Everything You Always Wanted To Know
Joshua Smith
Founder and Editor at Cruising Freedom
This is the definitive guide on Sailing Uma for 2023.
Over the last 18 months, I have spent 75 hours watching and researching everything I could about Sailing Uma as a fan of their channel.
I resonate a ton with their story!
So I’m going to share:
➔ How this couple afforded their awesome little sail boat
➔ How they make their money today
➔ What boat they have and its upgrades
➔ How you can start crossing oceans
My friend, you’ve definitely come to the right place.
Before we start, a quick introduction from me…
The Cruising Freedom Author
Ahoy, Matey! I’m Joshua from Australia.
I’ve built the perfect business to sail the world.
A business model which can allow me to:
➜ Own a catamaran debt-free
➜ Go for weeks without WIFI
➜ Create semi-passive income
➜ Inspire others to dream big
But more on that later… 🙂
Sailing Uma FAQs (April 2023)
Boat Name
S/V Uma
Crew Members
Dan Deckert (age 35) from Canada
Kika Mevs (age 33) from Haiti. The baby you see in her videos isn’t hers. Project Atticus with their newborn often joins Uma for adventures.
Maya is the new crew member who doesn’t have a boyfriend. She is one of Dan’s best friends from his high school days.
The Boat
Sailing vessel Uma is a 1972 Pearson 36 sailing yacht. The boat is 36-feet long and 12-feet wide.
Upgrades
Dan and Kika have extensively refitted their sailboat which was a massive undertaking which was highly praised by the YouTube sailing community.
Upgrades include:
➔ A used electric forklift motor (I remember how many in the YouTube comments section said it couldn’t be done!)
➔ Extensive plumbing and galley refit
➔ New anchor chain
➔ New head and shower
➔ New B&G GPS/autopilot
Location
They are currently in Europe.
Past Cruising
Dan and Kika have sailed extensively through:
➔ The United States
➔ The Bahamas
➔ Haiti (Kika’s home country)
➔ The Caribbean
➔ US Virgin Islands
➔ British Virgin Islands
➔ Norway (on a friends boat)
➔ Iceland and Scotland
Affording It
Dan and Kika worked hard, saved hard (Dan’s construction business paid well) and sold many belongings to afford their yacht, costing $7,000.
They poured every single dollar into their yacht build and lived on board while they were renovating it.
Net Worth
While YouTube cruisers are typically wealthy, this isn’t the case here.
As of 2023, Sailing Uma has a net worth of $670,000 USD.
This is based on the value of their yacht and online business.
Making Loot
It’s no secret that Sailing Uma’s crew makes money through cruising.
Together, Dan and Kika make $7,500 per month through:
➔ $15/month membership to their website ‘The Vault’
➔ Ad-revenue earned on their YouTube channel
➔ Product sponsorship via sailing product companies
➔ Donations through their Patreon account
Their outgoings are only around $5,000 per month, so they’ve been able to save a little along the way.
Collaborations
Sailing Uma have not collaborated with any other popular YouTubers at this time.
That said, I have seen them commenting on various other channels. They give a lot of appreciation towards those who restore old boats.
Big Moments
Sailing Uma have had many big moments:
➔ Dan proposed to Kika in the mountains
➔ Surviving a hurricane at anchor
➔ Swimming naked at nighttime
➔ Suffering several knockdowns
➔ Using their electric motor for the last few years (the naysayers said it couldn’t be done!)
Future Plans
Sailing Uma are having some epic adventures!
They’re likely going into the Mediterranean next year after this colder period.
Key Takeaways
Here is what we can learn from Sailing Uma:
➔ Use the resources you already have available
➔ Electric forklift motors can and do work well
➔ Your plans can change literally at any time
➔ Stop waiting around to get your big chance
Conclusion
Saliing Uma’s most popular message is….
‘Don’t buy a couch!‘ and I totally agree.
Life is short. Use what you have. Be brave.
And get out there and follow your dreams! (as cheesy as that sounds!)
Create Your Own Cruising Freedom
Hey! 😃 it’s Joshua again…
I am obviously inspired by Uma and their travels…
Some say I’m obsessed, but sailing the world is my childhood dream.
They’re living the dream, but that dream isn’t actually that far away.
I mentioned earlier about discovering the #1 cruising business model.
With this exciting opportunity, I’ll be able to:
➜ Generate a sustainable full-time income through learning basic skills
➜ Fund the purchase of my first sailing catamaran without any loans
➜ Do it without selling to friends and family (I found a better solution!)
➜ Share my lifetime passion for sailing, cruising and global adventures
Keen to discover more? Jump on the free training right now. 👨🏻💻
(I share more about it on the next page…🙂)