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Heading South: Latitude 38's Guide to Sailing and Cruising the Coast of Mexico and Central America

Cruising News for Mexico and Beyond

The 30th Annual Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha Departs November 4th! 

The Latest Cruising News

‘Latitude 38’ Seminar for Fall Southbound Cruisers at Svendsen’s Spring Fling

Pat & Carole McIntosh

Pat and Carole McIntosh, authors of the comprehensive cruising guide “Cruising Notes — Know Before You Go,” will give a seminar at Svendsen’s Spring Fling on Saturday, April 13.

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Vallarta Yacht Club’s WesMex Regatta Keeps It Small

Opti WesMex

Mexico is known to many readers for its idyllic cruising grounds, but the Vallarta Yacht Club also keeps the racing and youth sailing scene active.

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West Coast Sailors Meet Up in Caribbean Multihull Challenge

West Coast multihull sailors don’t necessarily sail on the West Coast.

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Annual Barra de Navidad Cruise-In Week Raises Funds for Local Schools

Each year, sailors come to Barra de Navidad for the fun and camaraderie of Cruise-In Week, and to raise funds for the local schools and their students.

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Pyewacket Sails to a Win in the Puerto Vallarta Race

Pyewacket and Peligroso start the Puerto Vallarta Race

Roy Pat Disney’s San Diego-based Andrews 68 Pyewacket is on a roll.

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Cruising Resources - Articles From the Latitude 38 Archives

Read the 2023 First Timer’s Guide to Mexico

First Timer's Guide to Mexico
First Timer's Guide to Mexico

Latitude 38's First Timer's Guide to Mexico Update for 2023.


Why Cruise Mexico?

Walk the docks of any marina from Vancouver to San Diego this summer and you're likely to find dozens of sailors fitting out their boats for extended cruising. Where are they headed? While some undoubtedly have lofty dreams of eventually cruising the South Pacific, the Caribbean or the Med, destination numero uno for almost all of them is Mexico.


Fitting Out: The Cruisers Back Porch

A centuries-old adage claims, "You can tell a lot about a sailor by the cut of his jib." But when it comes to modern cruisers, nothing reveals more about their sailing style than the 'back porch' of their boat. That is, the stern section, which may house everything from solar panels to surfboards, and barbecues to radar domes.

 


Favorite Sailing Apps

One of the frustrating aspects of living in this 'app-happy' era of endless innovation is that is it seems almost impossible to keep up with the latest, greatest developments in technology — including smartphone, tablet and computer software related to boating.


 

The Info on AIS

Now more than ever, the modern sailor has lots to choose from when it comes to navigation and safety instruments. Communication devices such as the Iridium GO! and Garmin inReach (which also has GPS capabilities) have complemented the single-sideband radio and VHF. Chartplotters have digitized and dramatically simplified navigation, and radar has long been an important tool for identifying marine traffic, obstacles and weather.


Offshore Communication

With the ever-expanding assortment of communications devices designed for offshore sailing, comes the dilemma of deciding which ones belong on your 'must-have' list, and which ones you can live without — especially if you're on a limited budget. With that in mind, we'll share some tips and insights here that we hope will reduce your befuddlement.


 

Communications: Idiots Guide to SSB 

Despite several advances in offshore voice communications such as satphones, marine single sideband (SSB) isn't going away anytime soon. That's because SSB, unlike satphones, allows an unlimited number of people to listen to a transmission at the same time.


Small Boat Adventuring in the Sea of Cortez

You don't have to own a fully equipped 50-ft cruising boat to enjoy the spectacular Sea of Cortez, a vast, sparsely developed wonderland for sailors and adventurers.

Latitude reader Derek Rice and a buddy recently had big fun tapping into the region's magic aboard a 44-year-old Catalina 22 daysailer.

 


Cruising Notes—Things to Know Before You Go

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