SV Delos returns to the USA
by SV Delos 28 Jul 2020 21:15 PDT
“It feels very hectic, especially coming from where we were before” is how Brian from SV Delos described his family’s return to the United States. After being secluded in a Bahamanian anchorage for four months, where they saw less than 10 people, you can imagine the culture shock from their landfall in Annapolis, MD last month.
The crew of SV Delos is often spotted wherever they go due to their internet fame on YouTube, where they have uploaded over one hundred episodes of their adventures sailing their boat Delos, an Amel Super Maramu 2000, welcoming family and friends aboard as crew.
Recently, Brian and his wife, Karin (better known as Kazza), welcomed their baby girl Sierra aboard as a permanent crew member, making their video subscribers' hearts melt and inspiring the spark of adventure in families everywhere. Sitting (or floating) at just over 550,000 subscribers, it is no surprise that they attract so much attention on the water as well as on land; but with a pandemic on the rise, the increasing number of fans looking to meet up could potentially become problematic for their crew of three, especially with a baby on board.
“Most people are really respectful and understand we have come from isolation and we’re worried about the virus,” said Brian. I’m just honest and tell them we’re freaked out about the whole virus thing and that we have a baby on board we need to think about now, people get it.”
With COVID-19 separating cruisers from their homelands more than usual, it is incredible that Delos made it back to the States so easily. Although, according to Brian, the U.S. Customs were “super nice and accommodating, no fuss,” Karin, can only be in the U.S. for a limited time since she hails from Sweden. Luckily, there are options for the cruising family. “Karin can stay for six months, we could apply for permanent residence or an extension, or we could also sail to Bermuda,” says Brian. As the saying goes: A sailor's plans are written in sand.
When they made port in Annapolis, Delos was hauled out at Bert Jabins Yacht Yard to perform routine maintenance and upkeep. They were on the hard for 12 days, and had many helping hands while executing projects. “After being in the Bahamas, Delos sailed across the Atlantic two full times, so when we got into the boatyard, it had been two years since our last haul out,” explained Brian. “In a matter of days, we got so much work done. One guy named Ryan came for a full two weeks. He would start from 7:00 am until 5:00 pm, and he didn't ask for anything. He was meticulous, a hard worker, and paid attention to detail. That was super helpful.”
With a large social following like SV Delos, it’s no surprise that an outpour of support reached the floating family. “We’ve had offers for dock spaces and moorings,” said Brian, “and our friend Jeff lent us his apartment in Annapolis.” In addition to the housing accommodations, the Delos’ crew has also been supported by fans in other ways:
"As we were sailing around port Hatteras, we were met with 30-knot headwinds going against the gulf stream, standing waves, 120-mile lee shore, our main focus was keeping Delos far offshore in case we lost sail or power and we didn’t want to lose our boat. We were on our second day of beating our brains out and we heard someone hailing us. He was calling from a homemade VHF from over 20 miles away, standing on the beach in a gale. He convinced us to head into Chesapeake Bay, make a left turn, and come into his marina. We went there and within a matter of minutes, he had brought us food, beer, a car, and there were hot showers at the dock. The kindness and generosity of this one individual eased us back into the U.S. His name was Terry, from Norfolk Virginia."
With the novel of COVID-19 continuously adding chapters and forcing people to change their plans, cruisers have to be more flexible than usual and have a plan A, B, and C ready at any time. When they are able, Delos’s current plan A is to return to the Pacific to complete their circumnavigation, a voyage they began in 2011, long before the young Sierra joined the crew. The catch, Brain and Karin want to reach the Pacific without transiting through the Panama Canal! You can follow the adventures of SV Delos on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and of course their website to stay up to date with their latest whereabouts. As they continue on their course, we wish them fair winds and following seas.