Everything You Always Wanted To Know
Joshua Smith
Founder and Editor at Cruising Freedom
This is the definitive guide on Sailing Zatara for 2023.
Over the last 4ish years, I have spent 70+ hours watching and researching everything I could about everyone’s favorite YouTube sailing family.
I love their channel! Keith, Renee and their 4 cruising kids have really inspired me a ton!
And so, you’re about to discover:
➔ How Sailing Zatara afforded their boat
➔ How they make their money today
➔ What boat they have and its upgrades
➔ How you can start crossing oceans
This is going to be one incredible article!
But 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 Zatara FAQs (April 2023)
Boat Name
S/V Zatara
Crew Members
Keith Whitaker (age 51)
Renee Whitaker (age 47)
Anna Whitaker (age 19)
Jack Whitaker (age 18)
Finn Whitaker (age 14)
Kate Whitaker (age 13)
They have another older daughter (Tait Whitaker-Cargo, aged 26) who hasn’t sailed with the family as she is already married and with two children.
Interestingly enough, Jack Whitaker recently started his own YouTube channel, providing a unique insight into cruising as a teenager:
Jack is single but dated previously.
While Jack has his own channel, that pales in comparison to his younger brother Finn Whitaker (150,000 subscribers) who appeals to a younger audience:
And well, Finn just has better content over all! 😂
And no, Finn Whitaker does NOT have a girlfriend.
In his words “I think teenage romance is kinda stupid. You’re dating to break up basically unless you get married which is highly unlikely. So relationships don’t really work on a sailboat”
Both brothers have discussed personal finance. Neither Jack or Finn have made much money from their channels, apart from ads on their videos, but it’s probably around $700/month which is still better than most adults!
The Boat
Sailing Zatara owns a 2009 Privilege 585 Catamaran with a 4-cabin layout.
Previously they owned a Beneteau 55-foot monohull which they later sold as it was a little too small and somewhat unsuited to crossing large oceans.
Fun fact: I was kayaking past the Mooloolaba marina recently and went past their old yacht on the dock!
Upgrades
Sailing Zatara have upgraded their catamaran with:
➔ Upgraded B&G electronics
➔ New Highfield Dinghy
➔ Movie projector for the kids
Location
Sailing Zatara are in Europe after undertaking their most dangerous crossing yet as they sail along the Somali Coastline:
Past Cruising
Sailing Zatara has explored in:
➔ The United States
➔ The Caribbean
➔ The Bahamas
➔ The Marquesas and Fiji
➔ Australia and New Zealand
Their biggest crossing is the Pacific crossing making it their longest time at sea.
Affording It
Keith and Renee didn’t come from a rich family nor did they have well-paying jobs. Keith had a long-term career in the oil industry.
However, they did have some equity in their home and some of Keith’s investments paid off well, so they were able to eventually sell their house and afford their first sailboat which cost $257,000 USD.
From there, they began producing YouTube videos and with the revenue, were able to buy their 2nd sailboat for $590,000 USD a mere 2 years later.
Net Worth
YouTube cruisers are typically multi-millionaires!
Sailing Zatara has a net worth of $1,900,000 USD.
This is based on the value of their boat, investments and business income.
Making Loot
They make a full-time living at sea which is earned through:
➔ Amazon affiliate links under their YouTube videos
➔ PayPal and Patreon donations from their audience
➔ $10/month membership to their Facebook group
➔ Sailing Zatara ‘Let It Flow Away’ merchandise
➔ Homeschool education for other sailing families
It’s estimated that Sailing Zatara makes $17,000/month through their engaging YouTube content.
Collaborations
Sailing Zatara have featured with these other YouTube channels:
While they haven’t met in person, the Whitaker family has a good friendship with Sailing Nahao and they met David Shih at a recent boat show.
Fun fact: David is also a friend of mine.
They have also featured numerous other smaller channels and seek out other cruising families to keep the kids entertained while home-schooling.
Big Moments
Sailing Zatara have had numerous cool moments:
➔ Coming across Lady Erel 2 stuck on a reef
➔ Being at sea for 30-days as a family of 4
➔ Having Anna leave the boat for college
➔ Keith getting into heated arguments with Australian government quarantine officials 😅
➔ Having Jack’s internet girlfriend on board
➔ Keith accidentally ran over Anna and she went to hospital
So the most dangerous that has happened…actually happened off the boat! I applaud them for avoiding the click-bait drama that other channels often create.
Future Plans
Sailing Zatara have just completed a half-circumnavigation around Australia, have left and are now adventuring in Africa and soon Europe!
Key Takeaways
We can learn from Sailing Zatara that:
➔ Teenagers can still sail globally with their parents
➔ Use the resources you have available to go sailing
➔ Don’t be afraid to change your plans on a whim
➔ Such very precious moments cannot be bought
Conclusion
Keith and Renee didn’t wait until Kate was off to college before going off cruising. Instead, they used the resources they have, invested wisely, sold their house and made their dream happen and all without the fluff.
So to the cruisers with older kids who aren’t so sure, it’s definitely possible!
The Whitaker’s talk more about their journey here:
Create Your Own Cruising Freedom
Hey! 😃 it’s Joshua again…
I’ve been very inspired by the Whitakers 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…🙂)
