How This Couple Is Getting Paid to Sail Around the World
Riley, 33, and Elayna, 24, are out there living just about everyone’s fantasy life. They are both being paid to sail around the globe.
Both Riley and Elayna, who originally hail from Australia, held (somewhat) regular jobs before their adventures began —Riley worked on an oil rigger, while Elayna performed as a singer in Greece.
By 2013, Riley had saved just enough money to purchase a small Beneteau Cyclades yacht, which he bought in Italy and sailed to Greece, where he met with Elayna. From there, the two decided to sail the globe together and figure it out along the way.
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Since their journey began, Elayna has been diligently documenting the journey for their YouTube channel, which has now amassed more than two million followers. And those followers, the couple says, are paying for their exploits around the globe.
According to the couple, their travels are supported through the crowdfunding platform, Patreon. There, fans and followers can pledge between $1 to $100 per month to help support the couple’s video productions and travels.
As an indication of their collective success, the couple was able to upgrade their boat to a catamaran worth $677,000.
So far, the pair have covered more than 41,000 nautical miles in their quest to circumnavigate the globe. They’ve even made crossings of the Atlantic and the Pacific, while whales frolicked in their boat’s wake. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
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"I’m proud of the work and sacrifices I had to make to be able to buy my first boat,” Riley shared in a statement. "I have some incredible memories out on the water with her. I definitely didn’t have everything handed to me on a plate, but that makes our achievements all the more sweeter. For many people who watch our videos, it changes their life. We know because our viewers tell us and that’s a fantastic thing to hear.”
Riley added that a lot of blood, sweat, and tears go into producing their videos, to ensure they are “creative and thought-provoking” for their audience.
Elayna noted that their videos appear to be driving others to make the same radical life decisions. “How many people have we inspired to start sailing themselves?" She asked. "Tens of thousands. I’m not even joking. If you added together the amount of e-mails we receive, it’s staggering.”
As for others wanting to get in the game, Elayna shared this advice: “Don’t wait, just get out there and do it because it’s achievable.”
So who's up for a few sailing lessons?
