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!Â
The Latest Cruising News
Crews heading south to Mexico this winter who’ve upgraded their nav stations with AIS and digital radar will probably feel safer than ever. But there’s one type of offshore obstacle that doesn’t subscribe to AIS and rarely if ever shows up on radar.
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The Baja Ha-Ha’s Grand Poobah — who also happens to be the founder of Latitude 38, in case you didn’t know — took a moment to remind this year’s flock of southbound cruisers that the US Coast Guard has your back, and will hold a lecture  to let you know how they can best serve you.…
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If you are meandering south this season with your eye on the start of the Baja Ha-Ha, you’re probably contemplating a slip or mooring. San Diego has been called one of the most cruiser-friendly cities on the West Coast, as our editor-at-large Andy Turpin found out when he passed through in early 2018. “In addition…
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You never know where you’ll end up if you put your name on the Latitude 38 Crew List. Bill Nork’s recent success with the Crew List took him to the Marquesas.
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It’s easy to get complacent about things like a Category 1 hurricane when you’ve recently witnessed, at a distance, the impact of a Category 5. However, if you’re in the path of a Cat 1 or even a tropical storm, complacency is the last thing you want. Hurricane Lorena brushed along the coast south of…
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 SSBÂ
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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