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
Compared to most offshore sailing events, the annual Baja Ha-Ha rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas is loosely administered by design. In keeping with that philosophy, the Rally Committee has extended the published deadline, September 10, until early next week. "Sure, what the heck — the more the merrier" said one Committee member.…
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If you’re serious about finding a ride to Mexico, you’ve gotta be proactive. Sometimes it pays off to get creative. latitude/Annie© Latitude 38 Media, LLC If you’re in need of additional crew for next month’s Baja Ha-Ha cruisers’ rally — or you’re a potential crew member looking for a ride — you won’t want to…
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Even if you wrap your spinnaker just south of the starting line, it’s a glorious feeling to be escaping the rat race on the Baja Ha-Ha. latitude/Andy© Latitude 38 Media, LLC How’d you like to sail away to the sunny latitudes of Mexico this fall? We know just the place where you can find a…
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At 58 feet, Neil Kaminer’s Tribute was about 15 feet longer than the average entry in last year’s Ha-Ha. latitude/Richard©2008 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Based on surveys returned by 99 of the 150 finishers in the last Baja Ha-Ha, the following interesting facts were learned: 1) As many have wrongly assumed, it’s not an event…
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In the August 1 ‘Lectronic, we incorrectedly reported that Raymarine offers Type B transmit and receive Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) for recreational boats in the United States. This information was based on a call to a major marine retailer, but was wrong. Our apologies. What is true is that Type B AIS transmitters can be…
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
