God in his mercy made it impossible for people to pack their bags full of stuff and take it with them when they transition to the far side of eternity.
Billionaires like Bezos, Gates, and Musk would love to load freight trains of stuff to take with them on their journey to the other side.
The Egyptian Pharaohs loaded their tombs with bling and burdens to take with them on their journey into the next world. They had lots of gold, jewelry, chariots, and boats for use on the other side.
The first Chinese Emperor attempted a similar thing taking with him a Terracotta Army made up of more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, 150 cavalry horses, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians - all stuff that he felt would be useful on the far side of eternity.
After seven decades of life, I feel secure in stating that you can’t take it with you. If the richest and most powerful people on planet Earth couldn’t take it with them, there is zero chances that it would work for me.
That relieves me of the burden of having to accumulate massive amounts of wealth this side of eternity. There is no need to pack my bags when it’s time to go.
On this side of eternity, I have a different question to answer.
Should I work my fingers to the bone so I can take it all with me on my adventures?
I was born into a materialistic society in which more was better and it was impossible to get enough. I was taught that the person with the most toys wins.
My experience has been different. In the world where I live, less is more.
I read an article that recounted the experience of an American couple who purchased an offroad vehicle sight unseen in Australia, then they flew to Australia and set off on an adventure in the Australian outback. They loaded their clothes, a cooler, their personal gear, and they drove an unmodified vehicle in the outback. They didn’t take off in the ultimate overland vehicle with tons of expensive gear and modifications. It was a bling free trip without any posing gear.
Their article took me back to my roots of traveling in my Land Rover Defenders where less is more.
I had three Land Rover Defenders in Saudi Arabia, and I camped between sixty to ninety nights a year in the desert. My Defenders had a roof rack, sand ladders, a snatch strap and camping gear. I could carry 13 jerry cans of fuel and travel for a week at a time and up to a thousand kilometers offroad. We had no bling or posing gear. We were lean and mean, we traveled light, and we traveled far. I never had a desire to take it all with me when I headed into deep desert on an expedition in my Defenders. Less was definitely more.
When I sailed around the world on my Catamaran, Exit Only, I sailed under the flag of Less Is More.
I had a basic catamaran without bling and posing gear. We were not a floating condominium, and we had an awesome voyage without having it all.
We were not trying to take everything with us, and we were not trying to replicate a shoreside lifestyle. We had simple systems on a basic catamaran.
The purpose of this homily is to ask if adventures are better when I take everything with me?
Should I delay setting off on a voyage until I have the perfect cruising yacht with all the bells and whistles? Should I spend my resources on creating the ultimate sailing vessel, or should I take off and spend my resources on simply having an unforgettable adventure?
Do I need a floating condominium that has every convenience and system known to man? Would I be better off setting sail in a yacht that does not have it all. Can I still have an awesome adventure if I don’t take everything with me?
We are in a watershed moment in the history of sailing offshore.
One contingent wants to have it all and to take it all with them.
The other contingent is more interested in the adventure than the style in which it is conducted.
I have thought about these things a great deal as I decide what I want to do with the rest of my life as well as on the next adventure.
Do I want to have it all and take it all with me, or do I want to travel lean and mean?
Do I want to spend my resources on Exit Only, or do I want to spend those same resources on actually going somewhere and doing something unforgettable?
By modern standards, I have a basic catamaran that can take me anywhere I want to go as long as I don’t need to have it all, and I don’t try to take it all with me.
I have decided that it’s not about the yacht, it’s about the adventure.
It’s not about replicating a shoreside lifestyle on a floating condominium.
Nope. It’s about the adventure.
If I want to travel far, I need to travel light.
Less is more.
Simple is good.
Freedom is awesome.
I have had a taste of freedom, and nothing else will do.
Captain Dave
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.
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.
