Voyage of Gaviota

Bass Tournament 2010

2011-04-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Low tide lobster video CLICK HERE!

2011-04-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

Our night dive bounty....early morning catch with Nethanl, Jethro, Teddy

Anacapa Island at 4am

Nethanl....pinned.

FINALLY!! White Seabass - Santa Cruz Is.

Isla Rose Doheny

2011-04-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

Our Daughter Isla Rose was born on November 27, 2010. She was 6 pounds 6 oz. and as healthy and organic as anyone could hope for. Over the last 4 months she has taught us more about love and happiness than we could have ever imagined.

Channel Islands Video....click here

2010-10-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

JANUARY SHROOMIN

2010-02-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

Chantrelle mushroom hunting...with Jethro, Nethanl, Loren, and Aubrey

EASTERN SIERRAS TRIP 09'

2010-01-08T19:00:00.000-08:00

Some photos from our 2009-2010 Eastern Sierras/Truckee trip......Oh ya, on a Blue Moon!? --Sam, Marisa, Jacob, Jamie and Brandon--

Thanks DTKD!!!

2009-01-13T07:26:00.000-08:00

---->All Photos by Tristin Sheen: seasheen@bigpond.com

Good bye for now!

2008-11-24T02:45:00.000-08:00

NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!

After attempting to write this entry four times I think it is finally time to post it. So much has happened since we last wrote in Samoa that it is almost impossible to decide on which stories to share. The chaos and whirlwind of emotions that have accompanied this last and final landfall has made this the trickiest entry to put into words. I guess that there is no better place to start than with November 4th. November 4th 2008 will forever be etched in our mind as not only the day that America could take a deep breath but the day we were also able to take our deep breath of relief and accomplishment. Gaviota had finally sailed half way across the world and reached her final destination. NEW ZEALAND!
The morning that we arrived in New Zealand was crisp, clean and everything we could have ever hoped for. As we sat bundled up in beanies and down jackets, we watched as the sun rose over the first glimpse of land we had seen in 10 days. Seeing the colors of red an orange melt over the green rolling hills we were once again overwhelmed by the unexplainable connection we have for New Zealand. In more ways than one we felt like we had finally made it home! It was the most rewarding feeling saiing into the beautiful Bay of Islands that morning knowing that we had not only made it to New Zealand without encountering any horrible weather but that we had accomplished the journey that began 4 years ago and it turned out to be everything we dreamed it would be and more.
What seemed to consume us more than the feelings of accomplishment and relief were the memories of the people we met, places we visited and the amazing experience that may never be repeated and will defiantly never be replaced. The adventure of Gaviota was coming to an end right then and there, on that morning as we pulled in to Opua marina. Everything that went into making this dream become a reality flashed before our eyes. All the hours sanding, painting and scrubbing. All the nights spent living out of a backpack and shuffling back and forth between our parents houses seemed like a million years ago. The crazy storms, picturesque anchorages, surfing of untouched waves, bonfires on sandy beaches and the never ending passages accompanied by the rolly poly seas all seemed to fade together into one absolutely magical memory.
Before the seas began to settle as we entered into the Bay of Islands, we turned back and took one last moment to say our goodbyes and thank you's to the huge void of blue that was our home, our friend and that has changed us forever. Reliving all the memories of the hard work and frustration, of what we had seen and felt, who we have met and how they have changed us made us realize how it had really taken every little aspect working together to make this journey what it was. As we got tied up to the dock we couldn’t help but feel that everything was about to change. It was a change we knew had been coming for a long time, a change that we had anticipated and dreaded and a change we could never truly prepared for.
We have now been in beautiful New Zealand for three weeks. As entering back to the grind of society always is we are completely overwhelmed and exhausted by how hectic our lives have already become. We unfortunately have barely looked up long enough to enjoy this beautiful place we sailed so far to see in our race to get Gaviota ready to be sold. We have finally finished almost all of the work and have a few people we will be showing our boat to. It will be hard to say goodbye to Gaviota after all she has been to us. We will never forget how safe she kept us when it was just us and her out there in the middle of the sea! Who ever she may go to will be lucky to have her!
In a few days our families arrive and then the real celebration will begin. We are so so so excited to see our family who are coming all this way for our WEDDING. This adventure has all moved way to fast and life is now bound to take a great change but we feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to experience the beautiful ocean and its entirety.!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pig roasts, Humpbacks and crazy Didgeridoos!!!!!!

2008-11-24T02:09:00.000-08:00

The whole trip has been amazing but the South Pacific has changed us forever!!!!!! The solace that we found in the tranquil warm waters that exist out in the middle of the “Big Blue” has altered our way of thinking and will challenge us in our way of living life forever. We spent more time underwater than above and saw some of the most unbelievable sea life in the world. The white sand beaches along with the amazing diving and surfing were almost impossible things to say good bye to as we had to once again picked up anchor and head west. For the first time in our lives we had a sufficient amount of time to be surrounded and focused on nothing but the movements of the earth. The wind, tides, waves, sun and moon and of course sea life were the only things we concentrated on and depended on as we attempted life away from everything that we were used to. The lifestyle tested us in more ways than we have begun to understand but it magnified the importance of two things we will never forget. It helped us to recognize up close and personal the power and beauty of simplicity and the importance of family and friends. It was refreshing, tiring, lonely and exhilarating all at the same time.
Out on the ocean solitude seemed to poke its head out from every corner. The long streches of time away from land and people made the interactions and friendships we formed so much richer. In every village and on every island we met so many amazing people and were able to connect with almost everyone. With all the other boats that are out here on similar journey’s we seemed to only make a few close friends. There was one boat we traveled with, one family, which we especially had such an amazing time with and will never forget. The adventures we had with Dave, Tris, Kai and Dior on Damojo, have changed us forever and in many ways made our time in the South Pacific what it was. As we hopped from atoll to island across the South Pacific our connection grew based on our mutual appreciation and dedication for the environment and our RECKLESS spontaneity. Diving untouched reefs for tuna, swimming up close with sharks, manta rays and humpback whales and surfing uncrowded waves were all amazing experiences that the ocean shared with us and it felt so much more real because we got to share it with Damojo.

There are so many stories to tell and pictures to share! You will have to wait until we get home though! We can't wait to see all of you so soon!!!!!!!!

Highest Highs and Lowest Lows!

2008-09-15T17:45:00.001-07:00

Highest Highs and Lowest Lows!

The emotions that come along with the life of cruising are a difficult thing at best to try to explain to others. The best way we have been able to explain it is by comparing it to a dysfunctional relationship. We have found that they both have more or less the same emotional repercussions. Some moments you find yourself ecstatic to be alive, so happy that your temples start aching from smiling so much. While other moments you are consumed and blinded by tears of exhaustion and frustration. The last month and a half has been more or less a merry go round of these two extremes at all time heightened level.

After leaving the picturesque and highly expensive islands of French Polynesia, we headed to sea for a week long journey that would turn us up at a completely secluded atoll in the Cook Islands. Being that the only way to visit this tiny seclude island surrounded with unexplored reef is by boat we were pretty excited to see what it had to offer. Once again the lure of the untouched, unspoiled and practically uninhabited areas of the world was sucking us in. What we seem to tend to forget is the other half of the magical fairytale that these places hold. The process of actually getting to these secluded places off the beaten track! The next week was spent miserably rocking back and forth while huge waves of white water crashed into our boat completely soaking everything. We were glued to our seats because the moment we stood up you were either slammed to the floor or thrown across the boat, adding to one of the millions of bruises that covered our bodies by the end of the trip. The ocean was defiantly testing us at level we hadn’t experienced in a long time. The crazy part was we knew that we could turn and take a different more comfortable angle and head for another land fall at any time but our stubbornness and the intrigue of tiny little Suwurrow posed to be stronger than even the fury the ocean was dishing out!
The first thing we saw after the sun rise, while pulling in through the pass at Suwurrow, was a mom and baby Humpback whale swimming out to sea and from that moment on there was nothing but smiles and diving for the rest of our stay. No matter how horrible, uncomfortable, dirty and obnoxious the passages can get. Within an hour or two of dropping the hook, all the bad memories seem to disappear and are quickly replaced with the feeling of accomplishment and excitement.
Suwarrow was everything we were looking for and more. Only one family lives on the island a few months out of the year to collect park fees and make sure the cruisers that do decide to visit protect the surrounding environment. The island itself is covered with palm tress and white sand beaches while the waters surrounding are even more spectacular. Every day was spent diving with our good friends that had also made the passage out to this unbelievable speck in the middle of the ocean. We felt like we were back in the Tuamotus with the abundance of sea life and crystal clear water. Being that there were no stores for hundreds and hundreds of miles in every direction fish and coconuts became a nice supplement to our canned varieties. Brandon devoured every second of the time he got diving the pass. Spear fishing became his new found hobby being that the surf was pretty small. Although we did surf one night at sunset and got some really fun right handers. Between Brandon and our friends on Damojo, we were in no shortage of fresh delicious fish. Many hours were spent hunting down the prized catch TUNA!!!!!!!!! One night just before sunset we got quite a show as Brandon shot a Tuna that managed to swim off with the spear. Within seconds the sharks had caught the scent of the struck fish and just as Brandon was able to hop in the skiff a massive ball of about fifty sharks devoured the tuna before our eyes. It was a huge awakening and reminder to both of us to remember that we were diving off a reef in the middle of the Pacific with hundreds of hungry hungry SHARKs! That experience did not stop us from diving every day but it did seem to tone down the demand for fish! It was so unreal to be swimming along a reef covered with coral and teeming with sharks, fish and turtles. When we weren’t admiring the sea life we were staring mesmerized out into the middle of the Pacific where all we could see was nothing but blue for as far out and deep as your eyes could follow. The reef literally dropped off straight out into the middle of the BIG BLUE PACIFIC! Our days in Suwurrow were worth every minute of every agonizing hour spent getting there. After a week we knew we had to keep going for there were places to see and more Open Ocean to throw us around. So all too quickly we were off for another round of man vs. nature!

Our next stop was an even more secluded island than Suwurrow. Absolutely no one lived on the island. Only a colony of birds were the lucky inhabitants that had the privilege of calling Rose Island home. We only were able to spend one night at this island because of an intense high pressure system that was building bringing rowdy seas and winds with it. That day will never be forgotten though. Once again in the company of our friends Damojo, we were treated to a scuba dive in the pass the morning before we left. Although there was not as much sea life around as there was in Suwarrow we were blessed with the high pitched singing of a mama and baby humpback whale. There communication went on for almost an hour and they were so close to us that we could feel the vibration of there song in our chests. We did not come face to face with them under water but as we left sailing along the Southwest edge of the island we spotted four of them as they waved and splashed only a few yards from our boat. So BEAUTIFUL!!

With weather being always in charge of our constantly changing itinerary, we swapped a landfall in Tonga for Western Samoa to avoid getting slammed by the 40 knot winds and 20 ft seas that were forecasted. Traveling to these remote places is amazing and unlike any experience we have ever had but it leaves you high and dry after a while. With only a few liters of water, no fresh fruits or vegetables and a boat full of dirty laundry, our spirits were lifted onto a pedestal as we motored in to Western Samoa to realize that they had a built a brand new marina. Within minutes we were tied up to the dock for the first time since Nicaragua and the water was flowing. Nothing can compare with the luxury of fresh water when you are cruising. Needless to say once again the discomfort of the passage was quickly washed away as the salt crystals disappeared off the boat and the water tanks began to overflow.

Samoa is unlike anywhere we had visited in the South Pacific. In fact it had more of a Central America feeling. With everything costing half the price instead of double, like in Tahiti, we decided to splurge and went on a road trip in search of waves with our good friends on Domojo. Although the predicted swell was defiantly rolling through, the waves were either too fickle or too treacherous. We did manage to paddle out and have some fun at a few spots though. We visited both of the Samoan Islands in our three day tour and even got to take our car on a ferry across to Savaii. The islands were lush and covered with waterfalls, caves and blowholes. One of the favorite pastimes of the trip became throwing coconuts into the blowholes and seeing how far Mother Nature could launch them up into the sky!

Back at the marina we took care of the small errands we had but spent the majority of our time eating ice cream, drinking the local beer and of course shopping. The fresh fruits and vegetable markets were the best we have seen since Mexico... Families were lined up selling everything from fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers to the biggest yummiest avocados and stalks of ripe bananas. Our mouths watered as we filled up bag after bag of the fresh delicacies we had gone without for so long. With shopping, eating and relaxing accomplished we realized it was time to keep on keeping on and make our way to Tonga. On our way to checkout of customs we were surrounded by the most colorful rambunctious parade we have ever been to. It was like the Solstice parade in Santa Barbara but instead of crazy colorful hippies dancing and singing on there homemade floats, it was 300+ pound Samoan men and women dancing and singing on their colorful homemade floats. It defiantly ended up being one of those afternoons when your temples ach from smiling so much. The parade went on for hours as we followed along and took pictures until it ended at the front of the main Government building. There the Samoan dancing, fire throwing and singing continued as the entire town gathered around. It was the most upbeat passionate crowd we have ever been surrounded by. Our favorite part of the whole parade was defiantly the 60 year old Samoan grandma who while getting down was using a spray bottle to cool off her 400 lb husband who was also doing a pretty good job at pulling the moves. It was a hilarious experience that summed up Samoan culture for us perfectly.

With the weather turning around, we took the window and left the marina early the next morning. Since the swell and wind had been so ferocious for the last week we knew that the conditions were going to be uncomfortable at best. But time is ticking and it is time to get to New Zealand. So here we sit once again glued to our bunk getting doused regularly by waves as we beat into it trying to make as much easting as we can in order to stay on our rumb line to Tonga. Once again we are consumed with feelings of exhaustion and frustration as the sea has its way with us. We know all to well by now that tomorrow morning we will be anchored up amongst the islands of Vava’u in Tonga and all these feeling will be erased. After a dive in the crystal clear waters only the good memories will remain and the rest will be the huge feeling of accomplishment. Because now we realize we only have one more passage left to make it to New Zealand where this crazy adventure will all too quickly come to an end.

2008-09-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

2008-08-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

Rewards!
Twenty years from know when we are looking back on this time in our life what will it be that we remember? What will we miss and what will hope to never experience again? The last few months in French Polynesia will definitely remain tattooed in our minds and hearts as the reason we chose sailing as our way to see the world. French Polynesia is constantly referred to as a “Cruisers Paradise” and it could not be a more accurate label. Leave Raiatea we both knew that realistically we would never have an experience like sailing through the Societies again . The perspective you get on these islands when anchored in the crystal clear lagoons is incomparable to what you can see from land. You are able to sit in only a few feet of crystal clear water, sitting as still as can be because you are completely protected from all the seas fury with a panoramic view of the lush islands behind . The atolls that encircle these islands have protected us from the open ocean for the last few months becoming not only home but our playground. The only entrance into these lagoons has been where we have spent 90% of the our time in French Polynesia. These perfectly constructed passes contain some of the most unreal diving and perfect waves in the universe.

Our first stop in the Societies after leaving the solitude of the wild Tuamotus was Tahiti. We were a little overwhelmed at first but quickly settled into the Polynesian culture and soaked up the fast pace city life of Papaette. Although most days were consumed with mainly errands since it had been months since we had access to markets, laundry, water and internet we always managed to fit in a surf or at least a good adventure. Once we had more or less gotten the boat back to normal we took a trip down to check out the “Oh so talked about” Teahupoo. The monster wave was pretty small and blown out the day we were there but it was a pretty magical little spot and easy to see its potential . After surfing and socializing with friends, that had finally come together after being scattered across the Pacific and a full dose of city life we escaped for better surf and clearer water in Moorea.

Moorea Moorea Moorea! The waves rolled through showing their perfect face day after day after day for a week straight. The time we spent on Moorea allowed us to finally take a deep breath and feel like we weren’t so crazy for deciding to sail halfway across the world to surf a few amazing waves. As the wind died down and the swell increased Gaviota sat still as could be in her protective bubble. While only a few hundred yards away we were able to surf some of the best waves of the trip, if not our life. After the first few days it got too big and the prospects of me ending up looking like hamburger meat on the reef became too great so Brandon took to conquering them alone. He managed to escape with only a few reef cuts and one broken board which was a small price to pay for the epic week that nature had presented us with. The days of surfing and walking along the quiet sleepy roads of Moorea quickly came to an end, as we had stayed until the last possible moment before having to leave for Huahine to pick up our first guest of the trip, Brandon’s sister.
The next few weeks with Christina became in a way like a vacation for us also. We indulged in good food and wine and enjoyed some of the more touristy activities that we don’t usually allow ourselves to splurge on. One of her first days in Huahine we were lucky enough to meet some locals and were able to share some freshly husked coconuts, pomplemous, star fruit and bananas. After seeing the abundance of fruit that the island had to offer we were determined to go be the resourceful trio we were and find our own supply. After a day of riding scooters around the island we came across the “jackpot.” With a handy machete and some savage tree climbing techniques we were able to make off completely loaded down with a stock of bananas, huge pomplemous and more star fruit than we could eat. We only had a few days in Huihine before we had to quickly move on to Raiatea and then Bora Bora where she was flying out of. The days were mainly filled with attempted hikes on some pretty rugged trails and some awesome shark dives. We even managed to reel in a fresh Mahi Mahi during her quick visit. Although the ten days she spent with us kind of turned into a power tour of the Societies we managed to fit in some pretty amazing experiences that we hope will leave her with the same magical feelings we have for French Polynesia.
After saying our goodbyes in Bora Bora we had a new mission to complete. One that we had attempted numerous times but always managed to fail. Our friend Liz who also left from Santa Barbara to sail the world a year before us was only a few miles away on her boat Swell and it was time to find her. After fumbled radio attempts and being anchored only miles away with out ever meeting up we decided with only a few weeks left it was time to get serious and at least get back to the same island she was on. We hightailed it back to Raiatea. Well, actually it was more of a miserable five hour beat back in slop before anchoring off a little motu that became more or less our home for the next two weeks. We finally met up with Liz and her friend Katie and spent the next week surfing and swapping sea stories. It was refreshing and exciting to finally meet up with someone that had chosen this lifestyle for similar reasons as us. We have met and hung out with so many people out here all with different stories and different ideas of what sailing and traveling means to them. To finally connect with someone who is out here to surf and to have the same experiences we are brought back the level of spice and excitement that we had originally left with. Over the next few weeks we spent our days surfing some awesome waves, climbing a few coconut trees, watching local Polynesian dancing, sharing good stories and eating a ton of cookies! It was a perfect place to meet up at the perfect time. We will never forget Raiatea or how lucky we were to have actually run into each other out on this huge ocean! Smooth Sailing Liz!
With time now running out we sit here hanging out with good friends on Bora Bora preparing to leave this enchanting wonderland. All of our time socializing, surfing, diving and exploring for the last two months has clouded our heads of the reality of what lye ahead. This time we won’t be leaving Bora Bora for a day sail to the next island . We are actually in for a rather rude awakening for next time we pull up the anchor it will be for a seven day passage to Swurrovw. As soon as life starts getting comfortable the wind steadily increases, the seas pick up and poof it is time to leave! The ups and downs that life throws at you out here seem to be intensified a million times over. But, it is what keeps us moving. curious and most of all humble.

Life in the Tuamotus!

2008-06-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

Pictures have been added for the Marquesas also!

Life on an atoll!
Where one world ends and another begins! We never could have imagined that the tiny slivers of coral reef that separated and protected us from the open ocean could teach us what they have. The daily rythms that life takes here in the midst of such solitude and beauty are like nothing we have ever experienced. No matter how many times we have escaped to different remote cornors of the world, fleeing civilization, we have never experienced what we did in the last month. There is no way to emphasize how alone these atolls truly are. The weather patterns, crystal clear water, solitude, sea life and most of all emotions that engulfed us constantly, opened are eyes and minds while challenging us in ways that the rest of the world has yet to attempt. The lifestyle that we were quickly to adapt to forced us to slow down significantly in not only our actions but in our thoughts. These last weeks have for the first time allowed us to find a way to feel comfortable with a lifestyle we have always dreamed of but never been close enough to understand. The Tuamotus showed us not only a way of life but a way of thinking that can never be matched.
Adjusting to the slower pace of day to day life took us some time to understand and get accustomed to. Once our bodies and mind slowed we were able to truly submerge ourselves in a way that allowed us to enjoy our surroundings for all there simplicity and beauty. Leaving here today our boat is slowly being escorted by the outgoing tide back to the unprotected expansive Pacific Ocean. As we get pushed along we are reminded of how something as simple as the current, like so many patterns we came to trust and count on here has become our friend, our time keeper and our sense of security in a place so exposed and vulnerable to all of the seas glory!
The first time ashore this tiny coral outcropping in the middle of the Pacific is humerous to look back on. Prepared to conquer what ever the land and people may throw at us, we left to explore with a fully packed back pack, camera, shoes, pocket knife and expectations that no one cloud! As the days or in some cases the hours unfolded the back pack became to heavy and never needed, the pictures had been taken or could never be captured , the shoes became a hassle and we were taught the proper way to shuck a coconut so there was no longer a need for a pocket knife. So there we stood day after day in the clearest water we have ever seen with nothing but a bathing suit holding a snorkel in our water pruned hands.
We got used to the daily squalls that more often than not turned into full blown downpours, drenching our boat and everything on it. Somehow we never seemed to mind them because they were always accompanied by a full arched rainbow that was able to dry out our annoyance before it began. We awoke each morning having no plans and no expectations because they had all been met in ways that we have yet to understand. The ocean become our playground, our home, our life. The days spent spear fishing, scuba diving, surfing, wandering the deserted motus and eating more coconuts than we could stomach have left us salty, sunburned, tired and more content than ever!
This solitude that we came to know so well that was initially something hard to confront is now much harder to leave. As we skip along the ocean back in the big blue ocean we are no longer protectected by the atoll we came to know and love. We can’t stop staring at the tops of the palms as they disappear into the distance wondering if we will ever experience anything like this again. Physically nothing has changed since we arrived on this desolate island. There are still dozens of coral motus littered with coconuts and lined with Palm trees. The water is still as clear as glass teaming with sharks and tropical fish. We are leaveing our surroundings just as we found them and the daily routine of the people, animals and ocean continues on its repetitive cycle. The life that we entered moves along the same as it has been for as long as one can remember but it all feels, smells and looks so different to us. Our stay here has opened our eyes and our hearts to the true meaning of island life and even when submersed back into civilization we will never forget the way we felt so at home in such desolation.

Pacific Crossing - Done!

2008-05-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

Arriving in the Marquesas has defiantly been one of the most rewarding and meaningful moments in our lives. The excitement that we greet each day with is partly due to the amazing experiences we have had while exploring these hidden gems and partly from what it took to successfully arrive here. The last few months back on Gaviota have left us with not only the realization of how much we have invested to reach this point but more importantly has reminded us of our purpose for initiating this journey in the first place. After over four years of owning, working on and traveling with Gaviota we finally remember and feel reconnected with what sparked our curiosity for this dream of sailing the world... All of the hard work, sacrifices and time that we have put in, in order to get this far has in some ways clouded our perspective of this life adventure we were so excited for. Whether it was taking time to go home and reflect for a few months or being out in the middle of the Pacific for nearly a month, we are approaching every day with the attitude and clarity we had back when all of this was just a dream!

Crossing the Pacific Ocean has been an anticipated moment since the beginning. After months of preparing for the crossing the day before we left was defiantly not spent as planned but considering our track record it seems pretty fitting! Anchored in Isla Isabella, Galapagos Islands, we did not spend our last day resting, checking the engine, rigging or securing any other loose ends for Gaviota’s month at sea because that would have made to much sense! Instead we spontaneously decided it was time to leave after a day of hiking a volcano and sharing beers and fried plantains with friends. Well, it was half spontaneity and half escaping from the port captain before we would have to check in a pay way to much once again. After making a few last minute stops at the local carneceria, bakery, and fruit and vegetable market we loaded up our skiff and headed out to our boat for what would be the next 23 days. By 8:00 at night we had everything packed up as we crawled into our bed for our last full night of sleep for the next few weeks.

The passage went really smoothly and we fell into our daily routine much quicker than expected. Reading, fishing, baking, stretching and showering became the normal past times as the hours turned into days and the days began to blur together. Our main fear, of becoming stir crazy, with no way to get out extra energy never posed as a problem. Between the rolly seas, heat and lack of sleep we cherished and reserved every ounce of energy we had. With the intense sun gone the nights became our most treasured time of the passage. We will forever treasure the nights spent staring off at the waves illuminated by the moon and the numerous constellations as gaviota sailed along at a consistent 6-7 knots. This passage more than any other we have done allowed us to truly appreciate the solitude that the sea and sky have to offer.

The first Land Ho! Was shouted just before sunrise on our 23rd morning at sea. As we got closer to land and the sun got higher in the sky, the lush cliffs of Fatu Hiva showed their face as the jetted straight out of the ocean. It was overwhelming to look at the lush green cliffs after weeks of staring at nothing but blue ocean and sky for as we could see. We were greeted by a light rain shower and an amazing rainbow as we turned the corner to anchor up in Hanavave bay. Words and pictures can not begin to explain how absolutely gorgeous this anchorage is. Besides just sitting on our boat try to soak in the spectacular island lying in the middle of the Pacific, we spent our time exploring the town and inland terrain as much as possible. We quickly found that the friendly French Polynesians were much more interested in trading for items than they were for us paying for them. A local Polynesian boy, Jon Pierre quickly greeted us and began the bargaining for fruit. They were really interested in trading for perfume and bullets, neither of which we had aboard but we managed to trade some pens and marine supplies. In return we ended up with stalks of bananas, lemons, limes, mangos and our new favorite pomplemuse which are the biggest sweetest grapefruits we have ever tasted! Hiking, attending a local church service, snorkeling, trading with locals and attending our first pig roast are just some of the memories that we will take with us from our first magical anchorage of the South Pacific.

On our way to Tahuata, another island in the Marquesas we were pleasantly surprised when we caught our first fish since Costa Rica. About three miles from the anchorage Brandon reeled in a 4 foot 35 lb Wahoo! It was definitely the biggest fish we have ever pulled up on Gaviota and one of the best. For the next five days we ate fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with managing to feed the entire anchorage. It was delicious and so appreciated after quite a while without any meat. After a few days of snorkeling in crystal clear water with 50-60 ft of visibility and a few hikes we took off and decided it was probably time to officially check in to French Polynesia. We are currently at Nuka Hiva checking in and provisioning with the few items that we can afford. Everything is extremely expensive here but we are in heaven with the fresh baked French baguettes that are cheap, warm and delicious. I have never seen Brandon consume so much bread in my life! We are planning on a couple more weeks in the Marquesas and then it is off for the diving and surfing of the Tuamotus! The South Pacific is so full of amazing islands and atolls that we don’t know how we are going to manage to see it all in one season!

Galapagos: Part 2

2008-04-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

Traveling is a concept that is viewed differently by everyone. Traveling to some is seen as planning everything out by booking a flight, hotel and tours ahead of time. To others they consider traveling throwing a few pieces of clothes into a backpack and taking off to see what they run into. However one chooses to define traveling it almost always results in memories and stories that last a lifetime. Our adventures so far in the Galapagos have resulted in a mixture of both of these types of travel and have left us with stories we will never forget.
Trying to avoid the common expensive tours of the Galapagos as much as possible we decided our first adventure should be a surf adventure. After surfing a local beach break on Santa Cruz Island we soon realized from the locals that much better waves were to be found on San Cristobel Island. Unable to take our boat to other ports without buying a very expensive and we are still not sure if legal Autographo, we booked a fairy over to San Cristobel. We must have had the surf gods with us because for the next few days we were blessed with one of the best swells they have had all year. For three days we made the two mile hike to the small beach with a left point that ended up acting more like our hotel than the one we were paying for back in town. We put up a tarp and lied out our board bags so that when we could no longer take the intense sun that comes with being right on the equator we would have some protection. The sun’s intensity forced us to return to town for a siesta around noon but we always mustered up the energy to make it back out for an afternoon session. The smiles brought on from crystal clear water and perfect waves could not be peeled off our faces, even when walking through the scorching midday heat with no shade and no water left. The first morning we surfed with one or two other guys but by the afternoon the news had spread through town and people came out of the cracks to share in the gift the ocean had delivered. The mentality of everyone in the Galapagos is so overwhelming. The Californian surfer mentality of say nothing of waves and don’t even attempt to paddle out on a good day unless you are a local is no where to be found. Walking in each day everyone was so stoked and sharing the news of the waves. In the water they was even more inviting. Nobody had a sense of entitlement but rather focused all their energy on truly enjoying the double overhead waves that were peeling through! With sunburned faces and arms that felt like Jell-O we headed back to our boat after four days about as content and fulfilled as we have ever been. Surfing amazing waves, in crystal clear water, with sea turtles popping up as you take off is going to be a really hard memory to beat. If it is even possible!

To see the Galapagos you are really left with no other choice than to book at least a few tours since all the islands are protected national parks. We decided to go on a snorkel tour of one of the islands in the Galapagos archipelago, Floreana. We took another boat for the day and snorkeled two different spots that were absolutely amazing. We snorkeled through tunnels with sea turtles, saw the Galapagos white tip shark, swam with tons of Tuna, Mahi, Manta Rays and sea lions. Seeing Sea Lions made us feel like we were back home except for the fact that these ones were so friendly. Once in the water with them they were doing flips around us. One came right up to us blew bubbles in our face and swam back through my legs. It was amazing to experience the pristine diving of the Galapagos. The captains of the boat that we were on were both a few years younger than us and were also surfers. They ended up buying one of our surfboards from us the next day but not without quite an adventure.

The next day after our snorkel tour to Floreana, we saw the captains, Chino and Eric motoring past us on a panga with a few friends and surfboards. After screaming and waving at them in hopes of joining them to surf a place called “Chicken Hill” they finally heard us and turned around. We conversed in our broken Spanish and their little to no English about selling our surfboard and going seeing if we could go surfing with them. Within a few minutes we were tying our dingy back to the boat and loading our boards into the panga to go surf for the Day. Or so we thought! We were so excited as we motored past the inaccessible beaches of Santa Cruz Island. It was asolutly beautiful and so much more meaningful to be exploring it with locals than on a tour. After about and hour we pulled into a beautiful bay with yet another fun left breaking just next to us. Anxious to get in we started to fumble for our boards when they told us “un momento!” They continued to bring the boat furthur into the bay. With in a few moments they had anchored up and began unpacking. We looked at each other thinking it would be much easier to just drop anchor and surf for a few hours and then leave but as it was not our boat we kept our mouths shut. That was when we looked down and saw that they unpacking camping stuff that was conveniently hidden down below the bow of the panga. Both of our faces dropped as we looked at each other and then at them. "Todo personas camping?" "No regresso ahoy?" The answer was not the one we were looking for. “No! camping.” “Regresso manana en la tarde. WAIT! " No comprendo tu es camping!" “No tengo ropa,comida, or tent(no idea what tent is in Spanish but we made the hand gestures to try and explain.)” Needless to say we were not prepared for the night we were about to endure. Camping with nothing is one thing. It can be a little uncomfortable, dirty and cold but still enjoyable. Camping with about one million mosquitos’s, with no tent and only bathing suits and surfboards is totally different. We truly got a dose of uncomfortable. One of the girls couldn’t help herself from laughing at the situation when she realized we didn’t understand that they were camping and we had nothing! I was a little annoyed by this but looking back I probably would have done the same!
After a surf session in the afternoon we went and tried to help set up the few items they had brought for the night. Chino, Eric and Eduardo went to go find fish for dinner while Brandon and I walked in circles around the little beach because if we stopped for to long we would be completely mauled by mosquitos. After somewhat coming to terms with the fact that we were here for the night I began helping the girls collect firewood from a tree that they call the Holy tree of Santa Tomas. They call it this because when you burn the branches it helps to keeps the mosquito’s away. It may be their holy tree but by no means does it keep the mosquitos away. When Chino and the others returned they had actually got lucky and had caught 4 fresh Yellow Tailed Tuna. AHI! It was really amazing to watch them prepare the fish with practically nothing. They used the lava rocks as their cutting board and with in a few minutes of cleaning the fish we had fresh sushi that was amazing. That night we each cooked our own huge fillet which was prepared in cilantro, lime, peppers and tomatos. It was delicious! Watching these kids that were our age or younger be so resourceful and live more or less completely off the land was really refreshing. It made us both feel pretty pathetic for complaining about some mosquito’s but my god they were horrendous! Mosquito’s or not we still found ourselves laughing around a campfire, drinking some random alcohol called "Cana", that kind of tastes like a mix between bad wine and vodka, and listening to all of them sing Ecuadorian songs. That night we slept in our bating suits on our board bags looking up at the millions of stars and realized how lucky we were to be able to experience this even if we were miserably uncomfortable. Some how we managed to sleep on and off for the majority of the night but were felt relieved to say the least when the sun began to rise and we realized we had made it through the night without being completely destroyed by mosquito’s.
We are still searching for all the words to explain what we learned, felt and experienced on this trip. There were a million ways to approach an experience like this. It was just another way of traveling and it was up to us to put ourselves in a mindset where we could appreciate what we were experiencing. We may have not been prepared and did not have the comforts of a hotel room or even a tent for that matter but we saw and experienced the Galapagos in a way we will never forget. We met people who were so sweet and gracious, saw land that is barely ever visited and surfed untouched waves. As we pulled out of the anchorage our friend Chino yelled out "Ciao Mosquito’s no mas bailar con tu!" -Good bye mosquito’s no more dancing with you! AMEN! As we had nothing with us we missed probably one of the best photo experiences of our trip but the story and the memories we will have for a lifetime.

Galapagos - Part 1

2008-03-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

Gaviota is officially out of Puntarenas and is happily swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Galapagos. After a mini vacation to Dominical with Pat and his family, lots of last minute provisioning and still no international zarpe we managed to escape from Costa Rica with mostly positive memories but anxious to begin the second leg of our journey. We were lucky to be able to spend the first few days together, after a month apart, relaxing, swimming, surfing and hanging out in Dominical. It was such a treat for us to hangout with Pat and Rachael in the house they rented before heading back to boat life. We could have stayed in Dominical for ever surfing, exploring waterfalls and listening to Howler monkey’s and Toucans but we knew if we were ever going to make it to the Galapagos it was time to leave the lap of luxury and head out.
Back in Punteranas we made multiple trips to the mega super and managed to fill every empty square inch of our boat with canned goods, rice, pasta, beans, cereal and of course beer and wine! Unable to tie up a few last minute paperwork issues we decided it was time to get out of Central America before they took another penny! We left Puntarenas early in the morning and headed for Bahia Ballena, an anchorage that we stopped at last season, to spend one last night before heading off for our passage to the Galapagos. Bahia Ballena was amazing besides the horribly uncomfortable rash I managed to get on my arm. We were really ready for our passage to the Galapagos!
The Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador, were about 700miles away from Ballena and the sail is notorious for light winds and mixed up currents. Our first day out was amazing! We had 10-15 knots on the beam and sailed for 12 hours without having to touch the windvane. The next day our luck and spirits kind of took a downward spiral. While we were using our brand new autopilot we turned on our SSB radio to check in with other boats and it some how shorted something out and we were left to hand steer for what we thought to be the rest of the trip. After hand steering through two squalls and six days of light to no winds we were able to get an email that walked us through how to reset our autopilot. This was all thanks to Connie and Lisa an agent that assists cruisers in the Pacific. Thank you both so so much. I don’t think we have ever been more relieved or excited as we were at that moment when the autopilot came back to life. We were literally singing and dancing around the boat for hours afterwards, so relieved that we had been freed from the repetitive torture of staring at the compass with our hands glued to the wheel. It was pretty miserable to hand steer day and night but we surprisingly were in really good spirits throughout the whole passage. We are so stoked to be out here exploring again that it would take a lot to really get us down.
We crossed the equator at 4 in the morning on our eighth day out. We were kind of bummed that it was not during the day because we were planning on swimming across but we still had our ceremony the next day and said our thanks to KING NEPTUNE! We arrived at Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos on the morning of our ninth day. Within twenty minutes of anchoring we had seen baby hammerhead sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, manta rays and blue footed boobies. This place is truly the paradise it is said to be and it is so refreshing to see this much wild life everywhere. We have so much to share with you about the Galapagos but will have to wait and update more later. We miss everyone but are having an amazing time!

Da Boys

2008-02-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

Well, Pat and Alex have been down here staying on the boat with me for almost 2 weeks now and we've been having a pretty damn good time. The original plan was for us 3 to go sail around and explore the areas of costa rica that are only accessable by boat. What ended up happining is that we ran into a rediculous burocratic paperwork dilema that had us driving all over the area talking, bribing and begging officials to let us have temporary visa so that we could go see their country! After a week of this we all decided it was too much hassle and we should go to plan B: SURF, EAT, SLEEP...drink beer. We have made the best of this unfortunate situation though and have squezzed just about everything postive thing we can out of this shitty area called puntarenas. We have basically become locals. The people in the restaurant here are awesome and we just have a running tab, we lounge by the pool with beers, BBQ on the boat and wake up every morning to hike out to a secret overhead left point where we haven't seen a single person in the last 6 days. Not bad. This point is amazing, you have to hike about 3 miles and over some seriously sharp rocks, but when you get there you set up camp and surf your own private left point. The swell seems to be dying even though the swell models say it should be increasing, so last night we performed the sure fire ritual of drinking way too much to bring the surf on. I don't know what happened but instead of more swell we got more wind...hense the reason I'm not out surfing right now. Anyways, the sailing trip to nowhere has been pretty fun. I a couple days we will drive to San Jose, drop off Alex, Pat will pick up Rachael and his mom and I will pick up Jamie. Jamie and I will provision for the next 4 months in San Jose and then we will drive down to Playa Dominical to hang out with Pat and Rachael for a day or two before we head back to the boat to get ready for our pacific crossing! Here's some pics from the last couple weeks....PURA VIDA

--secret spot mid-day hide out--

--going feral...--

--"the PU" on one of its better moments--

--costa rica yacht club--

--Jowen "the paperwork guy" and his mangrove croc. tour...Thanks Jowen!--

--Take your FREAKIN pick!! FEB 23 THE SPOT aka Punta Mono--

--pre surf--

--Trolling chicken for crocodiles--

--PAtty on the dishes--

Ready For Another Round...

2008-02-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

Back in Costa again... The plane flights were exactly how I expected them, long and annoying. When I showed up to LAX they almost didn't let me on the plane with the ammount of gear I was carrying. My delema was that I was carrying 215lb's of gear and my 'big' bag was 89 lb's and there was a max of 70. I began pulling out clothes and strapping them to the outside of my already oversize carry-on backpack and put 2 shirts and an extra sweatshirt on myself. I eventually just had to throw a few away. I looked like I bum and was completely ready to reject me when I tried to get on the plane...but I hid the computer and pulled all the straps down bar-tight and got away with it. After two packed flights and a stop over in beautiful George Bush International Airport I stepped out into the heat. The cheapest way for me to get to puntarenas was to take a cab and it turned out to be a good choice. The cabby was a pretty rad guy and we rocked out to some american classic rock station while indy racing all the way to Puntarenas. I showed up just in time to get the last room for the night and sat down for a well diserved imperial and arroz con pollo. When I sat down and relaxed I felt so stoked to be back here, all the memories just started pouring back in. I didn't take long though to remember why I was here alone, early, and yielding a bag full of parts and tools. After dinner and back in the room, I felt the slow, overwhelming and undeniable symptoms of stress. Who knows what condition the boat will be in? How long this extensive list will take to accomplish? Will the engine start? Will anything start? Will the boat be there? Well, the next morning I got my first look. The boat was covered in dirt, bird shit, mold and the varnish was destroyed. Inside, the boat looked just how I remembered it...trashed. But, all in all everthing looked like I'd expected. The next two days cosisted of cleaning and making it possible for me to move around inside. Then I arranged to have the bottom painted, hooked up all electronics, solar panels, dodger, moved everything on deck, drained and filled water tanks, did a complete engine overhaul and started wiping down the mold off all the walls inside. There were no real supprises, just many hot, long days. I have been here now for 14 days and Gaviota is ready to go. The new autopilot is installed (I would never wish a Raymarine install on anyone) and everything is operational. It's been dead flat here so I've spent the last two days relaxing and waiting for Pat and Alex to get here so we can go do someting fun for once! I have met some old friends here and some new ones and it's been great geting to know all the employee's here at the yacht club...when your living here like this everyone just becomes family. I'm feelin pretty good about the future right now and can't wait to see what lies ahead...

BACK TO GAVIOTA!!!

2008-01-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go? Six months ago we were left Gaviota in Puntarenas, Costa Rica with the heat, bugs, rain and lightning. I just remember closing up that last hatch and looking down below to see the utter chaos of everything that we had just done in the last 5 days of de-commisioning. Every sail, line, surfboard, anchor, engine and piece of gear off the deck was stripped and put below. All electronics disconnected and everything opened up and hung from above in the hopes of reducing the mildew and mold that is said to ruin boats. We walked away, well, ran away as the no-see-ums started to eat us alive thinking how far away and long the next 6 months would be. The flight and trip home was our first real tast of the world we had left behind seven months earlier. We had a lot to do when we first got back to Santa Barbarba but everything worked out perfectly and before we knew it we had a place to live, cell phones, an old beat up toyota and jobs. We have had a lot of fun being home. It's been really good for both of us to not have the boat here to work on. The extra time to hang out with friends and family was really needed and we had some pretty damn good times. We have managed to score some great waves while being home and rediscover this spot on the planet with open eyes. This next leg of the trip is going to be the best yet. This is what we have wanted from the beginning...pacific islands, clear water, perfect diving and endless oportunities for flawless surf. For now that is still far away, the boat needs a lot of work to be operable again and we still have over 3000 miles of open ocean to cross. Pat Moyer and Alex White will be meeting me in Puntarenas two weeks after I arrive (and hopefully have the boat together). Our plans for now are to explore the areas you can only get to by boat and find surf where ever it may be. Jamie will fly down a month later and meet us in Golfito, about 300 miles south. After that we plan to provision near the panama canal area and then take off for Isla Del Coco, the Galapagos and eventually across the pacific to the Maquesas. Plans change all the time though and we'll do our best to keep the site updated the entire way. We have a new Photo site attatched where is says "OUR MAIN PHOTO GALLERY" that has a lot more photos from the start of the trip and all the way through. Stay in touch through our boat email: wdd4892@sailmail.com Here's just a few photos from our stay at home

......

Pura Vida!

2007-06-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica has been a dream!
Our favorite area of Costa so far has been the Gulfo de Papagayo. This area is a cruisers paradise and nightmare depending on the time of year. We got lucky and were able to stay and explore the area since the Papgayo Season, when the winds blow incredibly hard, had just ended! We explored the Murcielegos islands and of course the Oh so famous, Ollie’s Point and Witches rock! We spent five days anchored in a private cove surfing Ollie‘s Point all by ourselves. Every morning we would get up and get a surf session in before the pangas arrived with their boats full of surfers. The water was warm, the waves were fun and best of all we were all alone with our boat just a few yards away. Making our way up into the gulf of Nicoya we had amazing sailing, went on jungle hikes, saw Howler Monkey’s and snorkeled. The rainy season has just begun so we get squalls that come through almost every after noon with the most amazing thunder clouds that wash everything off and cool us down. It is amazingly beautiful here! The hills are green and lush, the ocean is the most beautiful color blue and the colors of the sky are unbelievable. Maybe it is because we are going home so soon but everything seems to look, smell and feel better than ever. We could not have asked for a better past few weeks.
This week though, has been though has been somewhat more of a never ending marathon. Having had little to no strict schedule for the last seven months has made it difficult to face the reality that the trip was slowly coming to an end. Time was running out and we had only a few days to get to Puntarenas and haul Gaviota out of the water. Pulling into Puntarenas and leaving the pristine untouched islands and coast that we had been exploring behind was really difficult. Puntarenas is aesthetically not to impressive. It is dirty, polluted, crowded, incredibly hot and has this lingering smell that never seems to fade.
We spent the first two days after we arrived cleaning out every cabinet with bleach, taking down sails, cleaning the bilge, lines and engine, packing our clothes to go home and deciding what food we could save and giving the rest to Chici the local panga driver. We could barely move to swat the no-see-ums off us by the end of the days. With almost everything done it was time to haul Gaviota out of the water and tuck her in for the next six months. As we sat and watched Gaviota get slowly hauled out of the water we realized our heads are just as blurred with emotion, fear and wonder as the day we left Santa Barbara. The feelings come from somewhere different this time because we are no longer as scared that we cant handle the sea and the weather and we no longer have doubts about the trip. Now the fear is of what it will be like to go home and the emotions come from reminiscing over all our experiences.
Sailing through these countries has been so humbling and has shown us how important it is to appreciate and be grateful for everything you have. The majority of the people we have encountered in Central America live on so much less than the average American. Less water, food, education and opportunities, but they never stop smiling and they always welcome you with curious faces and open hands. The images of children in El Salvador hauling water from a local well in old anti-freeze bottles, or the homes in the small villages of Nicaragua that consist of a dirt floor and palm frond roofs will never be erased from our memories. They have left us with such a great appreciation for how others live and for what we have been blessed with. Of all the lessons learned from this trip from sailing tactics and weather predictions to patience and tolerance the one lesson that I know we will never forget or question is how important it is to be conscious of our footprint, impact on the world. Living on a sailboat has been a great way of forcing us to waste nothing and not to consume more than we need. At first not having access to fresh water, food or electricity was a burden and annoying but the further into the trip we got and the more we saw how people lived in these countries we realized what a luxury it was to have these items at all. It has been so refreshing to see how content and happy people are with what they have and it had definitely rubbed off on us!
For the next six months we won’t have days of panga’s driving by singing and waving, or constant adventures filled with surfing new waves, meeting new people and exploring new places. We wont fall asleep to the crashing waves and Howler monkeys conversing in the jungles. We will go back to our “normal” lifestyle for a while and slowly fall back into the routine we knew all so well. It will give us time to reflect on the memories of Mexico and Central America that have changed our lives and opened our eyes to what is out there. We will always remember surviving our first gale, catching our first big Yellowtail, surfing remote waves and hanging out with the other cruisers. But the most colorful memories will be of the local people we met and their way of life!
PURA VIDA!

Nicaragua Travels!

2007-06-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

Nicaragua!!!!!

Every building, street, smile, handshake and home of Nicaragua seems to hold a story like a secret just dying to be told. We have visited many countries each having its own unique history, culture and identity but we have never experienced a country quite like Nicaragua. Not even a language barrier could stop us from understanding the pain and suffering that once plagued this country. Less than 20 years ago Nicaragua had been amidst a civil war. The memories pain and aftermath of the war are still present in many areas but in the peoples smiles and cities you can feel nothing but strength, vibrance and new hope.

We spent a little under a week exploring the inland areas of Granada, Isla Ometepe on Lake Nicaragua and Leon. Each place left us more impressed than the next. We visited the oldest Cathedral in Central America, War Museums, hiked to a crater lake at the top of a volcano, and ate at local restaurants on colonial streets. We loved ,loved, loved Nicaragua!!! The people, colors, food, noises, markets are enough to make your head spin and your eyes sting. Their is such an explosion of life buzzing in and out of every little crack that you have to stop yourself every few moments, close your eyes and remember where you are.

Hiking to the top of a volcano and Brandon’s barber shop extravaganza are memories we always reflect on. But of all our experience in Nicaragua the one memory we constantly find ourselves reflecting on and the one I think we will cherish the most is the simple journey of our bus ride back to the marina. I say simple but a bus ride in Central America is something you have to experience first hand to truly understand!

We had one more two hour bus ride back to the marina before we could officially call our inland trip of Nicaragua a success. We scrambled out of the grocery store after delaying the whole line because they didn’t take credit cards and we didn’t have any Cordoba’s. A reoccurring problem with us! We bought as many groceries as we could carry considering it had been weeks since our last grocery store and it would probably be just as long until our next one. Fifteen minutes early for the bus we were positive we would find plenty of room for our groceries, huge backpacks and of course us. Wrong! The bus was not only crowded already but practically full. I must explain that these buses are no air conditioned Grey hound. They are old yellow school buses from the U.S. We pushed our way past the fat cranky bus driver and began our attempt to load about fifteen grocery bag and our huge backpacks in the rack above peoples heads. I thought that every one would think we were crazy but as it turned out it looked like common procedure. Brandon ended up sitting in the very front row and still had thirteen plus people standing in front of him. I was a few rows back with boxes of milk and six packs on my lap sitting next to another lady and her child. We sat parked, drenched in sweat and packed into this bus for nearly forty minutes before the fat cranky bus driver decided he had shoved enough papas fritas into his mouth to start the engine. There were a minimum of three people to a seat and every square inch of standing room on the bust was occupied. The bus like all chicken buses stopped about every other block to see if they could squeeze just one more person on. These stops also allow for women and children to try and maneuver their way through the cramped aisles to sell food and drinks. Complete Chaos! It was way past being hot, sweaty and annoyed so Brandon and I decide to take it all in, sit back and do the only thing we could laugh!

We found the patience the people on the bus had amazing. At home when you are sitting next to someone if you even tap their elbow you get the invasion of privacy glare and these people were practically dirty dancing they were so close to each other and no one blinked an eye. The lady next to me spoke no English and I tried to convey to her that I spoke very little Spanish but that didn’t seem to matter to her. For the next three hours she talked to me non stop and I tried my hardest to decipher some of it but in all reality I was pretty lost. The universal language of a smile and head nod seemed to be all she needed to continue on though. We hadn’t eaten anything before we got on and were starving but that posed to be no problem. By the time we had gotten to the marina I think every food item available in Nicaragua had been managed to find its way down the crowded aisle of the bus. We bought some pastries from a little girl about half way through and decided to stay away from some of the scarier items like ice cream that never seemed to melt!

The best part of the bus trip was once we had gotten far enough out of the city and were in the rural villages. That is where we got to really experience first hand how these people get their food to survive. Suddenly hauling our fifteen grocery bags of food back to the marina seemed like less of a chore and more of a luxury. The bus would unload huge bags of rice and beans that were stacked on the top of the bus to villages. The man in charge of loading and off-loading everything had the most charismatic smile. He seemed to be best friends with every family and every passenger . He made jokes, flirted and had lengthy conversations with all the women who waited on the side of the road to make sure they were getting what they ordered. We speculated that the bags of rice, grain and beans these ladies were collecting were shared with entire villages. Their were also ladies carrying bags of live squawking chickens that they had bought in town. It was fascinating to watch how the people of these rural villages carried through their typical Monday marketing. For the first time in Nicaragua we felt as if we fit in with the locals and were not just American tourists. We may be traveling different paths in life but in those three hours we were all crammed on the same bus with the same mission. Getting our food home in one piece!!!!

The Forgotten Middle

2007-06-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Forgotten Middle
Culture, history breathtaking scenery and most of all the smiling faces have made Nicaragua our most colorful experience so far. We have seen and experienced so much in this wonderful country in the small amount of time we have been here. Before we tell you our stories about Nicaragua we want to share about a place we consider our little gem. This place turned out to be what we have been looking to see, experience, touch and feel ever since the day we pulled Gaviota away from the dock in Santa Barbara.
On the map it is called the Bay of Fonseca but it is more commonly referred to by sailors as the Forgotten Middle. It is a bay that touches its lapping waters upon the shores of El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. The island Conchunguita sits in the Forgotten Middle and is owned by El Salvador but very much has its own identity.
As we slowly motored around the lush volcanic island we felt as if we could have been arriving in Alaska or Hawaii. The hill sides that have been mainly brown down the coast of Mexico had finally turned to lush and green as we watched them jet straight out of the ocean to form a volcanic peak. As we first rounded the island it looked as if no one inhabited it and we predicted we may be alone out here. Our prediction was quickly corrected as we turned the corner to find a city no larger than one city neighborhood block. We immediately noticed that the town was composed of nice small homes. Not the typical mud and palm frond huts of the area. They were sturdy and durable, made of concrete.
Unable to unglue our eyes and thoughts from the possibilities and stories that belonged to this tiny unvisited island, we fumbled the anchor into the mud bottom below and silenced the repetitive rumble of the engine. As we sat and listened to the workings of the town I think we may have felt similar to what a newborn baby might feel when they first enter the world. Frightened but safe, over stimulated but curious. Their were so many noises emanating from the shore compared to the repetitive workings of our diesel. There was one sound that distinctly stood out among the roosters, cows, pangas and as were to find out later even the slaughtering of a families swine. It was the singing and clapping of children! Muffled behind the towns everyday symphony of sounds were the voices of children rising up into the lush hills and out over the sea to our ears. They sang beautiful songs in unison for at least an hour as we sat and smiled feeling as if we had arrived in paradise. In all the anchorages we have dropped our hook at this is by far the most special welcome we have ever had!
The next few days at Conchunguita many children in dug out canoes came out to our boat to greet us. They were so happy and interested in us. We gave them the last of all our chocolate, baby clothes and school supplies. The first two boys that rowed out to our boat got the luckiest when it comes to gifts! Brandon gave one boy a skateboard deck ,generously donated to the trip by Alex White, and gave the other boy one of his last Brandon Yates hats. It was so special to see how excited they were to get real gifts and not baby clothes or a chocolate bar. Later we towed another dugout canoe of about five boys into the beach behind our skiff and they couldn’t stop laughing. When we got to the beach they all jumped out and along with two little girls helped us carry our skiff up to dry land. They showed us around town and then in our broken Spanish and their broken English we communicated that we wanted to go on a hike. There was one boy of the four that led the way. We walked on a random dirt road along the circumference of the volcanic island for a few hours. We stopped to share our water, look at snakes and try our hardest to have a conversation with the boys. We had given them all pads of paper that had the alphabet and some English words inside the front cover and during the hike all of them were practicing saying letters and words in English. It was the best feeling to see how grateful and appreciative these kids were just for a pad of paper. When we got back from the hike we said our goodbyes and thank you’s and went back to our boat. We were visited a few hours later by the little boy who took us on the hike and his family. They just wanted to say hi again. We invited the little boy on our boat and showed him our maps and electronics, gave them a few more gifts and said our goodbyes. That night we sat in the cockpit and looked at the lights of the little town and tried to store all of our memories so we would never forget this place.
What ever the true reason may be for nicknaming the Bay of Fonseca the Forgotten Middle we are confident this is one place never to be forgotten by us. Gaviota has for the first time since our departure reached the destination we have envisioned to find since the beginning of this dream. Gaviota was blessed to visit this tiny island that keeps its home safely tucked away in the waters of the Forgotten Middle. We will always be indebted to Conchunguita for showing us the beauty and simplicity of isolation that still exists out here!

El Salvador!

2007-05-16T13:39:00.001-07:00

El Salvador!
The bugs are eating us alive and there is not a minute of the day that goes by that we are not drenched it sweat but that has not deterred us from exploring the culture and beauty of El Salvador. We arrived in El Salvador at Barillas Marina about two weeks ago, after six days at sea. Our crossing of the Tehuantepec went as smoothly as Enrique, the manager of Marina Chauahe in Hualtuco promised it would. A few hours before we untied from the dock and headed out to perfect sailing he told us the weather theory that the locals live by when preparing to cross the Tehuantepec. His story was told much more eloquently than I am about to translate. It is believed by the local fisherman that when the sea gets mad and the waves get big and start crashing on the rocks of the beaches it is the sea‘s way of asking the sky for water. If the sky then responds and rains the sea will once again be content and the two will be at peace, making for a nice crossing across the Tehuantepec. As luck would have it that is exactly the phenomenon that occurred the day before we left. The waves increased and Hualtuco got its first rain shower of the rainy season making it perfect time for us to head across. So we left on our planned departure date after saying our goodbyes to Attu. We left with four other boats following a few hours behind. We had perfect sailing as soon as we left that lasted all through our first night. The next five days we were not so lucky. WE ended up motoring pretty much non stop for the rest of the journey except for the occasional squall that would pass by and bring us 10-15 knots in the afternoons. We were a little disappointed that we did not get more wind but their were no complaints since we got across the Tehuantepec safely. We found the sail to be almost easier than the one or two day trips because our body was able to get into a routine allowing us to actually get used to the three hours on three hours off in the middle of the night. The days were incredibly calm with no wind and sweltering heat. This was accented by squalls and fierce lightning and thunder storms at night. Every night we ended up playing a game of chase with mother nature as we used our radar to dodge the squalls that brought huge lightning bolts all the way down to the ocean. One night they were a safe distance off and we were in no danger so we sat for hours and watched these amazing bolts of lightning light the entire sky pink and purple.
On our last night out we were showering on the foredeck when we were greeted by about one thousand Spinner Dolphins. We had not encountered this breed of Dolphins before but they were the most hipper fun creatures I have ever seen. For about half an hour they were jumping all the way out of the water and twisting three hundred and sixty degrees before belly flopping back into the water.. They were so talkative squeaking under our boat as they glided along with us. It was so amazing to see these creatures happy and free. Between the lightning and the sea life Mother Nature provided us to with some amazing shows to entertain us on our crossing!
We just barely made it into Barillas Marina, El Salvador on our sixth day. The marina is located across a sand bar and up a river about ten miles so they send a panga out to guide you in. We got the last panga ride in at four o ‘clock and by seven o’ clock after being tossed back and forth over the sand bar we were tied up to our mooring. Being a Sunday night we figured we would check into immigration and the marina in the morning. To our surprise the panga came out with the owner of the marina, Herbierto, and the Policia to inspect our boat. We were then guided into shore where we checked into the marina and then to immigration. Needless to say they were not as lackadaisical as Mexico, where they could really care less when you checked in. It was late and we were hot, exhausted and not to enthusiastic about going in to wait for immigration to go through our paper work. Our moods quickly changed from hot and grumpy to intrigued and touched when Herbierto starting explaining in detail the history of El Salvador and the meaning of their countries flag. It was absolutely beautiful how he described each of the symbols on their flag and described how proud they are to now be part of CAFTA( Central America Free Trade Agreement). He continued to tell us how happy they are that the war is over and how hard the country is working to get out of the poverty it has fallen into. They are very fond of America and are thankful for the help they have supplied El Salvador with. We were glad to hear that they were fond of Americans but a little skeptical as to why! Checking in ended up being a great experience that reminded us to keep perspective of where we are and how lucky we are to be doing this trip no matter how hot or tired we may be.
We spent one day swimming in the pool and drinking mango smoothies at the marina before deciding we were long over due for some inland travels. So we hopped on the van that goes from the marina into the nearest town and started our trip of inland El Salvador. The first day we spent traveling from one bus to another trying to get to La Libertad, a famous surf spot. The first bus took us from Usulután to the capital, San Salvador. From their we took a taxi to another bus terminal where we were scammed into taking another taxi to another bus stop. We finally made it on our last bus to La Libertad. The buses which they have nick named “chicken buses” are old school buses which they back to the brim with as many people as they can. It is so hot and claustrophobic! Being our first time experiencing the “chicken buses” we were not as annoyed as we were interested. Every stop we had ladies getting on and selling everything from water to candy to pupusas, the local meal. Practically anything you want to eat was cycled through the bus at some time during the two hour excursion.
We finally arrived at La Libertad, found a hotel and went out to wash off the daily grime in the surf. It was really nice to surf without having the worry of our boat at anchor in the back of our head. The surf was pretty small but it felt amazing to get in after the dirty buses and city. That night we shard stories over dinner with a guy we met when we were checking in. Patrick turned out to be from the San Luis Obispo area and is friends with a lot of our friends back at home. He was really nice and had lived in Puntarenas, Costa Rica for a while so gave us some good tips on where to surf and stay when we get their. We also hung out with the owner of the restaurant, Oscar that night and learned a few more bits and pieces about the history and current state of El Salvador. He told us that there are six million people living in the country and two million El Salvadorians living in the United States. The two million people living in the states currently account for 70% of the countries income. That is one of the main reason that they have recently switched their currency from the colon to the U.S. dollar. He also explained to us how El Salvador is repaying its debt to the U.S. for the billions of dollars that they poured into the country ( in the form of armed weapons)during the war by sending El Salvadorian troops to Iraq for free. It seemed like another corrupt situation initiated by the United States but we decided not to get into it or we would probably never stop. It was so nice to meet another local El Salvadorian who spoke English so we could get some more insight into the history and current issues of the country .

We were planning to bus back to San Salvador the next day to rent a car so we could go explore but we got lucky and Oscar rented us his range rover and we no longer had to enter into the dirty crazy city of San Salvador. Or so we thought! We left early in the morning and drove the coast before heading into the mountains to stay in a little town by the main Coffee plantations of El Salvador. It was a little scary driving through the small random towns. The majority of the towns are very poor and we seemed to find ourselves continuously getting lost and driving through open market places where we could go no faster than a snail. Driving through we would get stuck behind women and children with push carts full of fruits and vegetables that they were selling. The markets were really amazing and colorful but at times we felt a little nervous to be two white kids in a range rover driving through the center of them. We ended up making it to the town we were looking for with no problems and found a place to stay where we had our own cottage with a view of the mountains. We were walking around the town after we checked in and ran into a Crazy Woman. She was from El Salvador but had spent a lot of time in the states in the sixties so she spoke English. She went on to tell us about her LSD trips and asked us how the rock and roll scene was in San Francisco. She also tried to convince us that the Mexican government owed her half a million dollars and she was waiting in El Salvador until they paid her. Needless to say she was totally Looney!. She kept following us around until we finally got rid of her after not giving her any money. Besides meeting her the town was really quaint and we had fun meeting the local kids playing soccer in the streets. We drank a lot of great coffee for free and enjoyed being away form the ocean and in the mountains. The next day we went on a hike through little local villages back in the mountains and then drove for ever after getting lost in San Salvador before making it to the highest mountain range in El Salvador, El Pital. This tiny village not effected by tourism tucked back in the mountains was such a relief to find after getting lost in the harsh outskirts of San Salvador. Their were local girls selling baskets at our hotel that we met as soon as we arrived. Their was a girl with them who was from New York and has been working with the Peace core and living in El Salvador for the last three years. Once again we had someone who spoke English to give us some information about the area and describe the art work of the local girls. They made beautiful woven bowls out of pine needles. It was one of the first times they had gone out of their community to sell the bowls and they were so excited when we bought two of them. They are absolutely beautiful and it is so great to bring a little piece of the area and history home with us. Than afternoon we went on a breathtaking hike that resembled a mix between India and Switzerland and stayed in another little cottage with amazing views and amazing people. The mountain villages were incredibly poor but beautiful and full culture. We also got to experience the process that the women go through to make their local dish Pupusa. There is one or two mills in this town where all the women go to take turns milling their corn mill with water. They then carry these huge bowls of cornmeal on their heads back to their homes where they make Pupusas and tortillas. The tortillas are much different here then they were in Mexico. They are smaller and not made with lard. We think they are much better! The hardest part for us was watching the children filling up water from wells on the side of the street into old anti-freeze containers. Not only is the water probably incredibly polluted but then they put it in toxic containers!

After three nights out we realized that financially this was getting to be a little more than expected so we decided to head back to La Libertad drop off the car and stay for one more day of surf. We surfed and had one more great night of beers and Pupusa’s with Patrick and a few other Americans. Our inland travels ended up helping with our Spanish immensely. After just a few days we were able to carry on conversations in Spanish with the local surfers. Sailing we are mainly only surrounded by gringos so you never get any practice speaking Spanish. In Mexico we could get by with our broken Spanish but in El Salvador very few people spoke English so we were really pushed to formulate coherent sentences and it was amazing how quickly we picked up the language when we had to. Patrick spoke fluent Spanish so he was able to help us out and throw us a word or sometimes a sentence when we got stuck.
The next day we hopped on the dreaded “chicken bus” back to Usulután where we got a Taxi back to Barillas. It was really nice to get back to the Marina. We hadn’t realized how secure the marina was until we tried to get enter in a taxi. We went through multiple security guards and realized that Barillas is enclosed by an electric fence and is patrolled twenty four hours a day by security guards. After calling Herbierto and realizing we were from Gaviota we were granted access. After seeing how poor the country was and how many civilians carry guns throughout the streets it was very reassuring to know that our boat and home was waiting for us behind these protected gates. We really enjoyed our inland travels of El Salvador. Reflecting on the people we met and the towns we saw we realize how sad the country still feels. It is a really harsh place to live still but the people are so nice and the countryside is so beautiful!

Fiesta!

2007-04-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

We are officially setting sail from Mexico manana. It is finally time to leave after a week of relaxing and enjoying Hualtuco. We have almost forgotten that we were waiting for a weather window for the dreaded Tehuantepec with all the fun we have had. We have had a great time surfing, meeting other cruisers and taking advantage of being tied up to a dock. We postponed our departure one day due to engine problems on our friends boat, Attu. We really wanted to continue buddy boating with them but it looks like they will be a few days behind us as they stay and wait for a new starter motor for their engine. We are sad to say good bye tomorrow but are confident they will be just a few days behind us. We have already sent pictures and updated you all mostly on our Hualtuco experiences but the other day we had such an amazing experience I feel obligated to share it.
A few days ago we took the bus back to our new favorite surf spot for our last day of surf before heading out. This time we made sure to bring baby clothes, school supplies and some paper plates and plastic cups that were donated to us from the Royal Pelagic. We were about three fourths of our way through the three mile hike to the beach when we saw a bunch of families blowing up balloons and decorating for a fiesta! We offered them our paper plates and cups for the party and were graciously repaid by an invitation to the fiesta at two o' clock. We told them we would go surf and meet them in the afternoon. A few minutes later as Brandon was paying to enter the private property that leads to the beach I saw a little girl run across the street and called for her to come over. She was only about three and so precious. I showed her my bag of clothes and handed her a pair of pink pants with a big heart on them. She held them looking at me very confused and just kept repeating "Que", "Que"?? Eventually she realized that I was giving them to her and she giggled and ran off with them. It felt so good to make her day. We continued down to the beach and had another great surf session.
On our way back through town I gave a family the rest of the baby clothes and we came across the beginning of the fiesta we were invited to earlier in the day. We quickly learned that it was a birthday party for a three year old little girl when we saw her all dressed up in her princess outfit. Their were long decorated tables and tons of balloons. The whole town seemed to be invited to her birthday. We followed the family as they headed up the hill to the church. Before we knew it we were sitting in a beautiful church awaiting the baptism of the little girl. To say the least we felt a little out of place in our grungy surf clothes carrying boards as we were surrounded by almost the whole town who were all dressed up. It was such a special experience and they were so gracious to invite us in that we decided to stay anyways. It was so magical listening to the ceremony. The whole church was decorated and everyone participated in the prayers and songs. Sitting in the open air church on the top of a hill with a view of the country and town, listening to the ceremony brought tears to our eyes. As we were walking out of the church Brandon grabbed my arm and told me to look next to him. Their she was the little girl I had met earlier and given the pink pants to. She was all dressed up for the party in her new pink pants. It was so cute!!! She had them on backwards with the big heart in the front. She looked so proud. As we made eye contact she gave me a little smile, blushed and quickly looked away. Moments like those make this whole trip worth while.
We stayed through the ceremony but considering our attire and the fact that we had not had anything to eat or drink all day we decided to head home. We hitched a ride in the back of a truck back to the marina. It was such a great experience and hard to leave all these new people that we just began to make friends with. That is what we have learned most about traveling in the last few months. Life moves like waves do. Both good and bad times intersecting your path for only a short moment and sometimes following you for great distances. Likewise for the people we have met, some you only talk to for a split second, some end up being life long friends. Whatever the circumstances you are always left to wonder where they're going and from where they came, your happy when they arrive and sad when they leave. Either way we will continue on our journey...in search of waves.

Hasta Luego Mexico!!!!!!!!

2007-04-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

Hasta Luego Mexico!

After four colorful exciting months we are preparing to leave Mexican waters and head for central America. We have been heading down the coast, hurricane season closing in ever since we left Zihuatanejo. We had an amazing few days in Zihuatanejo with my parents. We were anchored right off their incredible hotel and spent four relaxing days catching up pool side. The first day they arrived we met them at the airport and convinced them that taking a taxi was way to much money and a bus ride would be more fun. So off we headed with a bus full of people for their hotel. We had seen their hotel from the beach and had even tried to walk through off the beach the day before they arrived but got denied. I guess it may have had something to do with the fact that we were carrying two back packs and a huge bag of dirty laundry. But this time as we entered the lobby were treated with the up most respect. It is so great to travel with parents!!!! They quickly checked in and within minutes we were sitting on the beach sipping of margaritas. Being Easter Sunday we decided to go into town that night and see if we could catch some of the last activities of Semana Santa. The night before Brandon and I went in and walked the crowded streets ate at local vendors and listened to live music in the square. That night their were all the same vendors and it was great to walk the streets with my parents before stopping in a local restaurant, Coconuts, for dinner. The next few days consisted of hanging out by the pool, exploring town, drinking cocktails after cocktails, eating delicious food and just enjoying each others company. The day before they left we decided to take them sailing on our boat. We went into town early in the morning and shopped at the local market for Poblano chilies, pineapple, shrimp, and the most amazing steak “Arrachara” to barbecue that night. Their was quite a swell running in the water so it was quite a scene getting my parent to our boat and even more of a scene dropping them off later that night after a few too many drinks. It was all in good fun though. We had a beautiful sail and anchored up at a beach in the bay to surf and swim before heading back to the anchorage to barbecue. Just as I had paddled out into the line up to meet Brandon I looked back to see the Mexican Navy pulling up beside our boat talking to my parents. Brandon and I quickly paddled back and went through the paper work fiasco. They were really polite and did the usual inspection that we had been through twice before. My parents got the authentic Mexican welcome! That night our friends Mark and Linda on Attu joined us and we had a huge barbecue feast.
The last night my parents treated us to an amazing barbecue buffet on the beach. Just before we were sitting down to dinner we were invited to help let baby turtles go into the ocean. It was the most amazing experience to hold these tiny little creatures. Sailing, there is not a day that goes by that we don’t see these jaw dropping prehistoric creatures swim by us.. We even end up standing on the bowsprit yelling at them to get out of the way so we don’t run them over . We never do hit them but it gets close some times. They are the most fascinating creatures and to hold brand new ones and watch them make their march out to the sea was so touching. They are now protected animals after many years of commercial exploitation and there are many organizations like this one that raise the turtles from eggs and then let them go back to the sea. The man in charge of the non profit organization told us that only thirty five percent of the baby turtles we let go that night will actually survive. The rest will be eaten by predators. To watch the instinct of the tiny little turtles which are blind all head directly for the ocean was unbelievable. They all got tossed and fought their way out into the surf and after many attempts they all made it out to their new home. Good luck out their little guys! We will be looking for you!!
It was so fun to have my parents visit and to relax for a few days and just enjoy each others company . I think we might of relaxed a little to much because after they left we both felt a little down as we looked around our boat and faced the reality that we were leaving the next morning for Acapulco.
The sail to Acapulco was a smooth 20-25 knots straight down wind and turned out to be just what we needed to get back in the swing of things. We arrived early in the morning and anchored up. Acapulco was one of out least favorite stops. IT is a city that has gone from four hundred thousand to four million in the last four years and the impact is definitely apparent. It is huge, polluted and touristy. We found it a very good place to get some work done though. The next few days we did a lot of boat errands that we had been putting off. The most exciting errand was trying to find a new pulley for our alternator. We bussed into town early in the morning and ended up spending the entire day wandering random streets and talking to all sorts of mechanics , machinists, electricians and Car salesmen. It was a long hot day but it ended successfully and it was really interesting to talk to the locals about their expertise. We found a pulley that was the right size had a machinist make some adjustments to it for us and got one step closer in our attempt to interact with the locals. The next few days we finished up other boring boat projects like changing the oil and fixing our skiff before taking off. It is amazing how the simplest things like changing the oil or grocery shopping can take an entire day.
We headed off after three days for Puerto Escondido! Waves were back on the mind and we were eager to see Puerto a place Brandon has been drooling over for years. We arrived at Puerto Escondido at sunset and spent over an hour anchoring. We were told that the anchorage was tricky but had no idea how tricky. We finally figured it out and dropped our hook in about ninety feet of water. Yikes! And we were practically right on the beach. The anchorage is a submarine trench that goes down to one hundred feet with rocks on either side. Our friends Attu spent hours trying to anchor also and not being surfers decided it was not worth it and pulled up anchor around midnight and left. We were determined though and it actually ended being fine although we were always on high alert. Brandon surfed the next day and had a great time. The waves had ten foot faces breaking right on the beach so I quickly decided to that this was not a Jamie wave and watched instead. The town is really neat and we had a great time walking around. Brandon bought a classic T-Shirt that you will all have to wait to see until we come home!!! The next day the surf wasn’t working because of the sand and the swell was building making the anchorage pretty intense so we pulled up and headed south for Hualtuco. Another beautiful night sail with a sky full of stars and warm wind got us their early in the morning. When we arrived at the entrance of Hualtuco marina we saw the Royal Pelagic, the newest and most advanced surf exploration and charter boat. We circled it trying to get a good look and were quickly greeted by the owner and captain. They asked us how the waves in Puerto were and then invited us to come aboard for a cup of coffee. Excited we quickly pulled into the marina tied up and hopped on one of their skiffs for a grand tour. To our surprise Aubrey a girl that we surf with back at home was working aboard. It is so great to run into people from home after being gone out at sea for so long. She made us coffee, showed us the boat, and gave us some inside info on the good waves nearby. We were so ready for surf. We spent the rest of the day cleaning up the boat checking in and hanging out at the pool that is free for guests staying in the marina. That night Attu welcomed us with red wine and homemade pizza! Such a treat!
The last few days as you could guess have consisted of twelve hour surf days. Barra de la Cruz “the rip curl wave” is about a twenty minute bus drive away from the marina and we have done the trek day after day. The wave is so much fun. It is a perfect wave for both of us and we surf until we cant move or at least until we were so sunned out that we had no choice but to leave. The town is also a magical place and we spent afternoons eating mangos and talking to the other surfers. Today we took today off to get our alternator pulley switched and figure out our future plans. Another swell is supposedly hitting in the next few days so it will be interesting to see how long we stay here. We have to be extra careful when we leave here because the next passage is through the Gulf of Tehuantepec. It is notorious for the Tehuantepecers which are 60 knot plus winds that blow throughout the year. Because of the Theuantepecer this is rarely a easy passage and if caught in one can be truly dangerous. We are lucky that Enrique the manager of the marina is very helpful and keeps a updated weather forecast. He has also informed us that this is the best time of year to make the passage because the Theuantepecers have mostly stopped and the hurricanes have not yet started. So we will catch a few more waves, wait for a good weather window and then it will be Hasta luego Mexico and Hola El Salvador! IT will be a long passage but so rewarding to be in Central America.

2007-04-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

We have had many adventures and rode many waves since we last updated our webpage. We have really been enjoying Mainland and the weather has defiantly gotten warmer. Last time we posted we were in Bandareas Bay near Puerto Vallarta. After reprovisioning at La Cruz we headed to Yelapa on the other side of the bay. It can be a very dangerous place to anchor because it is so exposed to swell and wind. With no swell predicted to hit for the next few days and the wind light and variable we decided to make a go of it and we are so glad we did. It is the most amazing little town that you can only reach by boat. We anchored our bow anchor in about 75ft of water and our stern anchor was pretty much on the beach in 5 ft of water. Needless to say we were very close to shore. We had the most amazing next two days of exploring this little town. It is quite the little hippie stoner retreat area. WE met a very nice man, Brad as soon as we went ashore . He owned the hotel right on the beach and gave us great information about the town, let us use his shower, and gave us three movies that have not even come out on DVD yet. He thought they would be good to trade with cruisers along the way! The second day we were their we hiked back into the mountains along the river that runs down to the ocean to a waterfall. It was such a different environment from the touristy beach palapas that we saw when we arrived. With in fifteen minutes we were walking through little local villages that lined the river. Their were tons of horses, pigs and roosters. Their were authentic old barns with amazing saddles, women doing laundry in the river, men using horses to carry wood to different construction sites and small stores with all the local produce. We lhad learned from Brad that when tourism hit Yelapa most of the locals moved back into the mountains along the river. WE feel so blessed not only to be able to visit little anchorages like Yelapa but to have the opportunities to see how the locals live and experience authentic Mexican villages.. Yelapa was a great place to stay for a few days but we decided not to push our luck with the weather and to head on to find those oh so needed waves at Punta Mita.

We had an amazing day sail back to Punta Mita where to our surprise their were some small waves. We dropped anchor and had a short evening session before dark. The next few days were heaven for us. A south swell had hit and their were fun waves for four days in a row. We went on one crazy adventure to find a local spot we heard of and ended up taking four buses, hiking on private property and squeezing our boards and bodies under a barbed wire fence before we found the little spot. It was a fun wave but we are still not sure if it was worth the effort. After fun waves and to much sun we decided it was time to head on. We made one more run into Puerto Vallarta for boxed wine and a headset so we could hook up skype and took off south. We were all prepared for some good strong winds while passing Cabo Corrientes which is often compared to Point conception but we got not a breath of wind and ended up motoring the whole day to Ipala. Ipala was a small little town and the anchorage was not that great but we ended up meeting two guys from Santa Barbara on Ciao Bella so we stayed the night and hung out with them. It actually ended up that we had some major coincidences with Jim the captain of Ciao Bella. We were having cocktails on their boat when Jim told us that he used to own a Downeast 32 just like ours. We told him how much work we had to put into her to make her look like this and how she used to be an ugly brown color before we painted her blue. He then went on to tell us that the Downeast he used to own was an ugly brown also and that it was named Tropic Cloud! At about that point both of our jaws dropped and we started laughing. That was the same name that we found on our transom when we sanded her down to paint her. We gave him a tour of our boat and sure enough it was his old boat. It is moments like these when you realize how small the world really is.
We made another stop at Chamela for a few days before heading on to Tenacatita and Barra de Navidad. On our way out of Chamaela we heard Attu, the Westsail that we cruised down the entire Baja with call us on the VhF. WE had not heard from them in over a month and it was great to finally meet up with them again in Tenacatita. When we arrived at Tenacatita it was hot and we were tired and feeling kind of bored. We were sitting in our cockpit trying to decide what to occupy ourselves with when we got invited to get towed on our surfboards behind this guys dingy. It was such a god sent. We both really needed a pick me up and with no waves in sight this was the next best thing. For the next hour we took turns surfing behind his dingy all over the bay. The sun was setting and the ocean was as warm as a bath tub. We were incredibly sore the next day but it was such a blast! While we were getting towed around the bay Brandon noticed that Caringoram, the boat that we left San Diego with and had not seen since Ensenada was anchored up just a few boats away from us. It was so great to meet up with them and exchange stories of the last few months. Currently they are heading north to Puerto Vallarta but there is still a chance they will head down south still. We only spent two days in Tenacatita before we went around the corner to Barra de navidad. It was a great little town and their were a few small waves to be had. We ended up staying almost a week because we liked the town so much. After baguettes and croissants form the French baker in town and a few surf sessions we once again pulled up anchor and headed out of Barra with our friends Attu. We were both sailing along at sunset when we looked back and saw Attu’s sail caught around something and it didn’t look like they could get it down. After a while we learned that their sail had somehow wrapped around their forestay and it broke their forestay leaving it streaming aloft. NO Bueno! They ended up motoring into Manzanillo but we kept on a straight track to our next destination where we were praying we would get the wave we had heard so much about.
The first morning at Caletta we were woken up to a military boat with fifteen men with machine guns right outside our boat. They ended up boarding us, checking our paperwork and all of our compartments and then left. All in all they were very nice and polite but it was kind of intimidating to wake up to. The next week though was non stop fun. We surfed and surfed and surfed until we literally collapsed. WE got so lucky and got their just as a huge swell was hitting. I was only able to surf the first few days and then it got way to big for my liking but it was awesome to watch and I haven’t seen Brandon so giddy in years. It was a great little hideaway that we would either have to hitchhike, take a taxi, or ride on the back of and ice cream truck with horribly annoying music to get to but it was so so worth it. The town was so great and since it is not a major stop for most cruisers it was not touristy at all. It was an old cowboy town with leather shops and carnecrias everywhere. The carnecerias were pretty intense with cow heads, eyes still attached, hanging from the ceiling. YUCK! The people were so nice and it was so great to connect with all the local surfer kids. It is amazing how just having a surfboard in your hand instantly makes you best friends with all the local kids. The local surfers were nice and they had such a great attitude in the water. One morning we were heading in to surf and a little boy was sitting watching the waves and asked if we would rent him a surfboard. After saying no dinero a few times and walking away I saw him sit down and watch all of his friends out surfing. I couldn’t leave so I turned around and rented him the board. On our way back to the boat the little boy ran up to us and with a grin from ear to ear he gave us both a high five. Having just had a great surf session ourselves we all shared the same feeling and it felt so good to have helped him out.
We got lucky with surf but not so lucky with a calm anchorage. The price you pay when you are sailing to surf. So after five days of great waves and rocking back and forth in the huge swell we decided to leave and head for Zihuatanejo. We stopped in Ixtapa first where we spent a night in a marina and washed down the boat and filled up our water tanks. It was only the second night we have spent in a marina since we left and it felt so good to tie up and not have any worries for a night. We are currently in Zihuatanejo and it is crazy. It is Semanna Santa which equates to Mexican Spring Break. Everyone in Mexico takes the week before Easter off and goes to the beach. The entire beach is packed with people and the anchorage is constantly bombarded with jet skiers, parasailers, hobie cats and pangas. It is pretty fun to watch but I cant wait for it to calm down tomorrow. Tomorrow I pick my parents up at the airport. We are so excited to hang out with them for a few day. Zihuatanejo is a great place and it will be a lot of fun to see the town with them. It will also be nice to see some familiar faces!

Feliz Estancia!

2007-03-08T18:49:00.000-08:00

Feliz Estancia!
The last month has been full of exciting new Mexican experiences. We left La Paz in the beginning of February and went to explore the Islands just North. Our First anchorage was on Espirito Santo at a little cove called Calida Partida. This cove ended up being more or less our home for the next week due to some nasty winds that were moving down the Sea of Cortez. The Islands are designated natural parks so there is no one living on them. Calida Partida ended up being an amazing anchorage with one of the best hikes we have been on in our lives. The hike was called El Rincon and it is one of the most famous hikes in the Archipelago. With the island being a desert environment and very dry it was a huge surprise to hike up these dry waterfalls with plum, fig and some type of fern tree growing out of the cracks in the rock. Their were huge caves built up into the cliffs and tons of Agave cactus everywhere. When we reached the top we were sitting pretty much in the middle of the island and had a view of the ocean on both sides. We spent the next few days swimming and exploring until we were greeted with thirty five knot winds gusting over the island for three days which pretty much kept us down below. That was our first taste of being captive and not being able to leave our boat for a few days. We both went a little crazy, We did a lot of cooking and reading and were so happy when it ended.
Our next destination was Mainland Mexico! Waves, Waves, Waves was about all either of us had on our minds especially after the last few days. We pulled up anchor and sailed back down south for the southern crossing to Mainland. We were going to stop at Los Frailies an anchorage we stopped at on the way up but our luck with the wind was once again not so good we could not stop. We ended up beating into the wind all the way down and got so fed up that we decided to tack and head for mainland without resting. After three days we were anchored up at a little island off of Mainland called Isla Isabella. We pulled in at midnight and anchored up (much to Brandon‘s dismay) under the darkest of nights. The island, like Espirito Santo is a national park and bird sanctuary. The next day we woke up to more birds than you have ever seen in your life circling the island. It was neat but a little bit freaky! We were about to go to shore when we saw a humpback jump all the way out of the water. For the next half an hour a mama and baby humpback were jumping and playing about 50 ft out of the anchorage . It was such a wonderful welcome to the island. We spent the next few days exploring the island and looking at all the birds. The island is know for the Frigate bird and the Blue footed Boobie which nest there due to lack of predators. It was a gorgeous island that was only about a mile long and ¾ of a mile wide. We walked the whole island in two days and took tons of pictures of the blue footed boobies. We met two marine biologists who were in heaven looking at all the birds. We thought the birds were neat but to be honest I think we were checking out if their were any waves more than we were bird watching. We didn’t find any surf but we went diving around a smaller rock off the island and saw the most amazing Sting Ray. It was about as big as me and it was spotted black and white. We followed it for a while but after the story with Steve Irwin we kept our distance! It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen diving!
After three days at Isabella we pulled up anchor and headed for the first true mainland anchorage San Blas! On the way we had another amazing humpback show. The whale was only about 20 ft off our boat this time and it jumped clear out of the water and made a huge splash. For the next few hours we saw tons of sea turtles and a sea snake! We have never seen so much sea life. San Blas was a great change from Baja. It was so tropical and warm! Although it is know for having the longest point break in the world in needs a south swell to actually get big. We didn’t get it very good but we still got our log-board out and played around for a few hours. The water is finally warm enough that you don’t need a wet suit . It is such a treat to surf in just a bathing suit. While we were their we went on a jungle boat trip. We heard that it could get pretty crowded and we did not want to go with a bunch of people so we got up and were their by six thirty in the morning. The pangas took us all the way up the estuary and we say tons of birds, turtles, and crocodiles. At the end there is a fresh water swimming hole with a rope swing that we swam in for a while. It was so nice to swim in fresh water!
The next few days we spent provisioning a little and we borrowed bikes from some people we met and spent a day riding back through little villages and along the beach. It is so nice to be in a more tropical place with palm trees , banana trees and white sand beaches. We left San blas after about four days still itching for good waves and that is exactly what we found the next day at Chacala. We pulled into Chacala expecting to stay for just a day and then head to Punta Mita for waves. We ended up staying for almost a week and are still kicking ourselves for leaving. It was by far the most amazing place we have stopped so far. Getting good surf may have made the experience a little more amazing but everything about the place was awesome. We were on our way into catch a bus to a town called “Las Varas” ironic, when we saw a panga rounding the point with surf boards. Brandon made a quick turn and before we knew it we were on the next panga with boards in hand headed for a left point break. The panga dropped us off on a little beach that you can only get to by boat . As soon as we got off the panga we turned a round and there was a really fun set coming in. We spent the next five hours surfing with these people we met. And only got out because our arms had turned to jello. The group we got a ride with were a christian group from Mammoth who were in Mexico on a masters program helping out different communities in Mexico. They turned out to all be really nice, good people doing good things in the world. A few of the boys who we surfed with most of the time (that now live in Mazatlan) picked us up the next morning on a panga for another surf session. The swell kept building and the surf was a lot of fun for the next few days. We ended up surfing for the next four days and had to work the system a little considering a panga ride was thirty dollars. We ended up paying only once and we split in with a couple from Canada and only had to pay ten dollars.
After surfing we would go to our Canadian friends hotel and swim in a pool that looked out over the bay. Such a treat! Then we would go watch the sunset on the beach under the palapas and drink beers and we were both as content as could be. One night we were sitting at a palapa and a Mexican woman came up and I think she could sense our giddiness as we talked about our day of surfing and she kneeled down and said “Feliz Estancia.” We looked at her for a second and tried to quickly decipher what she had said when she said “You are happy. It is a wonderful state” We both looked at each other and then at her and nodded “ Si, si…Feliz Estancia”
It was hard to leave the little beach town of Chacala but food and water were running low and it was time to move on. After a last surf session we pulled up anchor and headed for Punta Mita for more waves and provisioning. The swell has died and the waves are pretty small but we are determined to wait it out. The last few days have been spent in La Cruz doing death marches into Puerto Vallarta for Provisions. We must have lugged two hundred pounds of food from Puerto Vallarta on a bus down a long dirt road to our skiff and then out onto our boat yesterday! Okay so maybe it wasn’t all food. We found a box wine that is only two dollars and it tastes really good. Watch out Charles Shaw. There’s a better “Two buck Chuck”. We ended up buying about twenty boxes. Better to be safe than sorry right! The bus driver on the way back just shook his head as we loaded four seats with all of our bags. We were also really low on a little more essential liquid WATER. With all the marinas being full in Puerto Vallarta due to all the races we had no choice but to pay a Panga to bring us out twenty - five gallon jugs of drinking water and siphon them into our tanks. It was pricy but we were grateful he could do it for us or we would have been out of water. We are going to stay in La Cruz for one more day because we ran intoTony on Comanchee, the guy that did our electrical in Santa Barbara and are going to hang out with him and his wife. We will head either to Punta Mita or a town called Yelapa tomorrow depending on the waves of course! ((sorry, pictures were taking too long...check the pics link...they'll be here soon))

2007-02-07T06:49:00.001-08:00

Since Cabo San Lucas we have sailed to the most beautiful ancorages of the trip so far. we left the rocky rolly ancorage of Cabo on January 21 and headed around the cape to a bay called Los Frailies. It was a beautiful sail untill the last fifteen miles when we rounded the cape and were headed straight into the wind. Welcome to the Sea of Cortez! Ever since that day we hae been doing more tacking and beating into the wind then ever before. THe forty five mile trip took a grueling 19hrs before we reached the ancorage. We had had a few instances with our engine dying due to what we thought to be dirty fuel so we were careful to wait untill right when we entered the anccorage to turn it on. We tried starting the engine three times but each time it hiccuped and refused to start. And so began are first experience of sailing onto the hook at night in a new ancorage. It all went beautifully though and Brandon did an amazing job timing it perfect. Los Frailies ended up to be absolutley beautiful we spent the next five days diving, hiking, having bonfires on the beach and of course working on our engine. We ended up determining the problem was that the fuel intake was located right at the bottom of the lowest part of the fuel tanks so any sediment in the tanks or the fuel was getting trapped their and was blocking fuel from getting to the engie. We did some adjustments and were back in buisness with in a few hours. We loved Los Fralies but after five days we decide it was time to move on. Our next stop was Bahia de los Muertos. WE were running pretty low on food, water, and clean clothes so we were happily surprised when we pulled in to the bay and saw a small restaurant "the Gigglin Marlin" on the beach. Many of meals were spent in the restaurant Gigglin Mrlin sipping on margaritas and eating fish tacos. We were still traveling with all the same boats that we were with since Bahia de Santa Maria and it was lots of fun to have so many friends anchored up with us. We Left Bahia de los Muertos on February 1st and headed for La Paz. Their were high expectations for all of us considering most of the boats wew were traveling with had baot repairs to do and that none of us had any food water or clean clothes left. We left Bahia de los Muertos in the afternoon with our friends on a westsail 32 "Attu". It was a great sail untill the sun went down and then we ended up motoring the rest of the night untill we anchored and Ballandra bay which is about ten miles south of La Paz. That afternoon I was checking our sailmail and got the news that my grandma had passed away. It was hard to get over email but at the same time I couldnt of asked to be any where else when I heard. The sea was a great place to be to say my good byes. That night I felt like she was wathing down on us when we were rewarded with the best sunset and full moon rise of our lives. THe wind had died and the sea was completley still making it feel like we were on a lake and the whole sky turned a million colors of orange and red. we were sailing right inbetween an island and the main shore so we had mountains on wither side of us so just as the last flashes of the sun dissapeared behind one mountain the full moon was rising over on the other side. It was so magical and I know it was my grandmas way of saying good bye.She is in the most beautiful place now and I feel blessed to have been her graddaughter.
THe next morning we pulled up the hook early and left the ancorage of Ballandra bay for La Paz. WE anchored out and took our dingy into the marina for our first real showers in a month. It was much needed and deffinatly deserved. We had an early dinner at the restaurant in the marina and then went to back to our boat. It was so nice to be in a place that was so boater friendly. Everything was so acessible and convenient. The next few days consisted of laundry, grocery shopping, email and phone calls and of course fish tacos and Pacificos. La Paz is a great city and it was really nice to be on land. WE are currently in our first marina since we left Santa Barbara. WE came to Marina de La Paz to wash off our boat and fill up our fuel and water tanks. It is really nice to be here and we are just a few boats away from our friends Ivy, Maverick, and Attu. When we pulled in we saw our neighbor Steve's boat"Frolic" from santa barbara here. He had come down for the Baha ha and left it in the marina. Motoring throught the marina was a really weird feeling having so many boats that we recognized from santa barbara and the majority of the boats being form california it kind of felt like we were at home. THe marina has been great though. Our boat is all cleaned and provisioned and ready to go explore again. We can only afford one night so we are off today to go explore some islands that are about 25 miles off La Paz, Isla Espirito Santo and Isla Partidad. We had a huge feast on Ivy last night which was lots of fun and now it is time to say are good byes at least for now to all the friends we have made. They will all be leaving in the next few weeks in the same direction so we will meet up again down the way.

2007-02-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

Since Cabo San Lucas we have sailed to the most beautiful ancorages of the trip so far. we left the rocky rolly ancorage of Cabo on January 21 and headed around the cape to a bay called Los Frailies. It was a beautiful sail untill the last fifteen miles when we rounded the cape and were headed straight into the wind. Welcome to the Sea of Cortez! Ever since that day we hae been doing more tacking and beating into the wind then ever. THe fot five mile trip took a grueling 19hrs before we reached the ancorage. We had had a few instances with our engine dying due to what we thought to be dirty fuel so we were careful to wait untill right when we entered the anccorage to turn it on. We tried starting the engine three times but each time it hiccuped and refused to start. And so began are first wxperience of sailing onto the hook at night in a new ancorage. IT went beautifully and Brandon did an amazing job timing it perfect. Los Frailies ended up to be absolutley beautiful we spent the next five days diving, hiking, having bonfires on the beach and of course working on our engine. We ended up determining the problem was that the fuel intake is located right at the bottom of the lowest part of the fuel tanks so any sediment in the tanks or the fuel gets trapped right their and was blocking fuel getting to the engie. We did some adjustments and were back in buisness with in a few hours. We loved Los Fralies but after five days we decide it was time to move on. Our next stop was Bahia de los Muertos. WE were running pretty low on food, water, and clean clothes so we were happily surprised when we pulled in to the bay and saw a restaurant. Many of meals were spent in that restaurant sipping on margaritas and eating fish tacos. We were still traveling with all the same boats that we were with since Bahia de Santa Maria and it was lots of fun to have so many friends. We Left Bahia de los Muertos on February 1st and headed for La Paz. Their were high expectations for all of us considering most of the boats wew were traveling with had baot repairs to do and that none of us had any food water or clean clothes left. We left Bahia de los Muertos in the afternoon with our friends on a westsail 32 "Attu". It was a great sail untill the sun went down and then we wnded up motoring the rest of the night untill we anchored and Ballandra bay which is about ten miles south of La Paz. That night we were rewarded with the best sunset and full moon rise of our lives. THe wind had died and the sea was completley still making it feel like we were on a lake and the whole sky turned a million colors of orange and red. we were sailing right inbetween an island and the main shore so we had mountains on wither side of us so just as the last flashes of the sun dissapeared behind one mountain the full moon was rising over on the other side. It was magical.
THe next morning we pulled up the hook early and left the ancorage of Ballandra bay for La Paz. WE anchored out and took our dingy into the marina for our first real showers in a month. It was much needed and deffinatly deserved. We had an early dinner at the restaurant in the marina and then went to back to our boat. It was so nice to be in a place that was so baoter friendly. Everything was so acessible and convenient. The next few days consisted of laundry, grocery shopping, email and phone calls and of course fish tacos and pacificos. La Paz is a great city and it was really nice to be on land. WE are currently in our first marina since we left Santa Barbara. WE came to Marina de La Paz to wash off our boat and fill up our fuel and water tanks. It is really nice to be here and we are just a few boats away from our friends Ivy, Maverick, and Attu. When we pulled in we saw our neighbor Steve's boat from santa barbara here. He had come down for the Baha ha and left it in the marina. Motoring throught the marina was a really weird feeling with many boats that we recognized from santa barbara and the majority of the boats being form california it kind of felt like we were at home. THe marina has been great though.Our boat is all cleaned and provisioned and ready to go explore again. We can only afford one night so we are off today to go explore some islands that are about 25 miles off La Paz, Isla Espirito Santo and Isla Partidad. We had a huge feast on Ivy last night which was lots of fun and now it is time to say are good byes at least for now to all the friends we have made. THey will all be leaving in the nex few weeks in the same direction so we will meet up again down the way.

Cabo Wabo!

2007-01-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

We have made it all the way down the coast of Baja and are now anchored in Cabo San Lucas. It has been quite the journey down here and we are happy to be in warmer weather and water.
We left San Diego late at night on Dec. 28. We were not expecting to leave untill the next day but we met two boats next to us that were leaving for Ensenada so we decided it would be nice to leave with them. It took us two days to get t o Ensenada and with it being our first real overnight trip on Gaviota we were releaved and excited to enter Mexican waters and get a good night sleep. We got in on New years eve and went to bed at about seven o'clock. We awoke at midnight by more fireworks than we had ever seen in our life. We poked our heads out of the front hatch to see thousands of fireworks going off all over the city. It looked and sounded like we were in Baghdad. We spent the next few days in Ensenada meeting lots of people, eating fish tacos and checking into customs. After about two days we had had enough of the big city and pollution and were anxious to get furthur down south and explore. We left by ourselves for Isla Cedros with a few other boats scheduled to depart the next day. This mellow three day sail turned out to be a crazy experience. We had little to no wind the first night and most of the second day. At about the time we were going crazy and begging for some wind we were pleasantly rewarded with about ten knots out of the north west. The wind slowley kept building to about 15-20knots for the next few hours and we were doing wonderful sailing. We had made contact with another boat while we were out their "Momo" and were following behind them and doing periodic check ins on the radio. By dark the wind had picked up to 25-30 knts and the seas had deffinatly grownd to 15 ft or more. We had only a douple reefed main up and were going 7kts. WE were both a little scared now that the weather seemed to be building and it was dark out. By ten o'clock the wind was blowing 35-40knts the seas were 20ft and we had all sails down and were still going 7knts. It was pretty terrifying for us considering we had not done much heavy weather sailing on Gaviota yet. We talked to the other boat "Momo" quite frequently and although they were far away it was comforting to know that someone was out their wiht us even if they couldn't do anything to help us. The weather and conditions continued for three more days and we were blown right past Isla Cedros and Turtle bay. On the fourth night at about 10 0'clock we anchored up in Bahia Asuncion and literally collapsed. After four days of little to no sleep or food we were delerious. We slept and woke up to a great little village. We only spent about two days in Bahia Asuncion but it was nice to be in a quiet village anchored up. We had deffinalty been initiated into Mexico to say the least!
Our next destination was Bahia Santa Maria. This leg was a lot smoother. With calm seas and a nice breeze we sailed most of the way with only a few hours of motoring. It was amazing the wildlife we saw on the way. Their were breaching whales, hundreds of dolphins and sharks everywhere. Brandon caught a mako shark and a few other small fish all which we put back in the ocean. We entered Bahia Santa Maria after two days and anchored up under a beautiful orange and pink sunset. We ended up staying in Bahia Santa Maria for 4-5 days because it was so nice. The first morning we woke up we looked out our window to see another Downeast 32 with a surfboard on deck. We ended up becoming good friends with the couple on board. Johnny is from London and Lindsey is from Iowa and they are bringing the boat down to Costa Rica where Johnny plans on living,kiteboarding and working for a while. Their boat is not quite in top notch condition. They have no electricity, a broken engine, no way to heat water and only a hand held VHF. They are trying to get to La Paz where they are going to do major work. WE take our hats off to them for doing the trip with what they have. In Bahia Santa Maria we had pangas that came to our boat every morning and we traded them baby clothes that I brough along from Heidi for Lobsters.They were so happy to have the clothes! Every day we went on hikes and swam in the water and every night we had dinner parties with the four other bats we had becme friends with and feasted on our Langosta! Our next stop was Magdalena Bay. We once again had great wind and made it their in just a few hours. On the way Brandon Caught the so called fish of his life. It was a 40in yellow tail and we had enough fish to last us a month. We ended up sharing the fish with the whole ancorage about fifteen of us that night on "Momo". It has been really fun meeting all the people that are cruising. Everyone is so different but so nice and generous. WE spent one more day in Magdalena bay but were not that impressesd and it was still pretty cold. It started raining on the second day and we decided to leave the next morning for warmer weather. It rained for the next two days consistantly but we did not mind to much because the wind was also blowning a consistent 15-20 knots and pushing us right where we were headed. Cabo San Lucas! We are now in the touristy and expensive city of Cabo. We walked around the town yesterday and were confronted numerous times by people who wanted to take honeymooners to lovers beach. We informed them time after time that we were not honeymooners but it didn't seem to matter they were persistant on selling us something. We didn't spend to much time in town because it is so expensive. We are anchored right outside of the harbor by a big white sand beasch with the rock arches right of our port side. We took our skiff over to what they call "Lovers beach" and swam and walked around, it was really beautiful. These huge granite rocks jet straight out of the sand it is really wild! We ate the last of our Yellow tail last night so now Brandon is on the hunt for the next fish! Their are supposed to be some fun surf breaks right around the corner so we plan to leave tomorrow and head up twords a place called Los Frailies. We are both itching for some good surf! La Paz will be our next big stop via numerous dive and surf spots.We are very greatful that Gaviota is doing so well. Besides a high seas fuel filter change we have had no problems with her! Knock on Wood! We miss all of you and love getting emails from you. We would love to have anyone come visit so stay in touch!
Gaviota!
Brandon and Jamie

Maiden Voyage!

2006-12-26T14:57:00.000-08:00

The voyage of Gaviota officially began on the morning of December 6th as Gaviota pulled out of the Santa Barbara harbor!
It was a mixture of emotions leaving Santa Barbara as we headed for the channel Islands. We had a nice sail out to Santa Cruz and anchored up at Pelican for our first night. We ended up staying at Santa Cruz longer than expected due to some nasty weather. Our third night out at Santa Cruz we were anchored at Prisoners on the front side and at one in the morning had to make a mad dash to the backside of the island when the wind switched from southeast to Northwest. Having never sailed at night it was quite a thrilling experience to sail in strong wind and huge swell around the east end of the island. Our friend Tommy, the captain of the Vision, was out their at the same time and told us that at times all he could see was the top of our mast in between swells as we went around the east end. Lets just say it was a good learning experience. The next two days at the island we were pretty miserable rocking back and forth in the huge west swell that was sweeping through. So maybe we did not pick the best time to leave but it was a good challenge that has only made us more confident.
After almost five days at Santa Cruz we left and headed to Catalina. Our first overnight passage! We had good wind on and off but their was still a good amount of swell in the water that made it difficult to get good speed. Arriving in Catalina was such a wonderful feeling for both of us. With our first big crossing on Gaviota out of the way we pulled into Avalon harbor at about one in the morning and were escorted to a mooring. I have never been so grateful to be in a harbor in my life. After five days of rocking in the swell we were in heaven to be tied up to a mooring. The next few days in Catalina we went diving and hiking and cruised the town. We were pleasantly surprised the first night by the towns local Christmas parade. We are still kicking ourselves for forgetting the camera because it was so beautiful. We also went on a really beautiful hike with awesome views of the island. We decided to hike off the trail and while bushwhacking we came face to face with a buffalo. I don't think we were supposed to get that close because all the tour buses started honking their horns at us but it was awesome to see an animal that big.
After four days of fun and relaxation in Catalina we headed off on our second overnight passage to San Diego. The passage started out as mostly motoring but the last six hours were great sailing under the assistance of our windvane. Arriving in San Diego was quite an eye opener after the quiet quaint harbor of Avalon. Their were warships,aircraft carriers, helicopters and even a submarine as we pulled in. We tied up at Harbor island and had a great stay in San Diego. Our friends, Alex and Jade who live in San Diego were more than generous and showed us good restaurants, bars and most importantly surf. It was a really fun few days! We were back in Santa Barbara for Christmas and then a few days in San Diego doing last minute provisioning before we leave for Mexico!

Christening Party!

2006-12-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

Christening Party

2006-12-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

The champagne was smashed the first time and it is now official. GAVIOTA is here! We had such a great time christening our boat on Saturday. Thank you so much to everyone who came to share in on the celebration. We could not have asked for a better group of people to share the day with. With the exception of a few close friends who we really missed! We truly felt surrounded by everyone we love and will miss greatly!
Jacob, the person that has been there from day one of our relationship conducted the ceremony. Everything went just the way we wished and it was so much fun! It was such a treat to be escorted out of the harbor by our neighbors Bill and Jill. Thank you!
We are leaving one day late due to Brandon being a little under the weather and a few last minute to do's. Tomorrow, Dec 6th Gaviota will leave Santa Barbara and head for the first stop of her journey, Santa Cruz Island. We will see all of you for a few days at Christmas before we head for Mexico. Once again thank you so much to everyone who made time to share in the celebration of Gaviota. You don’t know how much it means for us to be able to see all of you before we leave. The biggest thank you of all goes out to our parents! This journey is dedicated to you!

Thanksgiving Island Trip

2006-11-26T10:53:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was a great time to try out our cooking situation on the boat. We had an amazing trip with great food provided by Jamie's parents John and Janet. We left the harbor a little before 5am headed for the east end of Santa Cruz Island and motored out about 3-4 miles before the wind started up. This morning was also the the first time we were able to sail with our new mainsail! The wind was great for the next 3 hours and while we were sailing through the separation zone between the shipping lanes we spotted something. We could tell they were whales because of the spray, but there were a lot of them, really close together. Soon after we had a jaw dropping sight. ORCAS!! There were well over a dozen of them, all in their own little groups. We took down some sail and turned the motor on to keep up with them. They were all over the place and were jumping and feeding on something. They were hard to keep up with in the swell, but a group of them came right up to the boat and took a look at us. We considered it a good omen and continued around towards the east end of the island. The weather report was calling for 15-25 knots gusting to 35 both days we were out there, but it never materialized to more than 15-20 at best. The backside of the island was dead calm and sunny so we motored up to Alberts anchorage and dropped the hook for a thanksgiving feast. We roasted a chicken in the oven and had the works to go with it. After a great night we woke up at 6 to Tommy and the crew on the loud speaker of the Vision dive boat looming about 20 feet over us...thanks. The sail on the way back was great and nothing broke. We all conisdered it a great shakedown trip. Thanks again to john and janet for the food!

Provisioning!

2006-11-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

Let the fun begin! We are almost officially moved onto Gaviota for good. We have cleaned and provisioned almost every square inch of her and she is now almost ready to take off. We will be going to the islands this weekend for one last trip with jamie's parents to test everything out and celebrate thanksgiving. We are so excited to go see the world with Gaviota and would love to share her and our excitement with all of our friends and family. You are all invited on Dec 2 to come and participate in the christening of our boat. It will be at our slip in the santa barbara harbor (Marina 4A-37). The christening will start at about three and go until all the champagne is gone. We hope to see all of you there so we can say our final goodbyes!

2006-11-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

We are about three weeks away from setting sail out of beautiful Santa Barbara. For the last two years we have been outfitting Gaviota so that she could safely take us cruising. On December 5th we will be heading south twords Mexico and hope all of our friends and family will follow our adventure. We would like to thank our parents for all of their support. They are truely the ones that made this dream become a reality. We will miss our family and friends but promise to keep you posted with all the adventures we encounter.

2006-11-10T08:45:00.000-08:00