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 Was One of the Best Ever!
Stay Tuned for Information on Baja Ha-Ha 2026.
The Latest Cruising News
Six hundred sailors aboard 155 boats set sail Monday, bound for sunnier latitudes. latitude/Andy© Latitude 38 Media, LLC After enduring the coldest summer in recent memory, the 600+ sailors in the Baja Ha-Ha XVII rally fleet have now achieved a long-anticipated goal: They’ve found sunny skies! The breeze held steady through day two, and in…
Read More
The Mothership, Profligate, led 154 boats out of San Diego this morning at the start of the 17th Annual Baja Ha-Ha. latitude/John A.©2010 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Most members of the 196-boat Baja Ha-Ha fleet have been planning and preparing for years — if not decades — to throw off the docklines and cruise south…
Read More
Even though the Baja Ha-Ha sign-up sheet has topped out at 196 entries, not everyone who wants to join the fun this year will be able to. "For those of us who won’t be in San Diego for the start of the Ha-Ha but still want to watch the parade," writes Pat and Carole McIntosh…
Read More
Here at Baja Ha-Ha World Headquarters we’re eager to recruit some Ha-Ha heroes for a special mission. No, you won’t have to crawl on your belly across the desert or parachute out of a plane. Nothing so dramatic. We just need to find a few folks who will be traveling to Cabo after November 1…
Read More
Every winter and spring, westbound sailboats from all over the world converge on Panama, which makes it an ideal spot for us to host a Pacific Puddle Jump Kickoff Party. Thanks to our friends at the Balboa YC, we hosted our first Panama party last winter, with the expectation that doing so would become an…
Read MoreCruising Resources - Articles From the Latitude 38 Archives
Read the 2023 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
