Join Team Maxing Out as they sail around the world on their Privilege 39 catamaran, Exit Only. Team Maxing Out chronicles their exploits during an eleven year circumnavigation. Experience their adventures as they sail through Pirate Alley and up the Red Sea. Find out what it's like to sail through a global tsunami in Thailand. Dodge floating debris with them as they carefully navigate through tsunami debris crossing the Indian Ocean. Sail up the Kumai River in Borneo and visit the endangered Orangutans of Kalimantan. Explore the crystal clear waters of southern Turkey and sail through the Corinth Canal of Greece. Ride out a storm at sea as Exit Only sails from Gibraltar to the Canary Islands. Discover what it's like to sail on the ocean of your dreams.
Capture the essence of what it's like to sail offshore in a catamaran around the world when conditions are less than perfect. Listen to "Captain - Save Our Souls" and "The Red Sea Blues" perfomed by Too Many Drummers. Experience our Red Sea adventures watching excerpts from the Red Sea Chronicles. Trade wind sailing is over when you start the 1500 mile slog up the Red Sea. Just because it isn't easy doesn't mean it's not worth it - as long as you survive! Enjoy.
Every cruise begins with a dream, and once that dream takes hold, the course is set for the rest of your life. Cruising dreams are dangerous because they are contagious. I caught my cruising dream from Robin Lee Graham when he sailed tiny Dove single-handed around the world at age sixteen. After reading about his adventures in National Geographic, I instantly knew that one day I would sail around the world on my own sailboat. It was only a matter of time before I set sail with my fellow dreamers on our catamaran Exit Only. We became Unstoppable, Consistently Positive, Endlessly Persistent Doers of Dreams.
We started our circumnavigation as novices and finished as experts. We are living proof that good seamanship can make up for a lack of experience. Before we started, we had never sailed offshore at night, and we had never made a passage of more than fifty miles. We had never been in a storm at sea, and we only sailed our catamaran six times before we cast off our docklines. We had a massive amount to learn about cruising and sailing offshore, and you can learn those lessons here in Cruising 101.
Fear prevents thousands of people from setting sail. Fear did not stop Team Maxing Out. If you are afraid to venture offshore, you need to read the "Top Ten Cruising Disasters That Never Happened." Follow that up with "Thirty-Four Lessons That I Learned In 33,000 Miles." When you drop your dock lines and raise your sails, you don't drop off the edge of the world. Things pretty much continue just as before except that THEY ARE BETTER!
Tsunamis destroy everything in their path. Although we experienced tsunami warnings as we sailed across the Pacific Ocean, disaster never happened. It was not until we arrived in Thailand that we got our graduate degree in tsunamis. We were in Phuket when the global tsunami killed more than 100,000 people along the perimeter of the Indian Ocean. We now have profound respect for the power of tsunamis, and we have strategies to protect ourselves when cruising in Tsunamiland.
Cruising around the world isn't all work and no play. Plenty of awesome adventures happen that are not a threat to life and limb. Sailing up the Kumai River in Borneo to observe the endangered orangutans of Kalimantan ranks high on the bucklist of real ocean cruisers. Snorkling in the crashed airplane of a Colombian drug lord is a once in a lifetime experience. Island critters have their own stories to tell. If you are lucky, you might even meet the Master and Commander of Anegada.
People who sail around the world are different. They don't do the same things as everyone else, and they are guilty of living their dreams. They experience a type of freedom known only to real ocean cruisers. They are willing to take the risk and accept the consequences of sailing on the ocean of their dreams. When adversity pays a visit, they modify their plans, stick to their purpose, and never surrender their dreams.
Cruising connects you with the universe in a uniquely powerful way. You become one with your yacht and the sea, and you immediately sense changes in the wind and waves. Even the clouds have a story to tell. You get to know the sea in all its moods, and you learn how to survive. It's not long before you establish your seastead, and the ocean becomes your home.
The good, the bad, and the ugly accompany you on your voyage around the world. The good is simply amazing, and you want it to continue forever. The bad usally doesn't last long, and it doesn't get ugly very often. You learn to not trust blonde boa constrictors, and you don't let the jaws of fear devour your dreams. You focus on the good times and forget the bad times. You don't worry too much about the future, and instead you focus on where to take the next step.
You only get one life, and you should make it into an unforgettable adventure. Point your bow west and become addicted to downwind sailing. It won't be long before trade wind dreams take over your life, and you develop Sailing Addiction Disorder for which there is no known cure. The only treatment is to sail downwind around the world.
When dreams are born, they are weak and vulnerable and easily die from neglect. The only way for your dreams to survive is put them into the intensive care unit of your mind. If you keep your dreams alive, they will keep you alive and make your life worth living. Your dreams become the center around which you organize your life. Dreams do come true. When you drop your dock lines and set sail for distant horizons, your life will never be the same.
Dave Abbott - Captain Dave sailed around the world with his family on his Privilege 39 catamaran, Exit Only. Captain Dave has owned six Land Rover Defender expeditionary vehicles and one FJ 40 that he has driven through Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, New Zealand, and Australia. He is planning a driving trip around the world in a Defender 110 Land Rover.
Donna Abbott - First Mate - Donna earned her stripes the old fashioned way by enduring the rigors of passage making for the thrill of exploring exotic ports across the globe. If Donna could travel full time, she would. There's no place on planet earth that she does not want to visit. She has explored more countries than two people could count on all their fingers and toes. Air travel is her least favorite method of travel. But if you put her on board Exit Only or behind the wheel of a Defender 110, she will go anywhere.
Wendy Abbott - Mate - Wendy is a veteran of dozens of adventures around the world. She sailed halfway around the world on board Exit Only from Florida to New Zealand. She drives Defender 110 Land Rovers like a professional and has tens of thousand of miles under her belt on her adventures on land and sea. When not adventuring, she works as a doctor.
David Abbott - Mate - David shot over 170 hours of footage on the voyage from Australia to Florida. He then produced the Red Sea Chronicles. In addition to the narrating the film, David scored, performed, and recorded the soundtrack for the project. David sails catamarans like a mad man, and drives Defender 110 Land Rovers until the wheels fall off or he is out of gas. He is a good mate on land and sea.
Sarah Abbott - Mate - Sarah is an adventurer and offshore sailor with a trip from Australia to the Med under her belt. She sailed through Pirate Alley, up the Red Sea, and into cinematic glory in the Red Sea Chronicles. She loves life on the high seas, and is ready for another sailing voyage with Team Maxing Out. Her fresh and enthusiastic perspective on cruising helped make the Red Sea Chronicles so special. Sarah grew up in France and is fluent in French. When not adventuring, she works as a physician's assistant.
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.
