MEXICAN CONCRETE - LET THE BOULDERING BEGIN
Baja California is a desert with scant foliage along its shores which means the geology of Baja lies bare before your eyes.
In the southern Sea of Cortez, the mountains rise out of the sea, and at the base of the mountains is God’s Mexican Concrete.
Modern civilization is constructed of concrete. Sky scrapers of the world have concrete foundations and concrete rises up to meet the sky until steel beams replace the concrete.
Concrete normally is a mixture of small stones and rocks suspended in an indestructible matrix. Mexican concrete is completely different.
Massive boulders are suspended in a rough, granular matrix creating a conglomerate rock unlike anything I have seen anywhere else on planet earth.
The matrix suspending the rocks is actually soft as evidenced by the fact that Mother Nature erodes the matrix leaving huge rocks suspended and protruding out of sheer cliffs along the shore. You have to see it to believe it.
Those stones and boulders sticking out of the rock walls would be an easy place to practice bouldering if you are a novice rock climber. Toe holds and hand holds stick out from the matrix for 2 to 12 inches, and the most novice climber could easily ascend the rock wall.
The conglomerate matrix is so soft that numerous intrusions of magma extend through fissures and faults in the rock. The intrusion had to have happened millions of years ago because there are no visible lava flows on the surface. The lava intrusions are not that surprising as there is an extinct volcanic island 40 miles north of our anchorage. If I had a time machine, I would go back into the past and watch the volcano spew its lava and send distant intrusions into the neighboring soft conglomerate.
The conglomerate looks just like rocks lying on the ground, but if you walked over and gave any of the rocks a kick, you better be wearing steel toed shoes, because that rock is not going anywhere. It is firmly held by the matrix.
The downside of conglomerate cliffs along the coast is the presence of large chunks of rocks that break off and fall into the sea. It creates an unsafe shore for those who want to get up close and personal with the cliffs by boat because the rocks are scattered irregularly in the water at the base of the cliffs.
On the positive side, those large boulders give a place for fish to breed, feed, and hide, which means they are a good place to go fishing. You simply need to pay attention to the boulders as you troll along the rocks, or the boulders will eat your lures. I have been there and done that.
I would love to be present when God’s Mexican Concrete decides to plunge into the sea. I imagine there would be a loud cracking noise like a gunshot as the conglomerate separates from the cliff with a mini-tsunami happening when the rock wall crashes into the sea. That could be a terrifyingly awe inspiring experience.
For now, I will have to settle for fishing along the seaside cliffs, secure in the knowledge that there is little chance for a rock wall to leave an indelible impression on my life as it falls before my astonished eyes.
The Sea of Cortez is awesome and the Baja California coastline rocks.
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
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.
