Eventful final days in Mexico

Wow! My head is spinning a bit, as I begin writing this. We have had so much fun and adventure in the last week and a half. Some of the ¨adventures¨ have included challenges, too, which is what makes events memorable, right? s you know, we were joined by our Oregonian friends Alex & Carrie and Mike & Angie for this last hoorah aboard Brainstorm. The trip was truly awesome all-around. As Ryan has repeatedly said during our time on Brainstorm, sailing is usually either a completely amazing experience or a entirely uncomfortable experience, without a lot in between.

We spent the first few days experiencing the best of sailing--call it paradise, heaven on earth, ¨living the dream¨--which for us included another swell that offered us great surfing, beautiful clear water for swimming, lots of sunshine, relaxing moments reading and catching up with friends, etc. Did I mention the waves?!

That´s Ryan!!!

On Wednesday we enjoyed a remote beach north of Chacala, which was a new spot for us, and a pristine sunset sail back to our anchorage in Chacala.

What we didn´t know at the time of these photos, is that we were about to experience the flip side of sailing, too. (Only now do I notice the dark clouds looming in the background of those moments in paradise.) We returned to Chacala to find that our stern anchor had disappeared (We returned to Chacala yesterday, by bus, to dive for it, but didn´t find it). In usual conditions this would mean experiencing a night of rolling sideways to the waves, which is a bit uncomfortable for sleeping. Unfortunately for us, a strong westerly-turned-southerly wind had developed throughout the afternoon, which is extremely unusual for that anchorage. This, paired with the arrival of a very large swell from the west meant that we were held sideways to unusually choppy seas for the entire night. If you have never been on a boat that is rolling sideways in 6-8 foot seas, imagine trying to lay in bed and having to tense every muscle just to keep from rolling out of it. It is extremely loud, as everything in the boat is clanking with each pitch, etc. So, we were awake when the first drops of rain began to fall, awake for each flash of lightning, awake all night long waiting for morning. At first light, when Ryan and I were able to assess the situation more clearly, we realized that the waters were too rough to go looking for the anchor and that we basically needed to get the heck out of there. So, we rapidly packed up the dinghy and pulled our main anchor. From there we began a day of sailing in what I think of as ¨White Squall.¨ (I could only take photos as we were coming out of it, because it was too wet, before that.)

This is what the cabin looked like, from the roughness of the waves! Ransacked!

The photos only barely capture it. Suffice to say, we had truly gone from the type of sailing that is extremely pleasant to the type of sailing that is extremely uncomfortable. In seas that rough, it is nearly impossible to stay in the cabin because it makes most people sick, so we were all huddled in the cockpit. It rained a lot. The wind was gusting up to 35 knots, which is almost unheard of at this time of year (El Niño at work). We were sailing into the wind, which meant that every few waves would crash clear over the bow of the boat, and into the cockpit. We were soaked. Know that, as I describe this experience, I am not complaining, only trying to describe it. It could have been so much worse (it wasn´t very cold, for example). As it was, our sleep-deprived crew endured approximately 6 hours of extreme discomfort before we made the corner at Punta Mita, into Banderas Bay. When we saw that the anchorage at Mita was a bit rough, we decided to head all the way back to the Marina to assure ourselves a good night´s sleep.

By the next morning, we had pulled ourselves, and the boat, together and we headed back to Punta Mita for a final day of surfing and sunning in Paradise. What is certain is that Angie, Mike, Carrie, and Alex had a memorable vacation. They are troopers!!! Ryan and I, too, will remember the Squall of 2010, in addition to many moments in Paradise.

Sidenote: we later found out that there was a waterspout in Banderas Bay, very near the marina, on the stormy day described above. If you want to see some cool photos of it, go to this address. http://www.banderasnews.com/1001/nb-strangeweather.htm