THE SAILING UNIVERSITY LIKE NO OTHER

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TRUE ADVENTURE

THE RED SEA ADVENTURE BEGINS

Take a look at Balmacara, a Corbin 39, running downwind in the Bab Al Mandeb. There are forty-five knots of wind coming up the stern, short steep seas, blowing desert sand, and freighters in the haze welcoming us to the Red Sea.

True Adventure.

The Bab Al Mandeb lies at the southern entrance of the Red Sea and is seventeen miles wide.

This patch of water won't disappoint you if what you're looking for is adventure.

The mountains on both sides of the Bab al Mandeb create a wind acceleration zone that frequently pumps the winds up to fifty knots. And fifty knot winds in the desert would be incomplete unless they picked up some dust and created an awesome duststorm that reduces your visibility to less than a mile.

On top of that throw in a couple dozen freighters steaming by at full speed through the haze.

True Adventure.

Once you make it through the Bab, you can remain in the wind acceleration zone for as long as thirty-six hours if you are unlucky. That means a relatively sleepless night as you bounce along in the darkness with steep seas coming up your stern, or your other choice is to anchor behind a headland in Eritrea, and immediately achieve the status of illegal aliens.

True Adventure.

TSUNAMI

We chose to go the illegal alien route and anchor behind a deserted headland, Ras Terma. The last three miles to Ras Terma had 38 knots of wind on the nose, but with both Yanmars at full throttle, we put our anchor down in ten feet of water several hundred meters from the beach.

True Adventure.

Then came the full force of the sand storm. For two days, stinging sand polished our bows and collected in our cockpit. We could either sit inside the hot salon of our battened down cabin, or lounge in the cool and comfortable cockpit wearing sand goggles.

True Adventure.

TSUNAMI

When we were in Thailand planning the next leg of the circumnavigation, we had misgiving about sailing up the Red Sea. We debated whether we should sail south around the Cape of Good Hope or face the rigors, rumors, and red tape of Red Sea cruising.

We chose the Red Sea and sailed through the Bab Al Mandeb.

We had a True Adventure.

Dr. Dave


Captain Dave - David J. Abbott M.D.

Donna

Wendy

Dito

Sarah

Exit Only


See what it's like for a family to sail around the world on a small catamaran

Captain Save Our Souls

Awesome music video that captures the essence of what it's like to sail offshore in a catamaran around the world when conditions are less than perfect. David Abbott from Too Many Drummers sings the vocals, and he also edited the footage from our Red Sea adventures. This is the theme song from the Red Sea Chronicles.


Red Sea Blues

Sailing up the Red Sea is not for the faint of heart. From the Bab al Mandeb to the Suez Canal, adventures and adversity are in abundance. If you take things too seriously, you just might get the Red Sea Blues.


Red Sea Chronicles Trailer

If you like drum beats, and you like adventure, then have a listen to the Red Sea Chronicles Trailer.



Red Sea Chronicles Episode 1 - When Flying Fish Attack

Flying fish assault Exit Only in the middle of the night as we sail through the Arabian Gulf from the Maldives to Oman. And so begins our Red Sea adventures.


Red Sea Chronicles Episode 2 - Pirate Alley

Sailing through Pirate Alley between Yemen and Somalia involves calculated risk. It may not be Russian Roulette, but it is a bit of a worry. Follow Team Maxing Out as they navigate through Pirate Alley.


Red Sea Chronicles Episode 3 - Aden, Yemen

Stopping in Yemen was just what the doctor ordered. We refueled, repaired our alternator, and we made friends with our gracious Yemeni hosts. We also went to Baskins Robbins as a reward for surviving Pirate Alley.


Red Sea Chronicles Episode 4- Gate of Sorrows and Sandstorms

After you survive Pirate Alley, you must sail through the Gate of Sorrows (Bab Al Mandab) at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Gate of Sorrows lived up to its name with fifty knots of wind and a sandstorm that pummeled Exit Only for two days. Life is good.


Patreon - Maxing Out

Captain Dave and his family spent eleven years sailing around the world on their Privilege 39 catamaran, Exit Only. During the trip, the crew shot 200 hours of video with professional cameras to show people what it's like to sail on a small boat around the world.

The Red Sea Chronicles is a one hour and twenty-two minute feature film showing their adventures as Exit Only sails through Pirate Alley in the Gulf of Aden and up the Red Sea. The professional footage documents their experiences in Oman, Yemen, Eritrea, Sudan, Egypt, and the Suez Canal. It chronicles the rigors of traveling in a remote section of the world rarely visited by cruisers. Exit Only dodges Yemeni pirates, fights a gale and sand storms in the Bab al Mandeb at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The crew explores deserted islands on the western shores of the Red Sea, and learns to check the cruising guides for land mines before venturing ashore.

The Red Sea Chronicles also has outstanding Special Features including an Instructional Video on Storm Management that tells sailors how to deal with storms at sea.

And don't forget the two Music Videos: "The Red Sea Blues", and "Captain - Save Our Souls".

The Red Sea Chronicles is a first class adventure that stokes the sailing dreams of both experienced and wannabe sailors alike.

Red Sea Chronicles


Save A Tree Bookstore

Although I like the feel of a paper book in my hand, I love trees even more. When people purchase an eBook, they actually save trees and save money as well. Ebooks are less expensive and have no negative impact on the environment. All of Dr. Dave's books are available at Save A Tree Bookstore. Visit the bookstore today and start putting good things into your mind. It's easy to fill your mind with positive things using eBooks. No matter where you are or what you are doing, you can pull out your smart phone or tablet and start reading. You can even use electronic highlighters and make annotations in your eBooks just like paper books.