Gracias a Brainstorm

As we look toward our departure from Brainstorm, I feel compelled to tell you a bit more about the vessel that has been our floating home.

She is a 40-foot Catalina sloop, made in 1995. She has a 5-foot, lead, winged keel which weighs 8000 lbs. All that weight is what keeps us upright, even in tumultuous seas and high winds. In total, Brainstorm weighs 32,000 lbs., which is 16 tons! Tomorrow, she will get hauled out of the water for repairs by a huge lift. Pretty amazing.


Her mast is 60 feet tall, and she is 13.5 feet at the beam (across at the widest point). She has two steering wheels, which is called ¨twin helm steering.¨ She has 1000 square feet of sail: 600 feet in the jib and 400 in the main. The anchor has 300 feet of chain to hold us firmly to the sea floor. She makes electricity from the sun, using 3 solar panels, and the wind, using a wind-generator; makes fresh water from the sea, using a desalinization system; charts our coarse with GPS; and propels us with her 42 horsepower engine, when needed (positive side-effect = hot water for showers). On our last 9-day trip we only used $50 of diesel fuel, which seems average.

She is the perfect vessel for whale, dolphin, turtle, and shoreline-watching. She cools our beer and heats our showers. She is a cradle that rocks us to sleep at night, a superb location for romantic dining, and transport to hidden coves and remote surf.

The best moments are those when the sails are full, the motor is off, and there is nowhere we have to be. For the last two months, we have made a home aboard this beautiful sailboat and she has proven to be sturdy and sleek. We will remember her hospitality for a long time. Cheers to Brainstorm and the ingenuity of the humans who create seafaring vessels!

Mini-dream come true

Hi everyone,

Today I had a very cool experience, one that I had been dreaming about for weeks. Traveling from place to place over the past two months, we have been highly aware of our role as visitors. We do our best to connect with people in very simple, very human ways--eye contact, conversation, smiles, etc.--and generally feel that we have had quality interactions with the local people along our way. Still, I often feel that I gain more than I am able to give. So, for the past month, I have been dreaming about going into the pueblitos, setting up an art table, and inviting people to paint or draw with me. Today the timing felt right.

We are in La Cruz, the town that has served as our hub on the Mexican mainland. The marina in La Cruz is fairly new, so the town still has a somewhat pre-tourism feel to it (at least compared to surrounding towns such as Puerto Vallarta and Punta de Mita). We have come to appreciate the local markets--one for fresh tortillas, one for meat, one for fish, another for veggies, etc.--the kind people, the bus system, and other trappings of what I'd call "authentic" Mexico.

I set up the art table in a centrally-located park, using two plastic tables and some chairs borrowed from the taco stand across the street. After hanging my sign (a combination of bubble-letters and my best Spanish), setting out the paints, and sharpening all the colored pencils, I only had to sit alone and idle for approximately 5 minutes before an adventurous family gathered around and began to paint. Awesome: a local couple was the great-aunt and uncle, with their family visiting from Tequila, Jalisco (not joking!), and two nephews who live in L.A. All told, about 12 people. They broke the ice. After that, I had a steady stream of ninos (kids), for the next two hours. It was AWESOME!!!! Ryan and Laura were my support crew; brought me ice cream, took pictures, helped clean up. As you can tell, I couldn't be happier about how it went. Perhaps we'll take this act "on the road" for the rest of the trip. Stay tuned.

Other news, before I sign off...Tomorrow we are parting ways with Laura and Jim. We have had such a great time with them on their beautiful boat. As many of you know, Laura and Jim's abundant love and willingness to have fun make them a joy to be around. We couldn't be more grateful for our time together.

Can you feel the love?!

On the flip side, we will be joined, for this final leg of our sailing adventure, by our friends Mike & Angie and Alex & Carrie. There is another northwest swell on the way and our favorite Mexican surfspots are only a few hours of sailing away, so we know we have good times ahead.

We love you all and want to remind you that, yes, the days are getting longer.

Peace,
Jess and Ryan

Bellenas mejores

Because seeing whales is one of the most amazing things that happens down here and, because after posting whale photos a couple weeks ago I realized that I uploaded the wrong photos, I have decided to dedicate another entry to these breathtaking, oversized mammals. I hope you will notice that these photos are more zoomed-in, and show our slowmoving and graceful friends a bit better than the previous ones. Also, Jim took video of one that was very close to the boat, and the sounds it made were otherworldly, so I thought I'd try to post a video too. Here goes: revised whale entry.

I think they're mating!

Look how much of the water is disturbed by their mass. And, wow! That's a dolphin in the foreground, too!

We hope you have enjoyed seeing nature's splendor through our lens. We know it barely does it justice, but we try.

Lots of love to you all,

Jess and Ryan

Feliz Aňo Nuevo!

We began this leg of our journey with an overnight sail from the Marina La Cruz in Banderas Bay to Chemela (approximately 80 miles south). I haven't said enough about overnight sailing, so what I will say here is that it is a truly awesome experience to be riding on the surface of a dark ocean with brilliant stars overhead; intimately connected to moonrise and moonset; anticipating sunrise, then watching its unfolding; the muffled sounds of birds, water, sails; the vast space all around; the opportunity to spend the wee hours of the morning in the presence of Jim Lambert.... I could go on forever about these rare moments.

Long-awaited sunrise after an overnight sail

Our trip south took a few days after that initial push. We couldn't see much past Kimmy's enlarged tummy (ha!) and her and Randy's excitement about becoming parents. They are doing great, as you can see.

We arrived at our destination, Barra Navidad, on New Year's Eve, where Lindsay and Beto (Ryan's cousin and her husband, who is a real-live Mexican:) joined us all the way from Queretero, where they live. Laura and Jim had amazing foresight when they planned for all of us to be together in Barra. The marina sits at the base of a beautiful hotel/resort, and across a lagoon from a funky little Mexican beach town, which even has a surfing wave (I got to give it a try on New Year's Day!). We have definitely been enjoying the best of both worlds here!

Having Lindsey and Beto with us has been great, not only because they are real-live Mexicans, but also because they excel in storytelling and laughter. They have helped us immensely with our spanish, mostly by being patient with us, and also helped us find "the real Mexico," as Beto described it, on New Year's eve. In lounge chairs by a still couryard pool, we listened and watched as two couples gracefully danced, first Merengue, then Tango, to the rich music of one man's guitar. It was so magical that Ryan kept asking, "Is this real?", and then he got stung by a bee, as if the bee was saying, "Yes! Duh!" In keeping with tradition, each of us made 12 wishes, or resolutions, for the new year and then, as the clock struck 12, we ate 12 grapes, one at a time, while inwardly noting each of our goals. After everyone had stuffed their faces full of grapes, they sang the Mexican birthday song, which makes sense, if you think about it. What a world of possibility has opened to us for this new year: 12 whole wishes!!!

We hope that all of you, wherever you are, have also put your wishes and resolutions out there for this new year, and that they will be fulfilled. Dream big!!!

With love from Brainstorm,
Jess, Ryan, and, indirectly but wholeheartedly, Laura, Jim, Kimmy, Randy, Lindsey, and Beto

Tios!

Hi everyone,

Well, here we are in Marina La Cruz, preparing to depart for a southward sail toward Barra Navidad. Kimmy, Randy, and "B.K." (baby Kenyon, in the womb) have joined us and, needless to say, we are so excited to be with them!

The other great news we have to report is that we found out, on Christmas Day, that my step-brother Pete and his wife Suzy gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Christmas eve. We are soooo thrilled to officially be Tia Yessica and Tio Ryan! None of the photos in our repetoire can even come close to these, which I lifted from Blake's official website. We hope you love him as much as we do!

Cheers to Pete and Suzy, and cheers to all of you.

We love you,

Jess and Ryan

Trading presents for Presence

We have spent a few Christmases, now, away from the traditional celebrations: no gifts, no shopping, no xmas tree, no fruitcake :). While there are sad aspects to this, such as being apart from most of our family, there is a wonderful Presence that comes, in the absence of presents and apart from traditions. This year, Jim, Laura, Ryan, and I truly had no plan, as Kimmy and Randy arrive on the 27th and we agreed to wait to share our Christmas meal with them. How we spent the days of the 24th and 25th was truly spontaneous, based on the waves, the wind, and moment-to-moment decision-making.

We ended up back in Chacala, the place where Ryan and I were married, because it is one of our very favorite places in Mexico. On the day of the 24th, Ryan and I surfed small, mushy waves, which gave me an opportunity to begin rebuilding my confidence on the surfboard (this I truly consider a “gift”). For dinner, we went into town and ate at our favorite local taco stand, off plates covered in plastic. Potted poinsettias on each table gave festivity to the simple setting. This morning, I made chai instead of black tea, and we sat in the cockpit, listening to the “country Christmas” channel on Sirius radio. Remarkable: we haven’t listened to enough Christmas music this season to be sick of it! When we were sufficiently warm, Ryan and I swam into shore and had a blast body-surfing in the shore-pound--this happens to be one of Ryan’s favorite things to do--and simply swimming while pelicans dove all around us for their breakfast. By late morning we had made a loose plan for the next 24 hours that suited everyone’s fancy, pulled the anchor, and enjoyed breakfast as we sailed south from Chacala toward Punta Mita. In each moment, we simply were in the moment, present with each other and our surroundings.

It is an interesting way to spend the Christmas holiday, on a sailboat, in a tropical setting. Generally, travelling by sailboat is a great lesson in being present in the Now. As we sail, there is nothing else we have to do but take note of our surroundings—the great blue ocean, the breezes blowing across our sails, the coastline—this is how we discover all the marvels around us. The wonders just emerge out of each present moment. Our attention to the sea reveals numerous whales, dolphins, birds, and helps us avoid the occasional fishing net :). Our attention to the air teaches us when to raise or lower sails, how to trim them for optimal sailing, and how to appreciate soaring, vicariously, through the birds. Our attention to those around us reminds us of why we love each other.

I am grateful to the holiday we call Christmas because it seems to be a day when people come together and are Present with one another and their surroundings, especially after all the days of deferred excitement that generally lead up to it. I am grateful for my time aboard Brainstorm because it is teaching us to live with that Presence all the time.

This morning I devoted an hour, or more, of my Presence to those I love who are not physically here with me. What this means in my language is that I devoted my whole being to sending you Reiki, love, light, and a reminder that you are divine. I hope you received this humble gift, and I hope you share it with those in your Presence.
Love, Jessica and Ryan

Look! Whales! (What a gift!)

Winter Solstice

Hello friends and family. Thank you, again, for being interested in our whereabouts.


We spent the winter solstice in the Marina La Cruz, and marked that celestial transition by saying goodbye to Tyler and hello to Laura and Jim. While we haven't noticed much of a change in the length of the days down here, we want to remind all our friends who are farther north of the equator that the days are now getting longer! Cheers to that.

Sunset in Punta de Mita, dedicated to Grandpa Went

The last few days have been somewhat uneventful for us, but not for our buddy Grandpa Went Lambert, who celebrated his 95th birthday on the 20th. In honor of his greatness, we have posted a few photos that show our appreciation of him. Happy Birthday, Went!

Here he is, in all his Glory!

Like I said, there is not much that is new to report today (except, Wow! I think I've made some Blog layout breakthroughs!). Stay tuned for a Christmas check-in, which will, hopefully, contain news of me finally overcoming my jitters about surfing, among other breakthroughs.

Lots of love to you all,

Jess and Ryan

P.S. Tyler and Harry should both know that Captain Ryan has called upon both of you, in his sleep, to uphold your duties as First Mate. I only hope he can learn to navigate the ship without you...