WHEN CHUBASCOS COLLAPSE
We had a gust front from a Chubasco come through at about 3 am.
An area of convection on the mainland collapsed just before midnight, and it sent out a bow wave of thunderstorms and disturbed air over the Sea of Cortez. Although the collapsing Chubasco did not significantly cross into the sea, It’s effects were noticed and felt more than a hundred miles away.
The bow wave started as a patch of weak thunderstorms that became progressively weaker as they crossed the sea. By the time they reached us in Isla Coronados, the bow wave had broken up and we had a few minutes of wind gusts recorded on one boat at a maximum of 36 knots. Exit Only had only about 20 to 25 knots of wind max.
We don’t have access to weather radar covering that part of the Sea of Cortez, but if we did, we might have seen a pattern on radar called a bow echo that’s is associated with significant thunderstorms traveling in an organized fashion for many miles.
There is at type of storm called a Derecho where winds spread out mainly in a straight direction for more than a hundred miles.
I don’t know if we had a Bow Echo or a Derecho, but there certainly was a bow wave of wind and clouds created by the collapse of a chubasco on the mainland more than 100 miles away.
The bow wave made it across the Sea of Cortez in slightly over two hours, and the remnants of it required another 30 to 45 minutes to reach Isla Coronados.
Very interesting.
There’s a lot more to Chubascos than the big red area of convection on enhanced infrared imagery that we see nightly over the mainland. When a thunderstorm tops out at 70,000 feet altitude, and the storm collapses, the descending wind sends a bow wave of clouds out over the Sea of Cortez that travels more than a hundred miles in a couple of hours.
When a Chubasco bow wave crosses the sea in two hours, you are easily looking at 35 - 40 knots of wind, because that’s how fast the gust front is moving. You could easily see more than 50 knots out in the middle of the sea.
When sailing offshore in Chubasco Land, you have to understand that the bow wave from a Chubasco can knock your socks off when there is no Chubasco in sight.
Lesson learned.
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.
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.
If you like drum beats, and you like adventure, then have a listen to the Red Sea Chronicles Trailer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Join Team Maxingout as they sail through Pirate Alley and up the Red Sea
See what it's like to cruise on a catamaran before you spend a bazillion dollars purchasing one
After watching the Red Sea Chronicles you will be able to see yourself sailing on the ocean of your dreams
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