It has been just over two weeks since Hurricane Odile slammed into Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, causing millions of dollars in damage and wreaking havoc on the region. Immediately and instinctively, the owner of Nordhavn 76 motor yacht Tortuga began putting a plan into action to bring badly needed supplies to Cabo San Lucas, where the Category 3 hurricane made a direct hit. Jackson will transport donations via his Tortuga yacht in mid-October.

Nordhavn 76 motor yacht Tortuga

Clean-up efforts continue as thousands of people – many of whom saw their homes get demolished during the September 14th storm – are still without power, water and other basic necessities.

The Category 3 hurricane made a direct hit on the popular vacation resort of Cabo San Lucas, a destination visited by a large number of Nordhavn owners. With rumors mounting of boats being swept away from their moorings and slips, concern at Pacific Asian Enterprises (PAE) grew for the well being of its customers who frequent the town’s marinas – including Nordhavn owner Doug Jackson.

Owner of Tortuga Yacht Doug Jackson shows images of Hurricane Odile’s destruction to PAE staffers.

For Jackson, a resident of Newport Beach, California, news of the storm and its devastation hit especially close to home. The Nordhavn 76 owner berths his luxury yacht Tortuga at Las Cabos’ IGY Marina approximately eight months out of the year; Jackson was fortunate that both he and his boat were in Newport Beach at the time of the storm, but his heart went out to the people of the area he knew were suffering.

Immediately and instinctively, he began putting a plan into action to bring badly needed supplies down to Cabo, reaching out to anyone he could think of. “When I put the word out about collecting donations, everyone stepped up – including a restaurant in Newport Beach and another restaurant and shoe company in Vegas,” said Jackson, who also spends time in Las Vegas.

Several times since announcing his aid mission, Jackson has come home to a driveway overrun with donations.

When he alerted the staff of PAE that he was looking for contributions to bring down to hurricane victims, the company responded overwhelmingly, offering up clothes, shoes, tools, water and food. “Everyone has been really generous,” said a clearly moved Jackson, who stopped by PAE’s Dana Point, CA headquarters on Tuesday to collect the items.

Donations line the hallway at PAE’s headquarters

Jackson will continue to accept donations over the next two weeks, load up his boat and depart out of Newport Beach in mid-October. Travelling non-stop, the trip will take him approximately 3 ½ days. His first order of business will be to address the needs of 12 families befriended by many of IGY Marina’s tenants whose houses were completely lost.

Jackson, whose boat was notably featured on Destination America Channel’s Epic Yachts last year, will spend a week helping out as needed before returning to California.

Hurricane Odile is the strongest storm ever to make landfall on Cabo San Lucas, a point Jackson is quick to illustrate via photos of the stricken area and its grieving people he’s downloaded onto his phone. He says it’s almost too much for him to comprehend, but adds, “It doesn’t help to stay away.”