HOW MANY MILES DOES EXIT ONLY SAIL IN A DAY
Exit Only sails 160 effortless miles a day when we have good wind.
When there is no wind, we motor 100 miles a day in flat sea, and if there is current against us, we may only motor eighty miles in a twenty four hour period.
We can motor 140 miles in a day if we use two engines in calm seas.
We can motor 120 miles in a day if we use one engine at 2800 RPM in calm seas.
We can motor 100 miles in a day if we use one engine at 2200 RPM in calm seas.
It’s all about the amount of fuel you want to burn.
Two engines use twice the amount of fuel, and what you get for it is an additional 30 to 40 miles in a day.
If it’s important to get somewhere, and if you have plenty of fuel, sometimes you use both engines at 2800 RPM, and make tracks to your destination. That is rarely the case when you are sailing offshore.
On an offshore voyage of several thousand miles, you don’t want to double your fuel burn so that you can get an extra 30 miles in a day. You will run out of fuel before you reach your destination if you have a windless passage.
On our present 2000 mile voyage, we have been running the engine at 1800 to 2200 RPM when there is no wind because we want to stretch our fuel supply. We are getting 80 to 100 miles a day toward our destination, and we are burning no more than 1/2 gallon of fuel per hour.
Yesterday we refueled, and we have fifty gallons of fuel in our starboard tank, fifty gallons of fuel in our port tank, and fifty gallons on deck in jerry cans. That’s 150 gallons of fuel available for the rest of the trip.
150 gallons will give us 300 hours of motoring as long as we don’t run the engines above 2200 RPM. That’s nearly twelve days of motoring if we decide to stretch our fuel by running at low RPMs.
This is the most fuel we have ever carried on Exit Only, and it’s a good thing because this has been a mostly windless passage. We have had two days of good wind for sailing, and the rest of the time the wind has been very light.
We have never sailed in this region before, and so we took extra fuel on board just in case there was no wind.
Our gamble paid off, and we should arrive at our destination with a safe amount of fuel in our tanks.
Motorsailing is a great way to go on a nearly windless sea.
If we ran out of fuel in the doldrums, this would become a very long passage indeed. Words like eternity pop into my mind.
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.
