Channel: Sailing La Vagabonde Who: Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu, Australia Subscribers: 2M (as of 24 October 2026) Niche: sailing around the world as a couple, now a family of four
Sailing La Vagabonde started with a man who had bought a yacht he didn't really know how to sail, and a camera he couldn't be bothered to use. More than a decade later the channel has 2 million subscribers and 727 videos, and from early on it has been funded in part by the people watching it.
Riley Whitelum grew up in Cowell, South Australia. On the couple's own site he says he worked for eight years offshore in oil and gas in Western Australia as a rigger, saving up for his first sailboat. He wanted to "escape the rat race" and was tired of living out of backpacks. A boat meant he could see the world and take his house with him.
He bought La Vagabonde, a 2007 Beneteau Cyclades, in Italy and set off around the Mediterranean single-handed, learning as he went. He told SAIL magazine in 2017 that it was a steep learning curve: the first time he unfurled the headsail, he didn't know how to furl it back in.
Elayna Carausu grew up in Geraldton, Western Australia, and loved scuba diving, travel, guitar and singing. In June 2014 she was working as a musician on the Greek island of Ios when she met Riley in the village. A few weeks later he asked if she wanted to join him for "a month long island hopping adventure." She said yes.
On board she noticed a DSLR camera lying in the corner of the saloon. Riley told her his mum had wanted him to take photos and videos but he couldn't be bothered, so she was welcome to use it. Elayna started filming to share the trip with friends and family back home. After their first couple of viral videos, she writes, they decided to give "this whole YouTuber thing a crack."
The turning point wasn't a viral hit. It was going broke. Riley told SAIL magazine that when they ran out of money and hauled the boat out to go back to work, viewers suggested they set up a crowdfunding page. "We were hesitant at first but began to realize that people just wanted the opportunity to thank us for sharing this unique experience."
That fan support, through Patreon, has helped fund their sailing and their videos ever since, alongside YouTube itself. By 2017 they had moved from the Beneteau to an Outremer 45 catamaran, negotiated at a discount on the back of the channel's success. Between 2014 and 2022 the pair sailed more than 100,000 miles, including four Atlantic crossings and one Pacific crossing.
In November 2019 Sailing La Vagabonde made headlines worldwide when Riley and Elayna, with their young son Lenny, offered Greta Thunberg a lift back across the Atlantic. She sailed with them from Virginia and arrived in Lisbon on 3 December 2019, after a three-week voyage, on her way to the UN climate conference in Madrid.
They now have two children, Lenny and Darwin. In 2023 they launched a new boat, a Rapido 60 trimaran. Their channel banner promises new videos every fortnight, and the business has grown beyond YouTube: the SeaPeople sailing app, Vagabonde Adventures sailing holidays and coaching, and children's books written by Elayna. As of 24 October 2026 the channel had 2 million subscribers and 727 videos.
Riley and Elayna didn't plan a business model. Their viewers handed them one. When the money ran out, the people who loved the videos asked for a way to keep the voyage going. Fans who feel part of a journey want to help pay for the next leg, and a direct line to those fans can matter more than any single viral video.
You don't need 2 million subscribers to set that up. On Yaff you can share voyage updates, photo dumps, videos and ebooks behind monthly tiers, take tips, and talk to supporters in group chats and DMs. Starter is free with a 5% platform fee, and payouts go to your bank daily via Stripe. Start your free Yaff page, see pricing, or read how Sailing Uno turned a big trip into an ebook. More for boat and van creators: Yaff for sailing and van life.
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Australian couple Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu have filmed their life at sea since meeting in Greece in 2014, now sailing with their two children. 2 million subscribers as of 24 October 2026.
See latest videos and updatesSee what fans think of Sailing La Vagabonde on Fan Town.
Australian couple Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu, who now sail with their two children, Lenny and Darwin. They met in June 2014 on the Greek island of Ios, where Elayna was working as a musician, and started the channel that year.
He worked offshore in oil and gas in Western Australia as a rigger for eight years to save for his first sailboat, a 2007 Beneteau Cyclades he named La Vagabonde. He was learning to sail as he went.
The channel, youtube.com/@SailingLaVagabonde, had 2 million subscribers and 727 videos as of 24 October 2026.
From YouTube and fan support on Patreon. Riley told SAIL magazine in 2017 that when they ran out of money, viewers suggested crowdfunding. They also run the SeaPeople app, Vagabonde Adventures sailing holidays and Elayna's children's books.
Yes. On Yaff you can sell voyage updates, photo dumps, videos and ebooks behind monthly tiers, take tips, and chat with supporters. Starter is free with a 5% platform fee. Optional Creator ($19/mo) and Pro ($99/mo) plans drop the platform fee to 0%. Payouts are daily via Stripe.
Written by Nicole Fougere
Welcome to my Yaff page! I am a Co-Founder here at Yaff where our goal is to help you fund your sporting journey and adventures with Yaff to make your dreams...
