messengers of love
Piratas do Amor was started by Raissa and Christof, who met each other in 2014 during a community engagement training for young leaders in Brazil. In 2018 they sold everything they had, bought an old 33-foot sailing boat named Mintaka and moved to the ocean. With little prior knowledge in the nautical world, Raissa and Christof renovated Mintaka with their own hands and started navigating the Brazilian coast from south to north.
During their first four years at sea, the couple started prototyping a variety of expedition formats, focusing on personal development, artistic expression, community living and learning from people who are still connected to the natural world. Somewhere along the way, they started to call themselves Piratas do Amor - engl. Pirates of Love - strengthening our vision to become an itinerant training center for modern day pirates exploring new horizons of life on Earth.
In 2022 Raissa and Christof decided to take their dream to the next level. They sold Mintaka, moved to the Netherlands and enrolled at the Enkhuizer Zeevaartschool. After six months of intense studying, they concluded the theoretical part of the "Kleine Zeilvaart", a certificate enabling them to work as first mates on tall ships. In order to receive their certificate of competency, Raissa and Christof have to spend 180 days at sea, while filling out their practical task book.
While getting their "seatime" the couple is partnering up with various sailing ships in Europe and together offer opportunities for you to step aboard.
the crew
raissa teles
Raíssa is from São Paulo, Brazil, but chose the ocean as her home. She is a facilitator and pirate therapist for more than 10 years, and has guided hundreds of people on journeys of self-creation, love and reconnection to nature.
christof brockhoff
Christof was born in the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein, and as an innovation-activist, he founded Ideenkanal: the leading incubator for social enterprises in the Alps. He has over 15 years of experience as a facilitator, event organizer and consultant.
