ROUGH WEEK IN PARADISE
It’s been a rough week for beachgoers at Isla Coronados.
Two more people were stung by stingrays yesterday - one in shallow water off the beach and one on the sandbar.
That brings the total of stingray attacks to 5 in the last two weeks.
Fortunately, all of the stings were in the foot or ankle.
The stings were by the small tan stingrays rather than by the big brown rays with impressively large barbed stingers.
The plethora of stingrays have literally made their point.
Most of these unpleasant encounters with stingrays are preventable. The stingrays are not invading our turf - we are invading theirs.
If the water is murky, and you can's see the seabed, it's unwise to be walking in that water.
If you are good at walking on water, you will have no problem. But if you are like most of us, walking on water is not an option. You really need to clearly see where you are putting your feet to avoid getting stung.
If you can't see your feet, then the next best thing is to shuffle your feet in the sand with the hope you will scare the small stingrays way. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work, and you risk getting stung.
The little tan stingrays are almost invisible when they bury themselves in the sand. You can only see two little dark holes on the top of their body (spiracles) through which they suck in water to bring oxygen to their gills. The spiracles look like 2 little black spots in the sand, and they are hard to spot.
Stingrays are not your enemy or your friend. They are there, and if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.
Such is the life of the Real Ocean Cruiser in Stingray Land.
ADDENDUM:
I am checking out prices on snowshoes on amazon. With a little modification we will make them into stingray shoes. When we go to the beach, we will wear our giant stingray shoes to scare away the stinging beasties. I will rebrand the snowshoes and sell them on amazon as Exit Only Stingray Shoes. I may become rich and famous.
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.
