Swell

Hi everyone.

We have arrived at our destination: Punta Mita, Banderas Bay, Mexico. Better yet, we arrived just behind the north-west swell that you have probably been hearing about, which sent some of the biggest waves in 40 years to California and Hawaii. Lucky for us, these waves also made their way to a few special locations in Mexico. The stretch of coast which we are currently anchored off of usually breaks with south swell, but these waves were/are so powerful that they wrap in around the point and break perfectly just inside the north edge of Banderas Bay. And, when they make their way inside the point they have lost their power a bit and become perfectly surfable for people like us. Right now I am sitting in a beachside palapa bar watching the in-town break, which is kind-of like a skiing "green" slope. I was lucky, as an early bird, to surf this wave this morning at dawn with just one other person, and got a lot of good rides. (The attached photos very closely resemble the surf we have been seeing. These photos, however, I lifted from the internet because we didn't want to risk bringing our camera in on the dinghy; the potential was there, due to the waves, for it to be a wet dinghy landing. Will post some of our photos next time...) All told, we have done a whole lot of surfing in the last two days. Ryan and Tyler have been getting long rides off the point. We all paddled out at a wave called "Burros" (Donkeys) yesterday, and it was LARGE. I felt proud of myself just being out there, but didn't have the guts to paddle into any waves. Harry actually surfed all three spots yesterday, and is now out there somewhere, with sore arms. We all have sore arms! It's amazing: we've been here for two days and we just now came to land. I feel like the boat is my new home. :)

Backing up, to the crossing from La Paz, which was also amazing; I should say, at the very least, that we--Ryan, Harry, Tyler, and me--are a great team. We took shifts staying awake through two nights and three days of constant motion. It is amazing to be up in the wee hours of the night, pondering the stars above, the silence, and the bioluminescence in the water. While there was not enough wind to sail the whole time, we had periods of wind every day, which gave us respite from the motor and the satisfaction of moving with wind-power. That is truly magical.

Though we are accomplishing our goal of being in the present moment, and enjoying them all, we also tell lots of stories, reminisce, and dream about the future. You are all part of those stories and dreams. We love you and think of you often.

We hope you are enjoying the festivities that the holidays bring, with your loved ones.

Love,

Jess and Ryan

Swell

Well, we really got excited when we checked the surf forecast and saw that the storm in the north Pacific will be sending significant swell in our direction. According to Ryan, who monitors surf forecasting with zeal, this is a 60-year swell that is lining up to break beautifully off of Punta Mita, which just happens to be where we are headed. If you are someone who understands swell forecasting, or if you like to look at colorful maps, take a look at the forecast here: http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display.cgi?a=npac_height

I will try to figure out how to officially add the link, too.

What this all means for us is that we are now super-motivated to get to mainland Mexico, as quickly as possible, so we can surf this swell. As I type, the engine is running and the boys are preparing to push the boat off, away from the marina's docks. So, I better go help. We hope you are all well and enjoying whatever it is that you enjoy, at this time of year.

Know that we love you.

Jess & Ryan, with Harry & Tyler :)

Moon-lit nights and breezy days

After a four-day sail down from Loreto, we have arrived in La Paz, where we will pick up Tyler and provision for our passage to mainland Mexico. Each day aboard Brainstorm is proving to be more spectacular than the last! We have been graced by brightly moonlit nights and a variety of sailing conditions, making each day feel unique. On the calmer, warmer days, we motor-sailed and enjoyed the tranquility smooth waters. On our second day out, however, we experienced the excitement of high winds and significant wind-generated swell. With an El Norte wind blowing at our backs, we had a fast ride south that day, and we were all glad when the wind calmed down that night (Harry especially, wink). On our third day out, we were able to fly the Geniker (sp?), which is a giant, colorful sail used for down-winders in light winds. That was beautiful! We have seen awesome sea life, including the largest pods of dolphins I've ever seen (70-100); whales; turtles; rays; etc. Ryan has been the ultimate Captain, going beyond his duties of keeping us safe on the water, by also providing freshly-speared fish two nights in a row and, of course, serenading us with his guitar. Harry also saved the day this morning, when we awoke to find that the dinghy had unclipped itself in the night and, lucky for us, had run aground on a distant beach; Harry is so adept at the paddle-board that we had the dinghy back on the boat in minutes. For many reasons, Harry has been a fantastic addition to Brainstorm's crew.

So, while I can't imagine the days getting even better, tomorrow we will head out for further adventures. We will check in the next chance we get, which will probably in about a week or more. We love you all and think about you daily.

Love,

Jess & Ryan....and Harry :)