PICK OUR POISON - SAIL INSHORE OR OFFSHORE HEADING NORTH
I got up this morning as the sun was rising, and I went on deck. It was still dark enough that I could see lightning from a Chubasco to the north.
I am starting to get paranoid about the weather when it’s time to sail north.
I don’t like lightning, and I have seen more lightning to the north than any other direction.
I believe most of this lightning is associated with the Chubascos, but I could be wrong. It could be the result of local convection along the coast.
Whatever the source of lightning, I consider it a plague on my sailing adventures.
The lightning in Chubasco Land is different than what I have encountered in other parts of the world.
I am used to seeing convection develop during the day, and most of the time the thunderstorms occur in the late afternoon and evening, and the storm cells fade away by midnight.
In Chubasco Land, the lightning has been more prominent later in the day and more frequent in the middle of the night.
The same pattern of lightning was present in the monsoon trough. Lightning started around midnight and typically continued for three hours before fading into the darkness.
The Sea of Cortez is new territory to me, and I am still learning the weather patterns.
As we get deeper into summer, the sea water heats up even more. I would expect to see more convection with localized thunderstorms occurring earlier in the day. I would also expect that Chubascos will find it easier to survive the trip across the Sea of Cortez when the sea is hot and feeding the Chubasco with hot moist air.
When it’s time to sail north, we can do it a little bit at a time or make a two day and two night passage north.
I would prefer to sail offshore when we make the jump north, but sailing twenty miles offshore significantly increases the chances of encountering a rip roaring Chubasco in the middle of the night.
If we sail closer to shore, the Chubascos may have lost their power by the time they reach us.
Sometime in the next two months we will be forced to sail north by a named storm, and when that happens it will be decision time.
An inshore or offshore adventure in Chubasco Land.
We will pick our poison and go for it.
That’s all I have to say about that.
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.
