Adventures

The definition of adventure—more or less—is a risky endeavor with an uncertain outcome.

Adventures are the things that are scary because we don't know what will happen, and exciting for exactly the same reason. They are where the greatest challenges lie, as well as the greatest triumphs. Here are some of my own adventures (and mis-adventures!) in writing, sailing, and life.
Surf SUP!
Surf SUP!
After sailing 2500 miles to find warmth and waves, it was time to break out the toys. There’s something about taking the slow boat that improves one’s sense of geography... Read more...
Mother Nature Brings Her A-Game
Mother Nature Brings Her A-Game
The cruising life involves some hefty contrasts. After a week surrounded by beach umbrellas and construction cranes, Colin and I sailed a mere 90 miles and arrived 9,000 years back... Read more...
Magical Mazatlán
Magical Mazatlán
Is it a Señor Frog’s tourist trap or a cultural paradise? Yes and yes. If you have one week to build sandcastles with the kids, squeeze limes into beer, and... Read more...
Sailing the Wide Open Sea
Sailing the Wide Open Sea
Well, almost. We weren’t exactly crossing the Pacific, but Colin and I were heading from Baja to Mazatlán, a journey of roughly 200 nautical miles across the Sea of Cortez.... Read more...
Lessons From a Year of Living Dangerously. And Vibrantly. And Spontaneously.
Lessons From a Year of Living Dangerously. And Vibrantly. And Spontaneously.
Last Christmas, the length of our to-do list would have overwhelmed Santa. Colin and I were hip-deep in selling our furniture, renting our house, prepping the boat for its new... Read more...
Mariachi Christmas from Mother Nature
Mariachi Christmas from Mother Nature
We hope you are enjoying a very Feliz Navidad and will have quite the Prospero Año Nuevo as well. While we really miss our beloved family and friends, we’re also... Read more...
Recipe for Apple Pie à la Mer
Recipe for Apple Pie à la Mer
Start with a three-day coastal passage from Ensenada to Turtle Bay, delayed until your departure falls smack on Thanksgiving. Next, consider carefully what festive holiday dish can be made using... Read more...
Belonging, in San Diego
Belonging, in San Diego
When this sailing dream was new and fragile, I probably talked about it a little too often. The common concerns I inevitably heard voiced—storms, rogue waves, and a variety of... Read more...
Sailing in the Wake of Giants
Sailing in the Wake of Giants
“We must come down from our heights, and leave our straight paths, for the byways and low places of life, if we would learn truths by strong contrasts; and in... Read more...
Running With the General
Running With the General
General Santa Ana was an unpredictable, shape-shifting politician and dubious military leader who helped Mexico gain independence from Spain, then lost more than half her territory to the U.S. Read more...
Colin's Great White — Up Close and Personal
Colin's Great White — Up Close and Personal
The trolling line, which had been quiet since we left Santa Cruz Island, suddenly screamed into life like a swarm of angry bees. Read more...
Working the Dream
Working the Dream
Sailing Pristine: the Maintenance Issue For those of you who open Pristine’s adventures for soothing photos of paradise to help you through your workday, we’re afraid we will disappoint you... Read more...