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 :)

Happy 99th Birthday Dody!!!

In today's entry, we want to honor Dody, who is celebrating her 99th birthday today. These two photos are for her: one of a watercolor card I painted for her from the marina, and the other of Ryan, Jim, and me wearing our favorite Dody-knit caps. We love you, Dody!!!

Sea Legs

Hi everyone!

We have returned to shore, in Loreto, after our first few days out on the sailboat. Laura and Jim brought us to three of their favorite anchorages in the Sea of Cortez: two on islands and one on the Baja. At all three we enjoyed pristine vistas, including cactused mountains and turquiose clear waters, tasty meals and, of course, lovely company. Ryan speared a fish that we ate in the form of a coconut curry dish, which was awesome. I am determined to pay closer attention to the details of sailing on this trip, so have been enjoying refreshing my memory with those and helping in every way I can. Yesterday, we sailed with both the (new) main sail and the Jib, across from our island anchorage to Loreto. It was a beautiful morning. We also have picked up our friend Harry and will spend today provisioning for our trip south. We leave tomorrow morning for another sail, taking our time visiting the many islands on the way to La Paz. We will do our best to check in when we get there, on the 6th or 7th.

In short, I have been fully reminded of how much I enjoy sailing, particularly in the Sea of Cortez. Ryan and I generally feel very very very blessed.

We are sending you all love and, occassionally, Reiki, too.

Jess and Ryan

Gratitude!

After a long period of calm air, the wind finally began to blow for our last two days in La Ventana. This gave me the opportunity to try kiting with the board, which was challenging but fun, and gave Ryan an opportunity to truly "rip" through the water with his kite. Even from shore, I saw him flying clear out of the water a few times. Needless to say, he was thrilled about the way that part of our trip wrapped up. We also enjoyed beautiful, clear nites by the fire pit, yoga in the mornings, great food, and fabulous company during our final days in the desert.

Thanksgiving day was a travel day for us. We loaded up our rental car and headed north toward Loreto to meet up with Jim and Laura. What was supposed to be a 4-hour trip turned into 7, when we missed a crucial turn and ended up going deep into the canyons of central Baja. Luckily, we found a bootleg gas station that was able to fill us up, and after a thanksgiving dinner of tacos at a roadside stand, we were back on course. We found J & L at the marina later in the night and feel very fortunate to be sitting aboard Brainstorm, now. Today we'll head north and anchor off an island in the Sea of Cortez. We'll be in touch next chance we get.

With love and gratitude,

Jess and Ryan.

Go Ducks!

Hi all,
There isn't much that is new to report, as we have been relaxing Baja-style waiting for the wind to blow. For the last few days the air has been calm, the waters crystal-clear, and time has passed slowly and quietly. The big excitement was on Saturday night. Ryan was posted up next to the satellite radio, hoping the solar-powered electricity would last through double-overtime. Even I pulled up a chair for the end of the fourth quarter, anticipating the Duck's victory. What a great game! Ryan was able to express his exuberance in a supportive setting--he was jumping up and down, as you can imagine. So, I guess we'll stay on the edge of our seats until next Saturday. Until then...