CHUBASCO TIMELINE
I am a Chubasco Rookie.
I am slowly learning the natural history of Chubascos.
Just because I am not an expert doesn’t mean it’s not worth paying attention to how Chubascos behave - what they do and how long it takes to do it.
There is a Chubasco report nightly on radio and email at 9 pm, and the report takes about thirty seconds.
The 9 pm Chubasco report is great to have, but unfortunately, it does not tell the whole story. When there is a massive Chubasco on the mainland at 9 pm, they give you a timely warning so you have time to prepare.
Unfortunately, Chubascos don’t have a watch and don’t know about time. 9 pm means nothing to these rogue areas of extreme convection.
Such was the case last night.
A fairly large area of convection developed into a Chubasco in the middle of the night, and the Chubasco did not cross from the mainland into the Sea of Cortez until 3:30 am. One hour later, the Chubasco was half way across the sea, and two hours later at 5:30 am the Chubasco had reached the western shore of the Sea of Cortez. This late forming Chubasco only took 2 hours to cross the entire sea.
By 6:30 am the Chubasco was a few miles north of our location, and by 7:30 am the edge of the Chubasco had passed overhead.
When the edge of the Chubasco went over, there was no lightning, thunder or rain, and wind did not go over twenty knots. The edge of the Chubasco appeared blue and green on enhanced infrared imagery.
What did I learn from this experience?
1. The 9 pm Chubasco report will cover you for the first half of the night. If the 9 pm Chubasco report is positive, you should take it seriously because in the next 4 to 6 hours you could have a significant weather threat.
2. Just because the 9 pm report is favorable doesn’t mean that a Chubasco might not develop later in the night.
3. A Chubasco can come across the Sea of Cortez in as little as two hours as it did last night.
4. When the Chubasco loses it bright red and maroon areas on enhanced infrared imagery, that’s a favorable sign indicating that the Chubasco is dying, and it shouldn’t be long before the weather improves.
5. The cloudy skies around a Chubasco are much larger than the enhanced infrared image.
I suspect that by the time we reach the northern Sea of Cortez, we will have experienced the impact of a full blown Chubasco.
Until then, we will fight the good fight in the Sea of Cortez.
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.
