Sailing La Vagabonde is a YouTube channel run by the vlogging couple Elayna Carausu and Riley Whitelum. They chronicle their family’s daily life sailing the world’s oceans on their boat La Vagabonde, which has traveled about 30,000 nautical miles. As of 2023, Sailing La Vagabonde has a net worth of $2 million.
Background
Riley Whitelum is from Kimba, South Australia. He was born on May 26, 1984, making him 37 years old at the time of writing. Elayna Carausu hails from Perth, Western Australia. She was born on July 30, 1993, which makes her 28.
Before the two met up, Elayna worked multiple jobs to save up for her plan to travel the world. On the other hand, Riley worked in the mining industry at an offshore drilling rig for four years and saved up $100,000 to buy a boat.
After buying the original La Vagabonde, a monohull, Riley sailed to Greece. There, he met Elayna, who was working as a guitar player at the time. They found out they had a lot in common. Thus, not long after, they dated and decided to travel the world together.
YouTube Career
In 2014, the Sailing La Vagabonde YouTube channel was created. They started when Elayna found a camera lying around the boat. She started filming, editing, and sharing their adventures.
At first, they made videos for their friends and family back home. But their content attracted more subscribers than they expected. So, they started uploading more frequently.
The sailing duo created a Patreon page, which helped them purchase the second La Vagabonde, a catamaran worth £500,000 or about $638,000. This became their most recognized boat that helped them reach different countries and obtain 1.7 million subscribers.
Other Endeavors
Elayna and Riley have sailed one Pacific ocean crossing and four Atlantic ocean crossings. Among their travels is the iconic voyage of the young environmental activist Greta Thunberg across the North Atlantic.
This helped the two content creators get global exposure. They got more subscribers on YouTube and Patreon. With this, they announced their plan to get their third sailboat.
The first La Vagabonde is currently listed for sale. Their current ride may soon have the same fate. In 2021, the La Vagabonde sailors stated that they have their eyes on a boat model called “Rapido 60”.
Net Worth and Earnings
It is reported that the couple makes $167,000 annually from their channel’s Adsense. However, they occasionally remind their viewers that most of their success comes from their loyal Patreon supporters.
With over 3,800 Patrons, Elayna and Riley earn $2.27 million every year from the crowdfunding site. There’s also their merch that’s estimated to make them $110,800 per year. Lastly, they sell a $49 sailing guide on their website. This is why they have a $2 million fortune.
Personal Lives
Perhaps one of the main reasons that Carausu and Whitelum are upgrading to a bigger boat is their expanding family. They are raising two young boys, Lenny and Darwin, on their yacht. Nowadays, La Vagabonde are sailing around Australia. Currently, Riley and Elayna are not married and remain in a de facto relationship.
