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
Ready for a sunny getaway south of the border? If you were planning to enter this year’s Baja Ha-Ha cruisers rally you’d better hurry, because the official entry deadline is tonight at midnight. That said, we’d be willing to bet that the Rally Committee will still accept last-minute entries early next week — after all…
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We’ve been accused of ‘Ha-Ha’ing our readership to death in the past. But with the Baja Ha-Ha‘s September 10 entry deadline just over a month away, it’s high time for an update. After months – if not years – of anticipation, it’s a wonderful feeling to finally be heading south to the Cape. latitude/Andy© Latitude…
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The stress of planning a complex gathering can easily give even the most experienced event planners angst, and perhaps even nightmares. "What if no one shows up?" they ask themselves in sleepless torment. When the recession hit, we has such thoughts about our annual San Diego-to-Cabo rally, the Baja Ha-Ha. Is the Ha-Ha rally any…
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Seventy-five sailors converged on the Ullman Sails loft in Newport Beach Wednesday night, coming from as far away as Santa Barbara and San Diego. Although their backgrounds and the types of boats they sail on vary greatly, they all had one thing in common: a burning desire to do the Baja Ha-Ha cruisers’ rally this…
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Many sectors of the marine industry may still be shaking off the economic slumber of the recession, but there’s apparently plenty of sailors gearing up for a Mexican cruise this fall. Less than 24 hours after registration began for the 17th annual Baja Ha-Ha rally (from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas), 60 boats have…
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
