About the authors
Long before Shawn and Heather first met, their adventurous spirits were guiding them on travels throughout the world. Catching glimpses of different cultures and meeting many fantastic friends along the way only fueled their desire to pursue more adventures.
Born in Ohio and later moving to Kentucky, Shawn, along with his partner in crime and identical twin brother, took up SCUBA diving and boating among the many lakes surrounding Kentucky and the warm waters off Florida. In his mid-twenties, Shawn had the unique opportunity to crew on two sailboats throughout the South Pacific and New Zealand where he quickly fell in love with the boats and the cruising lifestyle. Shortly after returning to Kentucky, Shawn packed his belongings and moved to the coastal town of Bellingham, Washington to pursue his dream of buying a sailboat and preparing himself and the boat for another adventure to the South Pacific and beyond.
Heather, who was born and raised in the dry rolling hills of eastern Washington, pursued a far different passion from the typical aspiring sailor: horses. However, after moving to Bellingham to attend college and unable to pack her horse in her suitcase, she traded in horseback riding through the sagebrush hills and apple orchards, for sea kayaking through the protected waters and islands of Washington and British Columbia, Canada, as well as rafting many of the rivers throughout Washington.
Working next door to each other in Bellingham, Shawn and Heather became quick friends and shared their tales of past adventures and dreams of new adventures. Armed with his new purchase of a stoutly built Westsail 32 named Om Shanti, Shawn wooed Heather with sunset sails on Bellingham Bay and taught her the finer points of sailing. Excited about dreams of living a cruising lifestyle and traveling to new destinations by boat, they concentrated their efforts to making the dream come true.
On June 1, 2003, Om Shanti left the dock in Bellingham Bay to take her crew on a magical ride, sailing to unbelievably wonderful adventures. From Bellingham they headed north, sailing with orcas and feasting on salmon while exploring the vast array of islands along British Columbia’s southwestern coast. After circumnavigating Vancouver Island, they left from the southern tip of the island to begin the voyage south, down the west coast of the United States and Baja California. By early December, Om Shanti arrived in Cabo San Lucas and began a new, beautiful adventure in sunny Mexico.
Since late 2003, Heather, Shawn and Om Shanti have been exploring Pacific Mexico and the Sea of Cortez, relishing the beauty of where desert meets the sea. Each summer Om Shanti is hauled out of the water while Shawn and Heather return to the Pacific Northwest to visit family and friends, and fatten the cruising kitty for more wonderful adventures.
Their love of boating and of the Sea of Cortez lead to the development of this cruising guide, in hopes of sharing the unique beauty and richness of life the remote Baja peninsula and Sea of Cortez has to offer. Shawn, who is a licensed boat captain, has used his 15 years of experience as a graphic designer to create the GPS-accurate chartlets, while Heather has pursued her passion of writing to compose an informative and easy to follow guide. With their combined efforts, they have created a one-of-a-kind guidebook, filled with beautiful photography, accurate chartlets and descriptive text to help inspire, guide and enjoy Mexico’s Sea of Cortez.
Heather Bansmer and
Shawn Breeding
Our faithful research vessel,
Om Shanti