Maxing Out Survivor

What would happen if Exit Only made the final cut and was on Survivor? Who would survive the competition? Look at the contestants and decide for yourself. Would the Conspiracy Theorist relentlessly dominate the competition, or would Joss and her hermit crab army carry the day. Would Donna and her head thumping rock create a reign of terror among the crew? View Maxing Out Survivor and decide who the winner will be!

Let's Go Galapagos

Galapagos beckons, but doesn't play games with their entry procedures, so we careened the boat on a beach in Panama to clean the boat bottom to perfection. Then things broke, Mom mastered Sudoku, and we got bombarded by a squadron of winged stowaways. Join us in Part 1 of our journey from Panama to the Galapagos.

Oath of The Golden Albatross

Join us as we celebrate crossing the equator on our way to the Galapagos by ushering Zoe and Joss from Pollywogs to Shellbacks in an elaborate and time-honored ceremony. It was beyond thrilling to finally sail into the Southern hemisphere the South Pacific! The Galapagos islands await.


Captain Dave - David J. Abbott M.D.

Donna

Wendy

Dito

Sarah

Exit Only



Positive Sailgrams

Welcome to my positive sailgrams. When I need a little inspiration, this is where I come to recharge my batteries. If you want more inspiration, you can visit my Instagram page which is my meme storage facility.



Twelve awesome ebooks from Captain Dave

Captain Dave has written twelve eBooks that are available at the Positive Thinking Bookstore and that can be downloaded from Amazon. While you are out there sailing on the seven seas, push your mind in a positive direction with eBooks from Captain Dave.



Everywhere and everything

I've been sailing around the world for eleven years on Exit Only, and what a trip it has been, full of agony and ecstasy, and everything in between. I nearly died in a car accident in New Zealand, and I reckon that qualifies as agony. In the ecstasy department, I sailed 33,000 miles around the world, and have seen the things sailing dreams are made of. So where did we go? Some people would say nowhere, but I would say, everywhere my heart desired, and everywhere I had the courage to point the bows of my sturdy catamaran. It's all a matter of perspective.



How Exit Only Got It's Name

You can strike Pretentious off the list of possible yacht names for any sailboats I get in the future. My net worth would never permit me to join the Pretentious crowd.



All I want to do is rock the world

I don’t have any oceans to conquer or mountains to climb. I just want to enjoy my life - a life of purpose - until I am all used up. A sailing adventure will accomplish that goal just fine, and if the sailing adventure does not continue, I will take one of my Land Rover Defenders and start a driving trip around the world. Then there is the biggest adventure of all - The Positive Channel and the Positive Thinking Network where I will rock the world.



the fickle finger of fate

Although I am the Master of my fate and Captain of my soul, no amount of magical thinking on my part is going to move the universe the slightest in any direction. The universe will do what it wants, and the sooner I get used to that fact, the better off my life will be. Voyage Six of Exit Only is proof positive that plans are just an aiming point and not a final destination.



Debunked - Terravenum Chronicles Volume I - Dito Abbott

Immerse yourself in adventure from the crew of Exit Only. During Voyage 6 of Exit Only, Dito spent two years writing an awesome novel. Real Ocean Cruisers have plenty of time to read while sailing to distant shores, and Debunked - Terravenum Chronicles Volume I is an excellent read. You can get Debunked as paperback, hardback or eBook.  Debunk your way around the world. 



You can't take it with you

Do I want to have it all and take it all with me, or do I want to travel lean and mean? Do I want to spend my resources on my catamaran, or do I want to spend those same resources on actually going somewhere and doing something unforgettable? By modern standards, I have a basic catamaran that can take me anywhere I want to go as long as I don’t need to have it all, and I don’t try to take it all with me. I have decided that it’s not about the yacht, it’s about the adventure. It’s not about replicating a shoreside lifestyle on a floating condominium. Nope. It’s about the adventure. If I want to travel far, I need to travel light. Less is more. Simple is good. Freedom is awesome. I have tasted freedom, and nothing else will do.



Tribute to a Real Ocean Cruiser

I have met many sailors in my life time, and many of them are Real Ocean Cruisers. Sailing is their way of life. It’s who they are and what they do. They live and breathe sailing. Real Ocean Cruisers are a hardy lot, and they can’t be compressed into a mold. They are the closest things yet to true citizens of the world. Real Ocean Cruisers can sail anywhere on Planet Ocean and still feel at home. Their boat is their home and the world is their playground.



Situational awareness and the real ocean cruiser

You don’t have to get many miles under your keel to meet people who should not be sailing offshore. These individuals lack situational awareness, and they have a deficiency in pattern recognition. When I sailed across the Pacific Ocean, I met sailors who had serious problems over and over again. They had good yachts, but they frequently put themselves in harm's way with bad results.



A boat without a country

When we sailed from Galapagos, we were a boat without a country. In the Covid 19 pandemic, we didn’t know for sure whether we would be allowed to check in to another country when we arrived there. French Polynesia did not want sailors arriving across the Pacific. Sailors were personna non grata in Polynesia and in the rest of the Pacific islands as well.



Programmed for disaster - No ECM for me

Real Ocean Cruisers who live long and prosper do everything they can to minimize risk. They want to sail where other people rarely go, and they need to have a boat that cannot be immobilized by a lightning strike that destroys Engine Control Modules. When we refit Exit Only, our new engines did not have Engine Control Modules. I would never have ECMs on board Exit Only.



Foam cores below the waterline don't work for me

I don't like hulls that have foam cores below the waterline. When the boat runs aground or hits a reef, you only have to penetrate a thin layer of fiberglass to reach the foam core that has zero strength. A hull with a foam core everywhere is lighter, but in an emergency like this one, the hull will not stand up as well to rocks and reefs.



I am the invisible man

If you want to make your dreams come true, there is only one way to make it happen. You have to be all in. Be all in or get all out. Anything less is a waste of time.



Stop signs, speed bumps and detours

The present moment is all we have, and it’s important to make the best of difficult situations. It may turn out that your stop signs, speed bumps and detours will be some of the best days of your life.



Avoiding That Sinking Feeling

I don’t want a light go fast catamaran. I want a heavy displacement go anywhere catamaran. I also want a catamaran that is safe - safe enough to take my family around the world, and that means it is unsinkable unless you blow it up in an explosion or burn it down in a fire. I want to avoid that sinking feeling.



Sailing through the gate of sorrows

Success is great when it’s easy, but in my experience, success comes with perseverence and hard work. Lots of people would like to have a Red Sea Adventure sailing from the Bab Al Mandeb to the Suez Canal, but they want it to be easy. When they see what it takes, they say, “No thank you,” and they ship their boat to a less challenging destination.



Time travel and dancing with lightning

Lightning strikes are a form of instant time travel where your boat exits the 21st century and transports you to the 15th century. Your weather information and communication with the outside world disappear. Internet is history. You now navigate by the compass, sun, and stars. Your autopilot is dead, and you steer across trackless oceans standing at the helm 24 hours a day.



Positive Life Series

While Captain Dave and Team Exit Only were sailing around the world, Captain Dave wrote 12 books that you need to have in your mind. The Positive Life Series contains the secrets that made it possible for him to sail on the ocean of his dreams.



If I ever was a live in a former life, I probably was a sea turtle.

For the past seventy-two years I have been doing the sea turtle maneuver. I come up for air every couple of weeks, months, or years - I take a quick look around - and then I dive for the good life down under. My submersible life has taken me around Planet Ocean on Exit Only and across trackless wilderness in my Land Rover Defenders.



Aquageddon may be our planetary fate

Our world should not be called Planet Earth. It should be called Planet Ocean. 71% of our planet is covered by water which is what makes life possible on our planet. It feeds us, slakes our thirst, and has a massive effect on our weather. Oceans are something we traditionally exploit rather than preserve and protect. Although the oceans appear extremely large, their bounty is not infinite. If we destroy life in the oceans, it could result in human extinction. Aquageddon may be our planetary fate.



Don't send help - we are doing fine

Just to cover our bases, we have made signs in the sand on the beach notifying the government that we don’t want to be rescued, and there is no need to send help. When you fly by in your Sikorsky helicopter, just keep going. Don’t land. We don’t need your help or your viruses.



Once you achieve escape velocity, you are forever free

The unexpected side effect of our Arabian adventures was that I achieved escape velocity. Without even trying and without knowing what was happening, I no longer felt the pull of cultural gravity. I achieved escape velocity, I was free, and I made my life into what I wanted it to be. I was now a citizen of the world, and cultures were something to be experienced and enjoyed, but not something that controlled my existence.



Alien Life Forms

In the Sea of Cortez, I saw alien life forms I had never seen before. That is some weird looking stuff, and I declined to touch any of it. I saw the movie ALIEN, and I am not touching stuff if I don't know what it is. No doubt about it. Alien Life Forms are among us.



Captain Dave's Stingray Shoes

Imagine how you will impress other sailors at the beach when you strap on Captain Dave's Stingray Shoes and fearlessly walk across the sandbars of paradise. People will instantly recognize you as a Real Ocean Cruiser. Tread among the stingrays with confidence knowing you will never be stung with a stingray barb again. Captain Dave's worldwide money back guarantee will return your money and pay your hospital bill if you ever get stung by a stingray.



Seasteaders have modest vessels and make magnificent voyages

Most seasteaders have modest vessels on which they make magnificent voyages. Their lifestyle is not a fashion statement, and whether anyone else knows about it is unimportant.



The problem with sailing

The problems with sailing is it takes a long time to sail to the far side of fear.



Grumpy sea turtles with on scowl on its face

The Grumpy Sea Turtle looks grumpy because of the bony structure of his skull. He has a grumpy skull that puts a scowl on his face. The scowl is not his fault.



No time for fear

The good thing about fear is if you immerse yourself in adventure, when problems happen, you don’t have time for fear. You get on with what needs to be done to deal with the challenges at hand, and when the problems are over, you realize you were never afraid.



I am the invisible man

Personal freedom is near the top of my list of highest values. That doesn’t mean I behave in a socially irresponsible manner. It means I don’t let the world compress me into its mold and tell me how to think and what to do, and that’s where freedom begins. I live in a parallel universe where dreams actually come true. I am the invisible man.



Don't be afraid of the dark. Be the light, and the dark will be afraid of you.

I am not afraid of the darkness. I will be a light, and I will do everything in my power to make the darkness afraid of me.



Don't tread on me - stringray ptsd

If you get stung while swimming or floating, you may get stung anywhere from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. Stings in the neck, chest and abdomen are particularly serious and may be life threatening. Stings to your private parts is an unforgettable and possibly life changing experience. I saw a picture of a male suffering from an ignominious sting to his parts down under, and I am willing to bet he now suffers from Stingray PTSD.



Health is wealth and time is pure gold

I have a few regrets, but none of them have anything to do with money. Those regrets are wasted time and missed opportunities to go where I could have gone, to do what I could have done, and to become all that was possible for me to be



Balanced sail plan - Privilege 39

Exit Only was made to cruise the ocean without treading lightly. She was constructed strong to last long. Exit Only is a GO SAFE catamaran with a balanced sail plan that keeps us out of trouble. A balanced rig makes it easy for the autopilot to steer and keeps things under control.



Adversity is opportunity in disguise

I am really good at recognizing adversity when it stares me in the face. I am less skilled at recognizing opportunities masquerading as adversity. Sometimes opportunity has to whack me over the head and beat me up before I see that it’s there.



South Pacific Convergence Zone

The South Pacific Convergence Zone presents similar risks as the doldrums - lightning, squalls, and downbursts. The SPCZ changes on a weekly and daily basis. It gets bigger and smaller, moves east and west, and if you are patient and willing to wait for a few days, you may avoid the worst of the SPCZ as it moves and fades away.



AA beginner's guide to interpreting weather satellite images

In order to get the most information from satellite imagery, you need to combine the visible and infrared images. Visible imagery helps you separate thick from thin clouds, and infrared imagery helps you distinguish between high and low clouds. Together they give you a better understanding of what is happening in the atmosphere. You don’t need a PhD in meteorology to extract useful information from satellite imagery. With just a few principles, you can understand enough of what is happening in your small patch of ocean to make informed decisions that keep you and your boat safe.



Microclimate of the Sea of Cortez

A microclimate is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas. The Sea of Cortez is Microclimate Land, and the microclimate varies significantly with the seasons of the year.



Wall clouds, shelf clouds, roll clouds - weather for the mariner

I sailed entirely around the world without understanding the difference between wall clouds, shelf clouds and roll clouds, but I knew enough to avoid them like the plague. Before I started my circumnavigation, I remember watching a menacing roll cloud sweep across Chesapeake Bay, and in my heart of hearts, I was afraid. I didn't know how to the read the clouds. I knew the roll cloud was bad news, but I didn't know how bad it would get. Many roll clouds later, I am no longer afraid. When I see a roll cloud approaching, I am concerned, but I no longer quake in fear.



Getting crazy after all these years

After Joshua Slocum circumnavigated in his 36 foot sloop in 1895, the world realized it was possible to make a singlehanded sailing voyage around the world. Solo circumnavigations started out as a trickle, and by the 1960s, the trickle turned into a torrent.



The boat ate my wallet

Big boats are extremely hungry. They eat dollars at an fantastic rate. They don’t nibble at your wallet. They swallow the whole thing.



Panama To Galapagos using iridium go and predict wind

The offshore sailor now has weather information available by satellite download on Iridium Go. Find out how we used Iridium Go and Predict Wind to sail from Panama to the Galapagos Islands in six days.



Ten lives are not enough

Some of the fallen rainforest trees continue to thrive on Escudo de Veraguas in Panama. These are trees with attitude. I call them the NEVER QUIT TREES of Escudo de Veraguas



Beating the odds

The Hawksbill sea turtle has been beating the odds for millions of years, and with a little help from humans, they will continue to beat the odds. If there is such a thing as reincarnation, you should avoid being a sea turtle if you want to live long and prosper. When sea turtles hatch and begin their march into the sea, they don’t know that the odds of survival are massively stacked against them.



The King Cobra of offshore sailors is thunderstorms

Kissing cobras is an exercise in denial and is pushing the limits of staying out of harm's way. No amount of money would ever tempt me to kiss a king cobra. It's disgusing, stupid and dangerous. The King Cobras in an offshore sailor's life are thunderstorms, and I do everything in my power to stay away them.



Why did it have to be longs

On our passage from the Bahamas to Panama, I saw more logs in the water than I had seen on our entire circumnavigation - if you exclude the logs dumped in the water by the global tsunami.



Lost at sea

Don't let a digital disaster happen to you. Understand the limitations of your chart plotter and your digital charts. Your eyes don't lie, and if your eyes don't know, you don't go. That's my navigational strategy, and I am sticking with it.



Lost at sea

Positive lightning constitutes 5-10% of lightning strikes and typically has 1,000,000,000 volts and 300,000 amps. A positive lightning bolt last ten times longer than a negative one, and positive lightning is ten times more powerful than its negative counterpart. Negative lightning will knock your socks off, and positive lightning will kill you.



Death by AIS is a stupid way to die - Don't let it happen to you

Death by AIS is a stupid way to die. Don't let it happen to you.



Which boat should I get to sail around the world

Selecting a yacht for a circumnavigation is not that difficult. Finding a yacht that is circumnavigation ready is much harder. Circumnavigation ready yachts don’t grow on trees.



Calmness comes in two types.

Calmness comes in two types. One type of calm comes in dealing with Mother Nature. The other type of calm comes in dealing with people. I don't know if it's just me, but calmness in dealing with Mother nature is relatively easy. Calmness in dealing with the human species is an entirely different matter.



Danger is proof I am living my dreams.

I still don’t like roll clouds, tsunamis, pirates, and storms at sea. They are simply the dues I pay to live my dreams. When you live your dreams, you don’t need to look for danger, because danger will find you. That’s how you know you are living your dreams.



Doing impossible things

Captain Ardell Lien is one of my heroes. At age 71, he completed a singlehanded circumnavigation in a 27 foot sailboat after undergoing a double organ transplant. He had a combined kidney and heart transplant, and after he recovered, he set sail on a Nor’sea 27 sailboat on a circumnavigation.



Persistence personnified

Jon Sanders did eleven solo circumnavigations completing his last circumnavigation at age 81. On his last sailing voyage, he collected water samples to detect microplastics in all of the southern oceans.



Sailing around th e world without navigational instruments

Marvin Creamer was 66 years old when he set out in his steel hulled 36 foot boat to perform a circumnavigation without using navigational instruments. He is proof that a GPS does not make you a navigator any more than a boat makes you a sailor.



Solo circumnavigation completed at age 77

Jeanne Socrates started serious ocean sailing at age 48, and at age 77, she completed a solo non-stop circumnavigation spending 339 days at sea. She sailed in a 39 foot sailboat south of all the great southern capes.



The fish that saved Exit Only

A tiny fish changed our destiny. If that fish had not created a leak in our head, we would have been anchor down in Chalong Bay when the tsunami struck.That tiny fish probably saved Exit Only. I don't know if providence played a part in our survival, but a tiny fish changed the course of our lives. When seemingly bad things happen, sometimes those bad things turn out to be good. I love it when a plan comes together.



The fish that can sink your boat

During our circumnavigation of Planet Ocean, we never saw a Mola Mola Sunfish which is probably a good thing. The sunfish has big bones and a heavy body, and if you collide with it at sea, it can sink your boat. On our catamaran, the sunfish would be a threat to our balanced rudders. A collision with the rudder could bend the rudder, and if we were extremely unlucky, the rudder damage could create a hole in the boat. A rudder colliding with a 4000 pound fish could be catastrophic.



It's time to get out of Dodge.

Dodge City, Kansas was a town in the wild west that attracted cowboys, gunslingers, and ner-do-wells. When things got out of control in Dodge City, and all hell broke lose, people said it was time to get the hell out of Dodge. Real Ocean Cruisers can recognize a Dodge City Anchorage, and they know when to get out of Dodge. Escudo De Veraguas in Panama is a Dodge City Anchorage.



The North East Pacific Cauldron generates lots of cyclones each year

Nobody knows exactly why the North East Pacific Cauldron generates so many cyclones, but it’s clear that winds collide and converge there. Zones of convergence create lots of convection, and if the upper level winds are favorable, rotating storms develop in the cauldron.


See What It's Like To Sail On The Ocean Of Your Dreams

Capture the essence of what it's like to sail offshore in a catamaran around the world when conditions are less than perfect. Listen to "Captain - Save Our Souls" and "The Red Sea Blues" perfomed by Too Many Drummers. Experience our Red Sea adventures watching excerpts from the Red Sea Chronicles. Trade wind sailing is over when you start the 1500 mile slog up the Red Sea. Just because it isn't easy doesn't mean it's not worth it - as long as you survive! Enjoy.


Sailing Dreams

Every cruise begins with a dream, and once that dream takes hold, the course is set for the rest of your life. Cruising dreams are dangerous because they are contagious. I caught my cruising dream from Robin Lee Graham when he sailed tiny Dove single-handed around the world at age sixteen. After reading about his adventures in National Geographic, I instantly knew that one day I would sail around the world on my own sailboat. It was only a matter of time before I set sail with my fellow dreamers on our catamaran Exit Only. We became Unstoppable, Consistently Positive, Endlessly Persistent Doers of Dreams.

Offshore catamaran capable of sailing around the world
Offshore Dream Machine

Exit Only - Privilege 39 Catamaran

NO SECURITY NO SURVIVORS
No Security No Survivors

Go ahead. Live your dreams.

Grand schemes and other important things
Grand Schemes

Rocking the world.

Listen to the sound of your dreams
Sound Of Your Dreams

Negativity Not Allowed.

Everywhere, Everything

Where did we go?

Wandering, not lost
Wandering But Not Lost

Not rich and famous!


Cruising 101

We started our circumnavigation as novices and finished as experts. We are living proof that good seamanship can make up for a lack of experience. Before we started, we had never sailed offshore at night, and we had never made a passage of more than fifty miles. We had never been in a storm at sea, and we only sailed our catamaran six times before we cast off our docklines. We had a massive amount to learn about cruising and sailing offshore, and you can learn those lessons here in Cruising 101.

Storm management for cruisers
Storm Management

Parachutes Anchors and Drogues

Positive Sailing
Abbott Drogue

Drogue for winds to 50 knots

Beugel Anchor

Never fail anchoring system

Danger zones

High lifelines and safety halyards

Safari Daktari
Protect Your Autopilot

Your autopilot protects you

No Bruising Cruising

Down wind dreams.

Cruising 202

Fear prevents thousands of people from setting sail. Fear did not stop Team Maxing Out. If you are afraid to venture offshore, you need to read the "Top Ten Cruising Disasters That Never Happened." Follow that up with "Thirty-Four Lessons That I Learned In 33,000 Miles." When you drop your dock lines and raise your sails, you don't drop off the edge of the world. Things pretty much continue just as before except that THEY ARE BETTER!

Top ten cruising disasters that never happened
Cruising Disasters

Top ten that never happened

34 things I have learned in 33 thousand miles
34 Lessons In 33,000 Miles

34 Unforgettable lessons

Night Sailing

Why night sailing rocks!

When are you coming home?
When Are You Coming Home?

Home is where your heart is.

Anchor down in paradise
Anchor Down in Paradise

Escape the cost of living high.

Feel The Freedom

Freedom is only a thought away.

Cruising 303

Tsunamis destroy everything in their path. Although we experienced tsunami warnings as we sailed across the Pacific Ocean, disaster never happened. It was not until we arrived in Thailand that we got our graduate degree in tsunamis. We were in Phuket when the global tsunami killed more than 100,000 people along the perimeter of the Indian Ocean. We now have profound respect for the power of tsunamis, and we have strategies to protect ourselves when cruising in Tsunamiland.

Global Tsunami

Exit Only survives global tsunami!

Tsunami Damage

Starboard bow keeps on ticking!

Tsunami Lessons

How to survive a tsunami.

Space Travel
Space Travel

Travelling in near space.

Spreaderman

Spreaderman saves our boat again!

True Adventure

Red Sea Adventure!

Cruising 404

Cruising around the world isn't all work and no play. Plenty of awesome adventures happen that are not a threat to life and limb. Sailing up the Kumai River in Borneo to observe the endangered orangutans of Kalimantan ranks high on the bucklist of real ocean cruisers. Snorkling in the crashed airplane of a Colombian drug lord is a once in a lifetime experience. Island critters have their own stories to tell. If you are lucky, you might even meet the Master and Commander of Anegada.

Orangutans Of Borneo

Sail up the Kumai River of Kalimantan

Drug Lord's Plane

Snorkle in Norman's Key Lagoon.

Master And Commander Of Anegada

I've got the Frigate bird blues.

Turquoise clouds in paradise
Turquoise Clouds in Paradise

Seeing is believing.

David And Goliath

Biting off more than you can chew.

Maximillian The Great

I am the greatest!

Cruising 505

People who sail around the world are different. They don't do the same things as everyone else, and they are guilty of living their dreams. They experience a type of freedom known only to real ocean cruisers. They are willing to take the risk and accept the consequences of sailing on the ocean of their dreams. When adversity pays a visit, they modify their plans, stick to their purpose, and never surrender their dreams.

Everyone Anonymous

Different is good.

What would Steve do?
WWSD

What would Steve do?

Kissing Cobras

Ultimate financial security

Red Sea rigors and rumors
Red Sea Rigors And Rumors

Surviving the rumor mill.

Never Surrender Your Dreams

What to do in adversity!

Red Sea Sunsets

Sandy sunsets and orange sky.

Cruising 606

Cruising connects you with the universe in a uniquely powerful way. You become one with your yacht and the sea, and you immediately sense changes in the wind and waves. Even the clouds have a story to tell. You get to know the sea in all its moods, and you learn how to survive. It's not long before you establish your seastead, and the ocean becomes your home.

Exit Only Visa

How Exit Only got her name.

Life is good
Life Is Good

Immersed in the miraculous.

Getting Connected

Don't get disconnected.

You Must Know The Sea

How to become a true mariner.

Survive The Savage Seas
Survive The Savage Seas

Awesome boat brakes.

Seasteading

Go west young man!

Cruising 707

The good, the bad, and the ugly accompany you on your voyage around the world. The good is simply amazing, and you want it to continue forever. The bad usally doesn't last long, and it doesn't get ugly very often. You learn to not trust blonde boa constrictors, and you don't let the jaws of fear devour your dreams. You focus on the good times and forget the bad times. You don't worry too much about the future, and instead you focus on where to take the next step.

Scotty - Beam Me Up

Turkish Reflections.

Pirates of the Malacca Straits
Pirates Of The Malacca Straits

Don't trust blonde boa constrictors.

Debriosaurus Rex

The tree that tried to eat my boat.

The Seaworthy Catamaran

Big seas and small cat.

Storms come and go
Don't Focus On The Storms

Storms come and go.

The Next Step

You don't have to see far in the distance.

Cruising 808

You only get one life, and you should make it into an unforgettable adventure. Point your bow west and become addicted to downwind sailing. It won't be long before trade wind dreams take over your life, and you develop Sailing Addiction Disorder for which there is no known cure. The only treatment is to sail downwind around the world.

Missing Out

Don't miss out.

The facts of life
The Facts Of Life

How many lives do you get?

Trade Wind Dreams

I've got trade wind dreams.

Lizard Island Miracle

Cook's Look at Lizard Island.

My addiction
My Addiction

There is only one cure!

Riyadh Roulette

Think it and do it!

Cruising 909

When dreams are born, they are weak and vulnerable and easily die from neglect. The only way for your dreams to survive is put them into the intensive care unit of your mind. If you keep your dreams alive, they will keep you alive and make your life worth living. Your dreams become the center around which you organize your life. Dreams do come true. When you drop your dock lines and set sail for distant horizons, your life will never be the same.

Dreams Do Come True

Dangerous dreams.

I have a dream
I Have A Dream

My multihull dreams.

Double Headsail Downwind

Mastering downwind sailing.

Rigging Emergency Averted

Listening to your boat.

Clouds are a sailor's friend
Clouds Are A Sailor's Friend

Listen to what the clouds are saying.

Far Horizons

Don't live in a horizonless world!

Real Ocean Cruisers Have What It takes

Once you have a taste of freedom, nothing else will do
Taste of Freedom

Don't Put The Handcuffs Back On

Do you have what it takes  to be a real ocean cruiser
Real Ocean Cruiser

Do You Have What It Takes?

I admire the courage but doubt the judgment
Live Long And Prosper

Old - Not Bold - Sailors

A purpose not a plan
A Purpose

Not A Plan

The thin veneer of life
The Thin Veneer Of Life

Ride My Time Machine

My uncharmed life
My Uncharmed Life

I Hope My Good Fortune Continues

The Polite Chubasco
The Polite Chubasco

My First Chubasco Sunrise

Pick our poison
Pick Our Poison

Sail Inshore Or Offshore North?

Chubasco Timeline
Chubasco Timeline

2 Hours To Ground Zero

Sea Turtle at sunset
Sea Turtle At Sunset

A Great Way To Grow Up

Shipping Problems
Shipping Problems

Our Dilemma

Rogue rainbow
Rogue Rainbow

Rogue Rainbow Attack

The Curse of the Corinth Canal
Curse of The Corinth Canal

2000 Year Old Conspiracy Theory

No an evil lair
Not An Evil Lair

World Class Shark Diving

Red Tide of Malpelo Island
Red Tide of Malpelo Island

Dinoflagellates On The Attack

Boxing The Compass
Boxing The Compass

Boxing The Compass For Beginners

Boxing the wind
Boxing The Wind

Where The Wind Comes From

The thirty-two point compass
The Thirty-Two Point Compass

The Rationale Of All Those Points

Plunderer in Chief's new decree
Plunderer In Chief's Decree

Patches Over Both Eyes

What did your dad do during the war?
Unheroic Beach Landing

My Unliberated World

Stay out of harm's way
Infrared Color Scales

Stay Out Of Harm's Way

You are here to defy the odds
Defying The Odds

Against All Odds

Fish Tacos tonight
Fish Tacos Tonight

Return Of The Mahi Mahi

When Chubascos collapse
When Chubascos Collapse

Chubasco Bow Wave

Water bombs that can kill you
Waterbombs That Kill

Microbursts At Night

Invisible microbursts
Invisible Microbursts

Clear Air Dry Microbursts

Mother nature sending a message - sky jelly fish
Sky Jellyfish

Mother Nature Sending A Message

Sally Lightfoot crabs
Sally Lightfoot Crabs

The Ultimate Survivors

Do Booby Birds have a sense of smell
Do Booby Birds Smell?

Yes And No

Pepe is at it again
Pepe is at it again

Orographic lifting

Real Magic
Real Magic

Increase The Dose

Four months without shoes
Life Without Shoes

Four Months And Counting

Rough week in paradise
Stingrays Are Winning

Rough Week In Paradise

Offshore bubble wrap sailing suit
Offshore Bubble Wrap

I May Become Rich And Famous

Digital Photography
Digital Photography Rocks

iPhone Gets The Job Done

My favorite method of time travel
Time Travel

My Favorite Method Of Time Travel

Positive Bucket list
Positive Bucket List

My Life Is My Message

Trickle down economics
Trickle Down Economics

No Extradition Treaty

Cloud correlation #3
Cloud Correlation #3

Seeing Through Thick And Thin

Cruising the Mexican alps
The Self-Sufficient Sailor

Cruising The Mexican Alps

Reflections of a real ocean cruiser
Living On The Edge

What A Way To Go

Bees of the sea of Cortez
Bees Of The Sea Of Cortez

Why Did It Have To Be Bees?

Fifty Porpoise Birthday
Fifty Porpoise Birthday

Happy Birthday To Dito

I have turquoise dreams
Turquoise Dreams

I Have Turquoise Dreams

Cruising in Volcano Land
Cruising in Volcano Land

Meet Pepe Our New Best Friend

Burning ring of fire
Burning Ring of Fire

Sailing in The Ring Of Fire

I Can't Believe My Eyes
I Can't Believe My Eyes

You Have to See It To Believe It

Two waterspout day
Two Waterspout Day

Why did it have to be waterspouts?

No more mondays
No More Mondays

You Are Finally Free

Anchoring in hurricanes
Anchoring in Hurricanes

Avoiding the Anchoring Blues

The drone wars have begun
The Drone Wars Have Begun

The Reef Wars Are Here

Chinese threat to the Galapagos
Wolf Pack

Chinese Threat To Galapagos

A view to die for
A Home With A View

A View To Die For

Cloud to infrared correlations
Cloud Correlation

Cloud - Infrared Correlations

Danger Will Robinson
Danger Will Robinson

Your Life Raft Can Kill You

Ten lives are not too much
Ten Lives Are Not Too Much

One Life Is Not Enough

Sherbet sunset
Sherbet Sunset

Second Wonder of Waterworld

A stingray fever
A Stingray Fever

A Group Of Stingrays

Walk the plank you rebel scum
Walk The Plank

Mutiny Not Tolerated

What to do when oceans boil
What's A Sailor To Do?

When Oceans Boil

Bora Bora on my mind
Bora Bora On My Mind

Power of Positive Focus

A Whale's tale
A Whale's Tale

Learning To Speak Whale

Comet Neowise
Comet Neowise

You Are Stardust

Squalls love the dark
Squalls Love the Dark

Here we go again!

Defcon squid 4
DEFCON Squid 4

Squid Attack!

Terrorizing the flying fish
Terrorizing the Flying Fish

Snatched From the Sky!

First Day of hurricane season
The First Day of Hurricane Season

Making Plans and Preparation

Covid 19 Detection Units
Covid 19 Detection Units

Universal Testing on Exit Only

Up Periscope
Up Periscope

Establishing Contact with Outside World

Chubasco Time - Be Prepared
Chubasco Time

Ready Or Not - Here We Come

Magic juice
Magic Juice

Four Monks Get The Job Done

Automatic washer
Automatic Washer

I Am The Automatic Washer

Getting away from it all
Getting Away from it all

The Price of Freedom

Olive ridley sea turtle
Shark Bait No More

Eastern Pacific Landing Zone

La Nina
La Nina May Save Us

Meteoro-illogical weather

Why did it have to be grass?
I Hate Grass

Grass Causes Big Problems

Having my say and finishing well
Having My Say

Finishing Well

Living Outside the box
Outside The Box

Living Outside The Box

Adding to my sunrise collection
26,280 Sunrises

I Am a Sunrise Collector

Sastrugi happens
Sastrugi Happens

Don't Run Out of Options

Let there be lights
A Plethora of Lights

Let There Be Lights

Mast Steps keep you honest
Mast Steps

Mast Steps Keep You Honest

Mutiny afoot
Strange Crew Behavior

Mutiny Afoot

Good job spreaderman
Good Job Spreaderman

You Saved Our Boat Again

Pandemic Survival Rations
Pandemic Survival Rations

Defeating Covid 19

Fire in the sky
Fire In The Sky

Reading The Sky

The fish bit my toe
Dang Wangi

The Fish Bit My Toe

Parachute sea anchor chainplates
Sea Anchor Chainplates

Chainplates That Save Your Boat

A taste of dragon's breath
A Taste of Dragon's Breath

The Dragon's Breath

What to do when stoned
Getting Stoned

What To Do When Stoned

Unleashing The Dragon's Breath
Unleashing Dragon's Breath

Insulting The Wind Gods

Lesson From A Fish
Lesson From A Fish

Stop The Talking Points

The Shocking truth about stingrays
Stingrays

The Shocking Truth

Every Day Is A gift
Every Day Is A Gift

No Long Term Plans

Dolphins or porpoises
Dolphins Or Porpoises

Get It Right The First Time

I am halyard man
Crazy Like A Fox

I Am Halyard Man

Satellite photos make a huge difference
Satellite Photos

Better Than Magic!

All hands on deck for the green flash
Green Flash Time

All Hands on Deck

Desert sunsets in Sea of Cortez
Desert Sunsets

Red Sea and Sea of Cortez

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

Making God Laugh!

9000 foot deep swimming pool
9000 Foot Deep Swimming Pool

Smelling Like a Rose!

Catamaran School
Catamaran School

A Balanced Sail Plan Works Wonders

Ground Hog Day and The Truman Show
Ground Hog Day

The Truman Show

Cape Index
Cape Index

I Am a True Believer

How many miles can Exit Only sail in a day?
How Many Miles

How Much Fuel Do You Need?

Current Events
Current Events

Not Just Hoping for The Best

Things I don't miss at sea
Things I Don't Miss At Sea

Living in a Different World

Headsail repair
Headsail Repair

Five Hours of Sewing By Hand

Disaster Averted
Disaster Averted

Profurl Fails

Brian Toss Rigger's Harness
Brian Toss Rigger's Harness

Still Good After 27 Years

I found my Bimbo
Bimbo Bread

I finally found my Bimbo

Stalking the wild salp
Stalking The Wild Salps

Don't Come Back As A Salp

Monsoon Madness
Monsoon Madness

Birthplace of Tropical Cyclones

Sacred Life - Holy Ground
Sacred Life and Holy Ground

Green Kryptonite

Dodging Bullets
Dodging Bullets

Staying Above Latitude 27 North

Anchoring Antics
Anchoring Antics

Wind Versus Current

Going hove to works for me
Going Hove To Works

How To Go Hove To

Demarcation line between day and night
23.5 Degrees Of Tilt

Knowing When To Pray

You have to see it to believe it
You Have to See it

To Believe It

Sunrise at 50,000 feet
High Altitude Sunrise

Sunrise at 50,000 Feet

To sail or to motor - that is the question
To Sail Or To Motor

The Big Question

Extreme measures for extreme situations
Extreme Measures

Lifting Exit Only With Pad Eyes

Sailing Into Mordor
Sailing Into Mordor

Mordor Bay

Sailing In Uncharted Waters
Sailing In Uncharted Waters

Group Think Can Kill You

Mars Mission
Mars Mission

I Am Calling Elon Musk

Porpoises Of Mordor Bay
Porpoises Of Mordor Bay

Engagingly Indifferent Porpoises

A Whale of a Day
A Whale Of A Day

Eleven Whale Day

Mexican concrete
Mexican Concrete

Mexican Bouldering

Meet The Crew Of Exit Only - Team Maxing Out
Captain Dave

Dave Abbott - Captain Dave sailed around the world with his family on his Privilege 39 catamaran, Exit Only. Captain Dave has owned six Land Rover Defender expeditionary vehicles and one FJ 40 that he has driven through Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, New Zealand, and Australia. He is planning a driving trip around the world in a Defender 110 Land Rover.


Donna Abbott

Donna Abbott - First Mate - Donna earned her stripes the old fashioned way by enduring the rigors of passage making for the thrill of exploring exotic ports across the globe. If Donna could travel full time, she would. There's no place on planet earth that she does not want to visit. She has explored more countries than two people could count on all their fingers and toes. Air travel is her least favorite method of travel. But if you put her on board Exit Only or behind the wheel of a Defender 110, she will go anywhere.


Wendy Abbott

Wendy Abbott - Mate - Wendy is a veteran of dozens of adventures around the world. She sailed halfway around the world on board Exit Only from Florida to New Zealand. She drives Defender 110 Land Rovers like a professional and has tens of thousand of miles under her belt on her adventures on land and sea. When not adventuring, she works as a doctor.


Dito

David Abbott - Mate - David shot over 170 hours of footage on the voyage from Australia to Florida. He then produced the Red Sea Chronicles. In addition to the narrating the film, David scored, performed, and recorded the soundtrack for the project. David sails catamarans like a mad man, and drives Defender 110 Land Rovers until the wheels fall off or he is out of gas. He is a good mate on land and sea.


Sarah Abbott

Sarah Abbott - Mate - Sarah is an adventurer and offshore sailor with a trip from Australia to the Med under her belt. She sailed through Pirate Alley, up the Red Sea, and into cinematic glory in the Red Sea Chronicles. She loves life on the high seas, and is ready for another sailing voyage with Team Maxing Out. Her fresh and enthusiastic perspective on cruising helped make the Red Sea Chronicles so special. Sarah grew up in France and is fluent in French. When not adventuring, she works as a physician's assistant.