CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

TIME TO UPGRADE? WILL BRUTON DISCOVERS WAYS TO FUTURE-PROOF YOUR YACHT THAT IMPROVE LIFE ON BOARD – AND ARE KINDER TO THE PLANET

When Brian Trautman bought a 53ft Amel Super Maramu in 2008 he had little intention of living aboard for ten years. But after putting 70,000 miles under the keel, visiting 46 countries and creating over 200 YouTube videos on the incredibly popular channel SV Delos he and the Delos crew were considering making a change.

“When we visited the Amel yard, we sparked a lot of speculation that we were looking for a new boat. We were considering it, but it certainly wouldn’t be a quick decision. It forced us to think long and hard about what our plans were,” explains Brady Trautman, Brian’s brother, long-time Delos crew member (and current skipper while Brian takes some parental leave).

They still aren’t ruling out a ‘Delos 2.0,’ but rapidly realised that one of the most valuable assets of the 18-year-old Amel was just how well they knew her. They decided to stick with what they know and instead begin a series of experiments to optimise and modernise the boat instead.

OLD DOG, NEW TRICKS

Knowing the boat so well is at the crux of the technology choices the Trautmans have installed and battle-tested over the past two seasons.

“We weren’t aiming to prove that this is right for every boat, we just wanted to make practical improvements that made sense for us and we’re in the fortunate position of being able to share the experiment widely so others can learn [from us],” explains Brady.