was the first time that I really felt that way. 

E: It’s a feeling of Awe… 

The SeaPeople App

Alongside their sailing adventures, bringing up a family onboard, and creating content for over 1.9 million YouTube subscribers, Elayna and Riley have been busy with a new project – working with the Young Cruisers Association to create and launch a specialised app to connect sailors around the world. 

If you’ve watched their videos, you’ll know these two don’t shy away from talking about the rainy days, and trials of living/working/parenting on a boat. They talked to me about their experiences of seafarer’s isolation, particularly through the pandemic, and their difficulties with mental health over the years. 

It’s certainly a lesser spoken aspect of living afloat… We hear of grand dreamlike adventures and are shown remarkable photos of beautifully calm or high seas, but easily miss checking on a key component of life – connection and community. And so, it seems the SeaPeople app is an exciting step in the right direction.

“SeaPeople is an app designed to bring all the elements of the human side of boating into one place. Sharing your photos, the stats of your trips, your tracking history, and communicating with other boaters has been spread across multiple platforms for too long. SeaPeople brings it all into one place.”

E: We really needed something to connect all sailors… to organise sundowners on the beach, to see who’s around you, who’s onboard, if they’ve got pets or children, where they’re going and at what speed… like you can see the world on a beautiful world map and zoom in on anyone’s boat and ask them a question, ask them if they’ve got a spare part… It’s really for connecting all seafarers. 

R: Everyone on a boat, they’re living this crazy adventure, and everyone’s got a story to tell, that’s why everyone had a blog and these disparate websites that were popping up all over the world for each individual boat… this is a way for friends and family to jump on to see where you are, what you’ve been doing, and then to see other similar people that might be nearby’

SeaPeople: The Hail Feature

For Riley and Elayna, the most exciting part of the SeaPeople app is the ‘Hail’ feature. Unlike VHF, where if someone doesn’t hear you, or the message doesn’t get through, there is no way to find that message again, this feature of the app allows you to broadcast a message which stays out there – creating a space for community, conversation, and advice. 

E: With Starlink, now is the time for an app like this.

R: These ancient devices that we’re still using, like AIS and VHF, it’s just so necessary for this to exist now, for everyone’s safety and just conveniences. 

Download the SeaPeople App

We’re excited to announce the SeaPeople app will be available to download from 10th October this year. Visit www.seapeopleapp.com

How to Watch Sailing La Vagabonde Videos

Follow Riley and Elayna’s latest Sailing La Vagabonde adventures – www.youtube.com/sailinglavagabonde

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La Vagabonde

The family of adventurers has finally witnessed the launch of La Vagabonde, the third boat to bear this name, a brand new Rapido 60 trimaran. Mixing emotion and excitement, the crew are learning how to handle their new floating home... and facing up to the difficulties of their first voyages.

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Who: Elayna, Riley, Darwin and Lenny Where: Nha Trang, Thailand to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Multihull: Rapido 60 YouTube :  @SailingLaVagabonde

The long-awaited launch of La Vagabonde III finally arrived! Elayna and Riley took part in a traditional ceremony for their Rapido 60, which was resting comfortably on her chocks, in the company of the shipyard staff. Counterfeit banknotes were burnt, and incense and food were placed on an altar near the trimaran to grant her the protection and goodwill of the sea gods. Almost three years after announcing on their YouTube channel that they had chosen a Rapido 60 as the successor to their Outremer 45, Elayna and Riley were delighted to discover the finishing touches and layout of their new home, where they chose almost every detail. “Seeing ideas and dreams of ours come to life like this is so addictive,” says a delighted Elayna. As well as going from two to three hulls, one of the big new features for the couple is access to Starlink, an essential tool for their lifestyle as seafaring influencers: “Over the years, we’ve struggled to traverse the world as digital nomads,” she recalls, “During the early days, it was a challenge of living with my ancient laptop trying to edit whilst uploading episodes from strange offices or hotel lobbies around the world. If only the Elayna of 2015 had known just 8 years later, we’d be calling this place home…” But it was finally time to get down to business, which consisted of craning the boat up and then lifting it over the many trees that still separated it from the water. Riley climbed aboard while Elayna watched from the ground, not without apprehension: “That was terrifying for me to watch, but they did a good job,” she announced once the perilous operation was complete. It was an emotional moment for the new owners and the shipyard representatives, with a sense of relief, excitement and the start of a new adventure. The Rapido team, made up of Mark, Paul and Zam, then took charge of delivering the boat from Ho Chi Minh City to a marina in Nha Trang, where the family could begin loading their belongings on board, shipped from the States where they had been waiting since parting company with La Vagabonde II. It was also an opportunity to learn more about the trimaran from Mark... and to battle with the authorities over a visa problem for Riley and Darwin, which forced them to leave Vietnam temporarily while Elayna and the Rapido team embarked on a few short sails to detect any problems that might need sortingout. “I really wish Riley could be here, but at the same time, I’m happy he’s not because I’m learning more. It’s the default situation for the man to take charge and take the helm and crank the winches but… I’m the captain today!” smiled Elayna. For the first time, she discovered the potential of their brand new trimaran: “I was so amazed by the tacking angles we can tack through pm the Rapido, they had to be seriously close to 90°. It’s like a racing monohull, when you trying to make way that is such a huge win.” Once the visa problem had been sorted out and Riley and Darwin were back on board, it was time to leave Vietnam and head for Malaysia, still in the company of Mark, Paul and Zam. Their presence was reassuring, and a few extra hands were welcome for this first long sail, especially as the weather conditions were rather complicated: “There is a typhoon that has just come over the Philippines. The sky is so full of rain it is dumping down on us right now and there is lighting everywhere, it is so loud…” Nevertheless, these conditions enabled Riley to see the potential of the Rapido for himself: “We’re hitting a lot of 15 and 16 knots. I’m just starting to experience the power of this boat and It’s pretty incredible!” The first night at sea proved to be a difficult one. While Elayna was looking after the feverish, seasick children, the 50 knots of wind took its toll on one of the sails, and it was a struggle to secure the torn remains. “The crew was surprised by a wall of wind and water, destroying not only our external microphone but our whole staysail.” On top of that there were problems with the two engines, which wouldn’t start, and lots of water in the cabin, where one of the windows hadn’t been closed properly... Riley summed up that tumultuous first night as follows: “We did quite a good job of learning and staying alive!” The second night, which was calmer both in terms of the weather and seasickness, enabled the crew to get some rest and then take full advantage of the much more comfortable sailing conditions on the third day (8 knots over the ground in 19 knots of wind). The calmer conditions enabled Riley to resolve some battery and electric propulsion problems with the help of the equipment suppliers and the welcome presence of Starlink. The crew put in at a Malaysian marina for repairs and work, which were badly needed before they could set off again to discover Asia. To follow the adventures of the crew of La Vagabonde on their brand-new multihull, visit their YouTube channel  @SailingLaVagabonde

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This immaculate 2017 Outremer 45 has safely carried Riley, Elayna, Lenny, & Darwin as they traversed back and forth across the Atlantic for the past 6 years. The Vagabonde crew is preparing to take delivery of their new yacht, and the time has now come to allow the next owner to carry on the legacy of high-performance offshore cruising. Do you have what it takes?

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Greta Thunberg Sets Sail For Home — And The U.N. Climate Conference

Laurel Wamsley

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg waves aboard the catamaran La Vagabonde as she sets sail for Europe from Hampton, Va., on Wednesday. Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg waves aboard the catamaran La Vagabonde as she sets sail for Europe from Hampton, Va., on Wednesday.

Two and a half months after she arrived in New York Harbor, Greta Thunberg set sail back to Europe.

The 16-year-old Swede's visit to the U.S. was a barnstorming tour for our time: She had demanded of world leaders at the United Nations, "You all come to us young people for hope. How dare you?" She had marched alongside millions in the Global Climate Strike. She had rallied with thousands of fellow students in places like Iowa City . She had stood with Native American activists at Standing Rock .

And she experienced life in the U.S., a country she says plays an "incredibly important" role in fighting climate change.

"You are such a big country," she told NPR in September. "In Sweden, when we demand politicians to do something, they say, 'It doesn't matter what we do — because just look at the U.S.'

"I think you have an enormous responsibility" to lead climate efforts, she added. "You have a moral responsibility to do that."

With her steely gaze and unwavering push to make the world's adults take the necessary steps to avert further climate disaster, Thunberg has touched off a global movement with young people at the forefront.

She is now both celebrity and oracle, ascending to worldwide notice since her first "school strike for climate" in August 2018, when she protested outside Sweden's parliament instead of going to class.

She had intended to make her way to Chile for the next round of U.N. climate talks, but unrest there spurred the COP25 annual climate conference to move from Santiago to Madrid.

But she couldn't just get a different flight: Thunberg won't fly, because of air travel's outsize emissions. She needed to find a boat going her way.

She put out a request on Twitter : "It turns out I've traveled half around the world, the wrong way:) Now I need to find a way to cross the Atlantic in November... If anyone could help me find transport I would be so grateful."

November isn't exactly prime sailing season in the North Atlantic, but up popped a reply from an Australian man named Riley Whitelum: "Greta it's Riley here from Sailing La Vagabonde. If you get in contact with me I'm sure we could organise something."

Turns out, Whitelum and Elayna Carausu have a catamaran, a baby and a million subscribers following their #boatlife on YouTube .

For the next few weeks, the world's most famous climate activist will be a part of it.

So happy to say I'll hopefully make it to COP25 in Madrid. I’ve been offered a ride from Virginia on the 48ft catamaran La Vagabonde. Australians @Sailing_LaVaga ,Elayna Carausu & @_NikkiHenderson from England will take me across the Atlantic. We sail for Europe tomorrow morning! pic.twitter.com/qJcgREe332 — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) November 12, 2019

La Vagabonde is outfitted with solar panels and hydro-generators , so it has a minimal carbon footprint. Thunberg had sailed from Europe to New York on a boat, though unlike that vessel, this catamaran has a toilet.

The voyage is expected to take two to four weeks, and Thunberg hopes to reach Spain in time for the climate conference taking place Dec. 2 to 13. The boat's location can be tracked online .

As the catamaran set sail Wednesday morning from Hampton, Va., temperatures were in the 30s, and Thunberg and her fellow sailors — including her father, who traveled with her — were bundled against the cold.

Thunberg showed her typical aplomb before taking to the high seas.

"I'm looking forward to it," she told the AP, "just to be able to get away and recap everything and to just be disconnected."

She had one more message for Americans: Vote.

"We must realize this is a crisis, and we must do what we can now to spread awareness about this and to put pressure on the people in power," she told The Guardian . "The U.S. has an election coming up soon, and it's very important that for everyone who can vote, vote."

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Sailing upwind on Outremer 45 Sailing La Vagabonde — PART 01

Writer: Nikki Henderson

18th november 2019 was the fifth day of our 18-day transatlantic delivery on la vagabonde, the outremer 45. the unseasonable nature of the voyage did not disappoint; this was the fifth consecutive day of upwind sailing..

I wrote home:

“Last night the conditions were pretty rough. We had all been looking forward to a bit of relief, expecting fast reaching conditions, but the upwind sailing prevailed. It was like that moment you think you have gotten to the top of a hill, to find it was a false summit and there is still another ahead. We all know there is nothing to do in these conditions than to pull together, be safe and just get on with it – but it still tests on emotions.”

On reflection, it feels like that first week in the North Atlantic was preparation for: ‘2020: The year we sailed upwind on land.’

The introduction of new covid19 related regulations have felt like consecutive days crashing into the chop; uncomfortable, limiting, slow, relentless. With every two steps forward in mental health, plans, finances, freedom – the next news bulletin sends you one step back.

I have spent many a night watch reflecting on how blue water passages are like accelerated lessons in how to cope with the challenges of land life. From people management, to provisioning, to engineering, to self-help – sailing builds skills like resilience and adaptability in the most intense way.

This second blog was meant to be about what sailing upwind is like on an Outremer. Now, I think it might be more relevant to pull that back to earth. What lessons can sailing upwind teach us for today? How can we draw from our experiences of upwind sailing to help us find strength and positivity for the coming months?

As winter approaches in the northern hemisphere the second wave of Covid19 is building momentum and national lockdowns are looming all over the world. After a year spent running off adrenaline (storm-tactics?), I’m now tapping into my inner ‘strength for windward’ pot. This is my emergency reserve for when the weather is really, really bad.

On day five of that North Atlantic crossing we were weighed down by the responsibility and enormity of the challenge ahead of us. Svante sat down beside me that night, “Nikki tell me honestly. Is this OK? Should we turn back?”

I steadied myself in the violent upwind chop, considered all the factors, looked him in the eye, and said “yes”.

The courage to dare to feel positivity, when the easier choice is negativity, is what protects me emotionally during the tough times at sea.  The same goes for life on land…

… Each morning I take the treacherous route to my 2020 version of ‘on-deck’: ‘to the desk’.  The land ‘office’ has remarkably similar qualities to the boat version; conveniently doubling up as the dining room, living room, home-gym, and in my case also renovation workshop equipped with all the staples: Leatherman, white spirit, wet vac, mallet, drill, socket set and spare Allan keys.

Before entering, I run through my all too familiar pre-on-watch routine: coffee in hand, big breath in, big sigh out, close eyes, pause, find inner strength, buckle up life jacket (dressing gown?), step out, frigid gale force wind on your face (still no double glazing), body tenses, the bow drops over the wave landing with a gut wrenching slam (that will be upstairs neighbours doing their home workout), knees bend, icy blast of salt water spray on one cheek, that devilish trickle of water down past your ear, (home schooling gone wrong?) open your eyes, yep still here – big smile “Another day in paradise then is it?”

Optimism, with a hearty dose of realism, was our superpower on-board La Vagabonde.  It helped us leave the dock in the snow with a smile on our faces. It got us through five days of sailing upwind in the wrong direction.  It helped Riley and I find hilarity in the fifth reef of the night on a 2-on-2-off double handed watch system.  It focused my mind through the dark nights, remembering Elayna would make hot cocoa and porridge at dawn.

This superpower, should we choose to take it, will help fuel us through our own storms this winter.

–> Read part 02 here

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40.000 miles and 3 years to get from La Grande Motte to La Grande Motte

Marijke and Mark sail the Outremer 55 Great Circle.

Since its launch in 2021, the boat has sailed around the world with the GLYWO 500.

Setting off on a catamaran with the best sailing weather

When you’re getting ready to set off on a sailing trip, it’s vital to find out about the seasons and weather phenomena in your chosen sailing area. Even before choosing your cruising destination or travel itinerary, or even selecting your yacht!

Catamaran VS Monohull: what should you choose to sail around the world?

Sailing around the world is a dream come true: you discover the world to the rhythm of the wind and the stopovers, exploring new destinations every day as you sail. If you’re just starting to read this article, you’re probably nurturing this project. Are you planning to sail around the globe? Then the choice of ship for your next voyage is crucial.

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Tourist dies after losing her leg in shark attack while sailing off Canary Islands

September 18, 2024 / 12:24 PM EDT / CBS/AFP

A German tourist died after being bitten by a shark on Monday while sailing off Spain's Canary Islands , the coastguard said.

The 30-year-old woman lost a leg in the attack and died of a heart attack later while being transported in a Spanish rescue helicopter, a coastguard spokesman told AFP.

She was sailing in a British catamaran in the Atlantic some 278 nautical miles southwest of the island of Gran Canaria when the shark struck. She was attacked while swimming beside the catamaran, Reuters reported. 

Emergency services received an alert at 1255 GMT calling for a medical evacuation and sent a military plane and helicopter after also contacting the Moroccan coastguard.

The woman was taken on board the helicopter in the evening around 1800 GMT and was bound for hospital in the Gran Canaria town of Las Palmas when she died, the spokesman said.

Boat-tracking website vesselfinder.comindicated that the boat, the Dalliance Chichester, had left the port of Las Palmas on September 14.

Shark attacks are rare, with a total of 69 confirmed unprovoked attacks worldwide and  14 fatalities reported last year , according to the International Shark Attack File, which is administered by the Florida Museum of Natural History and the American Elasmobranch Society. The report noted that a "disproportionate" amount of people  died from shark bites in Australia  last year when compared with other countries, and Australia accounted for about 22% of the world's unprovoked shark attacks in 2023. 

The deadly attack comes less than a month after a shark killed a 16-year-old high school student in Jamaica.

In July, a  surfer lost his leg  after a great white shark attacked him in Australia. The month before that, surfer  Tamayo Perry died  after sustaining fatal injuries in a shark attack off the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

In January, a young fisherman diving for scallops was  killed by a shark  off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

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Woman killed in horror shark attack while sailing on catamaran near Canary Islands

The 30 year old woman, from Germany, was pronounced dead in a Spanish Air Force helicopter as she was being evacuated to a hospital in Gran Canaria

• 22:13, 17 SEP 2024

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A woman tragically lost her life after a shark attack on a catamaran, despite being rushed to a hospital in the Canary Islands. The 30 year old German national was airlifted to a Gran Canaria hospital by a Spanish Air Force helicopter but sadly succumbed to her injuries.

She was officially pronounced dead upon arrival at Doctor Negrin Hospital in Las Palmas last night. It's reported that the shark bit off her leg while she was aboard a catamaran in international waters, some 278 miles south-west of Gran Canaria's airport and approximately 110 miles east of Dakhla city in the disputed territory of Western Sahara, currently under Moroccan occupation.

The vessel she was crewing has been identified as the British-flagged Dalliance Chichester, which had departed from the Spanish holiday island on September 14. Spanish Coastguards reportedly informed their Moroccan counterparts and UK coastguards due to the origin of the catamaran.

However, local reports suggest that Moroccan authorities declined to transfer the injured woman to Rabat for emergency medical treatment. The unnamed woman was pronounced dead just after 11pm yesterday following a cardiac arrest in the Spanish military helicopter.

The shark attack is believed to have occurred around 4pm the same day. This incident follows a series of shark sightings in June that led to the closure of several Spanish resorts, with one resort forced to shut down mere hours after local officials had given tourists the all-clear to return, reports the Mirror .

Bathers were swiftly ordered out of the water at Melenara Beach on Gran Canaria's east coast after a police drone spotted a hammerhead shark off the beach.

The neighbouring Salinetas beach was next to follow suit, with Playa de San Agustin not far behind, as lifeguards raised a red flag just two hours later when a tourist snapped a photo of the unmistakable fin of a shark protruding from the water.

One of the shark sightings was reportedly made by a tourist near a sea-facing restaurant named Balcon de San Augustin.

Red Cross officials later confirmed they had also seen it.

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Russian River Cruise – Waterways of the Tsars

Updated December 14, 2017

// By Margherita

Back to Russia! Did you follow our Russian river cruise in August and September? We travelled between Moscow and St Petersburg on the Waterways of the Tsars Viking River Cruise – here’s what we got up to!

We both share a deep connection with Russia. I was named after the heroine of Master and Margarita , one of the best Russian books of the 20th century. Nick is actually of Russian ancestry – his maternal great-grandparents were from St Petersburg, and spent the best part of 50 years wandering around Europe escaping wars and revolutions, before settling in Australia .

Russia has been at the top of our travel dreams for several years , but somehow something always came up whenever we made plans to visit. Once we couldn’t get a visa on time. Another time we couldn’t get time off. Winter is too cold, summer is too hot.

This year, Russia was one of our travel resolutions . Our desire was for the trip to be special – something different from what we’d done so far. We wanted a higher level of comfort, help with visa arrangements, and a trip that would help us understand the country we longed to visit for so many years . The Waterways of the Tsars river cruise with Viking ticked all boxes, so we made arrangements for a departure from Moscow in late August.

Things to Know Before a Russian River Cruise with Viking

When we announced our friends we would be travelling on a Russian river cruise , some of them were really surprised. A CRUISE? You guys are such hardcore independent travellers! What are you doing ON A CRUISE with all those OLD PEOPLE? True, the average age on a Viking river cruise might be a fair bit higher than 35 – but really, who is to say we wouldn’t enjoy the experience?

This awesome post by One Modern Couple  really nails the point – a Viking river cruise is an experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. In their words ‘River cruises are cultural, experiential, educational and scenic. Enjoy the ride, take in the surroundings, learn about the countries you are visiting – from history to local life, food to language – and experience the destinations in a thoughtful way.’ 

Whether you’re 30, 60 or 90, it doesn’t really matter.

Secondly,  who’s to say that travelling in a group is not ‘real’ travel? We have always been (and continue to be) lovers of independent travel, but sometimes you just can’t beat the insights given to you by a local guide . Viking River Cruises offer plenty of guided tours included in the cruise price, all led by experienced local guides.

Meals were always excellent – breakfast and lunch included a combination of buffet and à la carte specialties, while dinner was always à la carte. Every day we were given the choice to sample some Russian specialties, like beef stroganoff, borsch, pelmeni, solyanka and lots of delicious desserts.

Another great plus of a Russian river cruise with Viking is that during sailing time lots of cultural activities are on offer – things like cooking demonstrations, Russian language lessons and lectures about Russian history and culture, led by the local tour escorts who were with us for the whole duration of the trip. On top of that, every day we received a briefing detailing the following day’s activities, optional excursions and that night’s menu.

Whenever we passed points of interest on the boat, such as Mother Volga statue or the sunken Kalyazin Cathedral, we were always called out on the loudspeaker to make sure we wouldn’t miss them. There was no pressure to join in any of the activities – we could spend the whole day chilling on the deck or on our veranda, looking at the beautiful colourful churches built on the riverbank, surrounded by nothing but nature.

Waterways of the Tsars – the Itinerary

The Waterways of the Tsars cruise is 13 days long, starting either in Moscow or in St. Petersburg . Most Russian river cruises had always been described to me as ‘Volga Cruises’ – in fact, our boat cruised along a variety of waterways, including the Moscow Canal, the Volga-Baltic Waterway, the Rybinsk Reservoir, Lake Onega and Ladoga (the two largest lakes in Europe) and the Neva River (the shortest in Europe!)

Here’s a map to give you an idea of the route.

Days 1-4 Moscow

Three days were barely enough to get an idea of how amazing Moscow is. Our days were packed from morning to night with tours and activities – from visiting Moscow must visits like Red Square, the Kremlin, the Moscow Metro and the Arbat, to quirky locations like the Museum of Cosmonautics , located in one of Moscow’s best districts for Communist architecture (one of our passions!)

Even though our itinerary was packed full, we managed to spend half a day touring Moscow independently , visiting some of the sights mentioned in The Master and Margarita – Patriarch’s Ponds, both Bulgakov Museums and Sparrow Hill. Let’s just say that we need to get back to Moscow soon to explore more! Meanwhile, here’s our things to do in Moscow for first timers article, detailing our Moscow visit with Viking.

Day 5 Uglich

After setting sail from Moscow, our first stop was Uglich , a cute town on the Volga River, famous for its pretty churches and for being the location of one of the darkest chapters in Russian history .

After the death of Ivan the Terrible, his youngest son and heir to the throne Dmitry was exiled to Uglich, where he was murdered at the age of 10. Suspicion fell on the tsar’s chief advisor, but Dmitry’s cause of death (i.e. throat slitting) was ruled to be an accident. This episode started a period of political unsettlement, that ended with the start of the Romanov dynasty.

We spent an afternoon around Uglich , starting with a home visit of a local family where we had the chance to try homemade grain vodka (the best we’ve had in Russia) and a variety of pickled vegetables, tea and cakes. Then, we toured the Kremlin – the word ‘kremlin’ actually means fortified city, and several Russian cities have one. Moscow’s Kremlin just happens to be the best known!

Day 6 Yaroslavl

The following morning we reached Yaroslavl , a much larger city compared to Uglich. It looked like the perfect Russian city – large enough not to get bored (there was even a cat cafe!) but small enough not to get frustrated with the traffic and crowds found in Moscow or St. Petersburg.

Our Yaroslavl visit was centred around four points of interest . The centre of Yaroslavl is located on the Strelka, a promontory formed at the confluence of the Volga and Kotorosl rivers. Our first stop was the covered market , where we tasted some local products, and then we headed to the Church of Elijah the Prophet , where we had a guided tour (and played with some cute cats). Afterwards, we visited the Governor’s Mansion , now an art gallery. We were welcomed by some beautiful ladies in period costumes, and treated to a music concert. Our final stop was the Yaroslavl Kremlin , where we admired the façade of the Dormition Cathedral, destroyed by the Bolsheviks and rebuilt and reopened in 2010 in time for Yaroslavl’s millennium celebrations.

Before heading back to the ship, we stopped at the lookout over the Millennium of Yaroslavl Park at the end of the Strelka – the flowerbed right in the centre displays a bear (Yaroslavl’s coat of arms) and the city’s age – 1006 at the time of our visit. Looking good!

Day 7 Kuzino

Kuzino is a small village in in the middle of nowhere – we visited on a chilly and rainy morning, to visit the stunning Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery , the largest in Europe. The Monastery is surrounded by walls and located on the shores of Severskoye Lake, with waters so pure that boat traffic is prohibited.

Kirillo-Belozersky was founded at the end of the 14th century, and had its heyday between the 15th and 17th century, when Russia’s tsars and noblemen (including Ivan the Terrible!) paid frequent visits and showered the monks with icons and precious gifts. Luckily the Bolsheviks spared the monastery from destruction, turning it into a museum instead. The day we visited was the feast of the Assumption and the churches were crowded with locals, but we had a lovely guided tour of the museum and time to appreciate its beautiful icons.

Day 8 Kizhi (Sailing)

Whenever travelling, you always need a plan B. Autumn was well on its way by the time we reached the northernmost section of our cruise, and we were held at a lock for the best part of one night due to thick fog . This meant we had to sail the whole day and miss out on Kizhi , a tiny island on the northern side of Onega Lake, famous for its spectacular wooden churches.

We were all disappointed when boat staff made the announcement – personally, Kizhi was one of the stops I was looking forward to the most, after reading about it on the Guardian and knowing that the site is very difficult to visit without a river cruise. However, we didn’t mind too much because we were both suffering the consequences of the previous night’s vodka tasting , organised by Frank, the hotel manager who also happened to be a real vodka connoisseur!

Viking staff were really amazing at keeping us busy during the sailing day with activities like guided tours to the wheelhouse, the room where the captain and sailors pilot the ship.

Day 9 Mandrogy

The last stop before reaching St. Petersburg was Mandrogy , a village on the banks of the Svir River, built in 1996 as a replica of a village destroyed during WW2. A Russian businessman had the idea of ‘rebuilding’ Mandrogy to provide a stop to river cruise passengers before reaching St. Petersburg. So, the village is not actually ‘real’ – it’s more of an open air museum. Cute little painted houses were built around a little forest, with people in traditional dress showcasing traditional crafts and selling souvenirs.

Those in search of souvenirs loved Mandrogy – the quality of matrioshka dolls, icons and other handicrafts was far higher than anywhere else we had been. We are not into souvenirs, but if there was a place to get something, Mandrogy would be it. The village was pretty, but it felt a bit fake for us – kind of like a tourist amusement park. Which in a way, it is.

However, we did enjoy Mandrogy for two reasons – the first was the chance to attend matrioshka painting workshop  where we decorated our own matrioshka dolls. That’s the best kind of souvenir in my opinion! The second was the delicious piroshki place where we had some delicious buttery pastries filled with green onion and egg. Just ask Viking staff and they’ll point you the way to the piroshki place!

Days 10-13 St. Petersburg

After 6 days spent cruising, covering a distance of 1800 kilometers, we made it to Saint Petersburg . We had three gorgeous sunny days, and the city dazzled us with its beauty and artistic wealth – after all, it’s UNESCO-listed ! There’s no way I can convey everything we saw and did in three days in just a couple of paragraphs, so watch this space – a St. Petersburg article is coming soon!

There are several St. Petersburg experiences already included by Viking in the tour price – a visit to the Hermitage Museum, a ballet performance, a visit to Catherine Palace in the village of Pushkin and a St. Petersburg city tour, either on foot or by bus. On top of that, we also joined some optional tours – a river cruise, a morning tour to amazing Peterhof Palace and my very own favourite, a Cossack performance!

Things to Know Before Travelling to Russia

• Make sure you sort out your Russian Visa on time . Viking Cruises helps with an invitation letter that you can use to apply for your own Russian visa at your closest consulate – the process is pretty straightforward, provided you are applying in your own country, and takes approximately 2-3 weeks.
• You can also ask Viking to sort out your Russian visa for an additional charge . This is especially convenient if you live in the US or if your hometown doesn’t have a Russian consulate.
• River cruises of Russia only run between April and October, when the waterways are not frozen. The weather can be change dramatically between Moscow and Saint Petersburg , the latter usually being much colder than the former. Make sure you check the weather reports before packing!
• English isn’t widely spoken around Russia , not even in the main cities. If you’re planning to spend some time travelling independently, learning a bit of Russian is a VERY good idea. The Russian language classes we had on board came in very handy!
• Russia’s currency is the rouble , which fluctuates quite a bit. Larger cities are full of moneychangers, and some souvenir shops (like those in Mandrogy) also accept euro and USD.

We would like to thank Viking Cruises for having welcomed us aboard the Waterways of the Tsars cruise.

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2 thoughts on “Russian River Cruise – Waterways of the Tsars”

Truly amazing place & photography! I loved the view of church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, looks awesome. I enjoyed reading. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Thank you for reading! It was a fab trip!

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