TEN LIVES ARE NOT TOO MUCH
As far as I am concerned, ten lives are not too much and one life is not enough. There are so many things I want to do and not enough time to do them all.
My bucket list is still full after all these years. The list is so big, I need other people to help carry the bucket.
My bucket list scares many people, and sometimes it even scares me when I am tired and the hobgoblins of fear dance in my mind. That’s why I don’t listen to the voice of fear or make major decisions when I have a tired mind.
Every item on my bucket list involves risk. That’s what makes bucket lists into an adventure. Without risk, you just have a mundane to do list and nothing more.
Everything worth having involves risk. Getting married, having children, flying in airplanes, and sailing around the world on your own small sailboat all involve risk.
People who don’t take risks waste a perfectly good life.
Aversion to risk is like standing in wet cement, and if you stand there too long, you become stuck for the rest of your life.
Whether you like it or not, life is risky. Bad things happen to good people all the time, and aversion to risk will not shield you from misfortunes that are a part of being alive.
People who never take risks miss out on life’s greatest adventures.
The biggest rewards go to those who take the biggest risks and who never quit.
For a risk to be worthwhile, the rewards of taking a risk should be proportional to amount of risk you assume. If the rewards are tiny for a great deal of risk, you are engaging in brinksmanship. Don’t do it.
Not all risks are necessary or worthwhile.
When I begin a new adventure, I evaluate the risk and carefully review the penalty of making a mistake. I will swim on a thousand beaches around the world, but you will never see me swim in the crocodile infested Zambezi River. Swimming with crocodiles is not worth the risk.
A situationally aware adventurer is an expert at risk assessment, and quickly parses the difference between necessary and unnecessary risks. There is a huge difference in risk between flying in an airplane, parachuting out of an airplane, BASE jumping, and flying in a squirrel suit off a high mountain cliff.
When I sailed Exit Only around the world, I did everything possible to eliminate unnecessary risks and minimize the necessary ones. Getting to the sweet spot where risks are reasonable is expensive and takes time, but once the job is done, the odds are in your favor that you will have a great adventure and live to see many more days.
Most people are risk averse, and if you listen to what they say, you will kiss your dreams goodbye. They will tell you to be careful, avoid risk, and worship at the altar of security. Don’t listen to them or take counsel of their fears.
If you want to know whether it’s possible to do an item on your bucket list, ask someone who has already done it. They know what they are talking about and you can trust their advice.
If you want to sail around the world in your own boat, the only person qualified to advise you is someone who has already done it.
Don’t ask monohull sailors whether it’s safe to sail around the world in a catamaran. Ask Dr. David Lewis who sailed with his family around Cape Horn in a home built catamaran named Rehu Moana. He was the first person to circumnavigate the globe in a catamaran south of all the great capes.
I admire the abilities of rock climbers who literally live close to the edge. Their finely honed risk assessment and risk management skills keep them safe as they ascend the sheer rock face of El Capitan in Yosemite. If I had ten lives I would spend one of them climbing rocks.
Unfortunately, I don’t have ten lives, and when I choose to do one thing, it means I am choosing to not do others.
That’s the problem with being a one life person. I always have to choose.
My bucket list is a luxury not afforded to all, and I have more than a few fallen comrades who would have been ecstatic to choose even a few items on my list.
I realize how fortunate I am, and I will not become an insufferable little clod of complaints about the things I don’t get to do.
Instead, I will focus on all the adventures that remain, and I will get busy with making them happen.
I would love to have ten lives, but one life will have to do.
Life is good.
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.
