MY MULTIHULL DREAMS
My multihull dreams started when I was an intern at Gorgas Hospital in the Panama Canal Zone in 1974. I watched the early multihull designs transit the Panama Canal and head out into the South Pacific. They were homemade cats and tris constructed by their owners who literally built their dreams from the keel up. Most of them spent four or more years creating their dream machine.
Those hardy sailors were multihull pioneers. First, they thought their dreams, then they built their dreams with their own two hands, and finally they sailed their dreams. After seeing those early multihulls, I remember telling one of my friends that someday I would sail around the world on a multihull.
Over the years, I met a lot of naysayers and dream stealers who told me that only a foolish person would sail long voyages offshore on a multihull. On one camping trip in a remote section of Saudi Arabia, I mentioned to a fellow camper that I was sailing around the world on a catamaran when I wasn't working in Riyadh. The camper remarked that I was a very brave person to be sailing offshore on a cat. I asked him why he felt that way. He told me that catamarans were dangerous because they flip over at sea. I wondered how he knew so much about the dangers of offshore sailing, and he informed me that he had sailed in a single-handed race across the Atlantic ocean in a monohull sailboat.
Later, he told me that during his attempted solo voyage across the Atlantic, his yacht had been struck by a freighter, and he had to abandon ship because his sailboat sunk in the middle of the Atlantic. It struck me odd that this self proclaimed expert on the dangers of sailing catamarans had his own monohull sink out from underneath him.
Although this person had never sailed on a catamaran offshore, he taught me a valuable lesson. I learned that it's unwise to pontificate about things in which you lack experience and have no first-hand knowledge.
I do a fair amount of talking about catamaran dreams these days, but I have a right to, because I have sailed around the world on a cat. I'll tell you up front that catamarans not only make excellent offshore yachts, they also are SAFE. They are so safe that I loaded my family on board and took them on an eleven year voyage. They are so safe that we never felt fear at anytime during our entire trip around the world , even during storms.
The only person qualified to tell you that you should not sail around the world in a catamaran is another person who has already done it. Anyone else is simply uninformed and is spouting their prejudices about offshore sailing.
The corollary to this point is that if you want to live a dream, the only person who is qualified to advise you about your dream is someone who has already done it.
Don't listen to the naysayers and dream stealers who live in Nowhere Land and who have done nothing with their life. Instead, talk to the Unstoppable, Consistently Positive, Endlessly Persistent, Doers of Dreams, and take their advice. They know what they are talking about, and if you follow their lead, it won't be long before you are sailing on the ocean of your dreams.
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.
