YouTube videos of SV Delos

By Rick Ruffin

Brian Trautman has done a lot since leaving Seattle more than seven years ago.

Whether it means weathering 10 meter seas in the Indian Ocean, exploring the remotely populated Chagos Archipelago in the sea that goes by the same name, or watching and filming his brother Brady as he teaches the viewer how to make alcohol from sugar and yeast, Mr. Trautman has come a long way. And he has even farther to go.

With his girlfriend Karin from Stockholm, Sweden, brother Brady, and the current slew of adventurous young souls, Mr. Trautman defies the odds, bringing us adventure after adventure taking place in the most idyllic places the world has to offer, and all offered to the viewer through a heavy presence on social media.

Diving in Indonesia, fishing in the Bay of Carpentaria, getting charged by a barracuda somewhere in the Indian Ocean; exploring remote islands in northern Australia; chasing the bar scene in Phuket, Thailand; hanging out with wild animals in Cape Town, South Africa; feeling rich after plundering the ATM machines in Madagascar (about 10,000 Malagasy ariary equals $3); or just chilling as another day passes, SV Delos has it all.

SV Delos is the name of his boat, and the videos are on YouTube, or on Facebook and Instagram sites. This sailboat that has been making circumnavigations of the world now for more than seven years, and the crew often compete with each other to see who will come on board next.

When the former software engineer and captain of the SV Delos walked into Bellevue Public Library more than seven odd years ago, Trautman knew little ― if anything ― about sailing. Armed with a bunch of classic books for inspiration, such as "The Long Way" by Bernard Moitessier, "Three Years in a Twelve-foot Boat," (a chronicle of the author's discovery of South America) by Stephen G. Ladd, Robin Lee Graham's "Dove," and "The Essential Guide to Blue Water Cruising" by Beth Leonard and more, Trautman embarked on yet another journey, and never looked back. He bought a boat that could handle the waters of Puget Sound. His next purchase would be bigger. Eventually, he took to the high seas.

With more than one million past and potential followers, and a pervasive presence on social media, the former software engineer has proven that he and the crew of the SV Delos are unsurpassed when it comes to making videos documenting the beauty and wonders of the natural-and not so natural-world. The videos are now a full time job that require the editing skills of one or more of the crew and also serve as a much needed form of revenue for the crew, the boat, the supplies and more.

Just the cameras read as a list of all the best lenses and electronic circuitry the world has to offer. Add to this drones, those amazing flying machines that enable us all to view the sailors from the remote perspective of an eagle, or fish hawk. No, make that an albatross.

Lest we forget, this is a travel site. Taylor Steel reminds us that "Life is like a book, and those who do not travel read only the first page." But it is a travel site full of beauty, humor and inspiration. And the crew of the SV Delos are forever encouraging the viewers to follow in their tracks.

In this day and age where few people have time for anything but making money or dreaming about making money, SV Delos is a breath of fresh air. They are telling us to slow down, to enjoy life, to appreciate the natural beauty of things, to savor the moment, and to live in the present. If we do not have the present, after all, what do we have?

If you wish to vicariously experience some of the pleasures of life, until you have the resources and courage to lay it all on the line, I urge you to try fitting SV Delos into the search engine. You cannot go wrong.

Rick Ruffin is writing from Brazil. Write to rick―ruffin@yahoo.com

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