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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

The 30th Annual Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha Departs November 4th! 

The Latest Cruising News

Digging It at Hood River Marina on the Columbia River Gorge

Hood River Marina

Right now, there’s quite a difference in sailing conditions between San Francisco Bay and the Columbia River Gorge.

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Nicki and Jessie Share Sailing Stories on Good Jibes

Hear Jessie’s top baby boat tricks, how to work while cruising, sailing America’s Great Loop, the Northwest Passage, and the endless helpfulness of the sailing community.

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Is This Your Year to Join the Pacific Puddle Jump?

Anchored in Tahaa

If your boat is fitted out with the essentials for safety and comfort offshore, and you’re eager for a grand adventure, consider joining the 2022 Pacific Puddle Jump.

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La Paz Beach Party Full of Baja Ha-Ha Fun

La Paz Beach Party dancing

Where do folks go after the Baja Ha-Ha? After Cabo San Lucas, cruisers fan out.

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The Old Men and the Sea

Against all of our youthful instincts, wisdom prevailed and the decision was made to head up to Potato Slough in the Delta the next morning.

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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

Thanks to the Sponsors the Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha!

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