Who are the top 10 YouTube sailing channels going into 2026?
- Lyall Burgess
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Last year at this time we published a post on the top 10 YouTube sailing channels going into 2025 (by number of subscribers) and it sits at the top as our most popular news post to date! It was much more read than the news posts about Tax Credits, solar panel efficiency and new solar panel factories! So, we've decided to look at these numbers again...
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Of course, there are plenty of ways to analyze the numbers & popularity of a YouTube sailing channel (from audience retention, average watch time or returning v. new viewers) but we say hats off to them all: the OGs & the up and coming! You are all working hard and helping to raise the interest in sailing & the cruising lifestyle.
As of January 13th, 2026 the top 10 list of YouTube sailing channels (by number of subscribers):
Top 10 YouTube sailing channels
Sailing Channel | Year started | No. of subscribers | 1yr change | |
1 | 2014 | 1,960,000 | +30,000 (1.5%) | |
2 | 2010 | 973,000 | +71,000 (7.8%) | |
3 | 2016 | 725,000 | +42,000 (6.1%) | |
4 | 2010 | 688,000 | +47,000 (7.3%) | |
5 | 2016 | 621,000 | +7,000 (1.1%) | |
6 | 2020 | 487,000 | +7,000 (1.4%) | |
7 | 2020 | 453,000 | +31,000 (7.3%) | |
8 | 2015 | 435,000 | +7,000 (1.6%) | |
9 | 2018 | 398,000 | +51,000 (14.7%) | |
10 | 2022 | 377,000 | +158,000 (72%) |
Let us know if we missed your favorite sailing channel and the top 10 list needs correcting?
It's pretty interesting that the top 10 remains unchanged, just a switch in position between Sailing Nahoa and Sailing Uma, with Sailing La Vagabonde still holding the top spot. If you want a reminder of how it looked in 2025 click the button below. This time we added the year the channel started which helps highlight that age of the channel is a big factor for the OG guys. Note also the increase in subscribers in the past year with Lauren Landers smashing it almost with a 72% increase in subscribers!
Keep an eye out for the channels in the table below who are hot on the tail of the top ten:
Sailing Channel | Year Started | No. of subscribers |
Alluring Arctic Sailing | 2018 | 372,000 |
Spear It Animal | 2022 | 319,000 |
NBJS | 2025 | 282,000 |
Sam Holmes' Sailing | 2019 | 281,000 |
Sailing Miss Lone Star | 2015 | 270,000 |
Hats off to all the sailing YouTube channels, both well established and up and coming, I believe they each bring a good side to sailing & cruising and helping bring a glimpse of that lifestyle to new boaters. Personally I'm not sure how they manage to do it all. When we lived aboard we would often joke whilst in a variety of precarious situations (eg loading the dinghy up with 4 weeks of groceries or when dragging anchor in the Bahamas) that "I'm glad we're not filming all of this drama for YouTube!"
Also be sure to check out Young Cruisers Association and the SeaPeople app to stay in touch with fellow cruisers.
Give us a call we always love to chat solar & sailing. Aloha Lyall & Katie
