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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

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The Latest Cruising News

Free Documentation Assistance at Hutchison Port ECV Marina!

Free assistance with your documentation at the port! Enjoy Mexico from the safety of our tides with the best of services.

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Living the Dream Aboard the Saga 43 ‘Stella Blue’

SV stella blue

From blue-footed boobies to dolphins to black-tip reef sharks and more, Mike and Stephanie enjoyed the marvels of Mexico from aboard ‘Stella Blue.’

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A Postcard From SV ‘Freedom Kirkland’

We’ve shared postcards from Kirk and Charlene in the past, but usually they don’t tell us where they are. This year they’ve almost let the cat out of the sail bag.

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Having a Whale of a Time on the Course in Banderas Bay

You have to keep an eye on the wind, water and whales when racing J/70s in Banderas Bay.

It’s not all cruising south of the border. Sometimes its a mix of racing, cruising and whale watching.

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‘Salty Dancer’ — Mexico to Costa Rica, Part 1

In December 2023, ‘Salty Dancer’s mooring lines parted and she ended up on the rocky south breakwater. The following March she continued her planned circumnavigation …

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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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