TWO WATERSPOUT DAY
I have been on this particular world cruise for over a year now after breaking my hip socket 14 months ago. I never thought a broken hip socket would stop Exit Only from another adventure, and we have proceeded as if nothing happened.
My modus operandi is that you keep going until you are all used up. I am not all used up, so I keep moving forward.
Sometimes things happen that make you wonder whether you are a bit crazy sailing offshore when you are 71 years old - but you are not all used up.
Today we had two waterspouts within twenty minutes of each other in the disturbed air around Exit Only.
Fortunately, the waterspouts dipped down from the clouds and never touched the water - which is good for us.
I don’t like waterspouts as they are tornados over water, and if one of them would hit Exit Only, it could cause damage and hurt people.
With over a year at sea, I reckon that we are doing good to encounter only two waterspouts.
When we saw the waterspouts, we took down our code zero and dropped the mainsail. We knew that there was disturbed air in the immediate vicinity, and it’s not a good time to be flying to sails if things are going to get dicey.
It’s actually a good thing we furled our sails, because within a few hours we had 30 knots of wind gusting to 40 knots making our life more exciting that we would like. There was a moderate dose of lightning and thunder in the distance to get our attention as well.
The squall with all that wind was 25 miles long and several miles thick on radar. We immediately took evasive action, and for three hours I hand steered Exit Only at slow speed in a circle while we let the massive squall pass by. If you look at our sailing track in a magnified view, you can see the exact location where we did our circle to evade the storm.
We have now modified our watch system so that each hour, the person on watch uses the radar to look out 25 miles in all directions so that we are not surprised by squalls, and we can take evasive action sooner. The squalls seem to be moving southeast to northwest, and when we spot a squall, we decide wether to hold position or change course to avoid another squall adventure.
Radar makes all the difference.
Such is the life of a sailor who is not all used up.
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.
