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
You’ll be our hero if you can schlep a load of magazines to Cabo.latitude/Annie©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Among the many aspects of organizing the annual Baja Ha-Ha rally, perhaps the most challenging is finding ways to get 200 hot-off-the-press Latitude 38s to Cabo. This year, with airlines restricting excess baggage, the task has become…
Read More
The pre-Halloween Costume Kickoff Party sets a fun-loving mood, prior to the Monday start. latitude/JR© Latitude 38 Media, LLC If you’re signed up to do the 2008 Baja Ha-Ha rally we probably don’t have to tell you that the October 27 start is just a week away. Yeah, we know what you’re thinking, "Yikes! I’m…
Read More
Morning Light as she crossed the finish line of the 2007 TransPac. © 2008 Abner Kingman There is frequent coverage of racing boats in the half hour before and after they cross the starting line of big races, and in the half hour or so after they finish. But what’s it like the other 99%…
Read More
Hannah, who’d like to find a berth on a Ha-Ha boat, at the helm while sailing off Spain. Hannah Knipple© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Still looking to crew on the Ha-Ha? Then you’re in the same boat — ahem — as Hannah Knipple, who graduated Pre-Med from Trinity College last year. Knipple had planned to…
Read More
Is anyone interested in possibly having their boat shipped home on a Dockwise ship after the Baja Ha-Ha? Tim Holl, one of the crew of the Catalina 34 Caitlin Marie, entry #168, contacted Dockwise Marine to see if they had any ships coming north from Mexico. Donna Blom, the Dockwise representative, responded that they had…
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
