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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

Weekend Fun in Turtle Bay

Despite stacking the deck with dozens more women than men, somehow the hombres won the tug-of-war this year.latitude/Andy©2012 Latitude 38 Media, LLC After a splendid beach party Friday on an uninhabited section of Turtle Bay, the fleet set sail at 8 a.m. Saturday on Leg Two, a 240-mile run to remote Bahia Santa Maria. Although…

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Ha-Ha’ers at Turtle Bay

As the fleet motorsailed toward the starting line last Monday, fleet members got extra credit for wearing their costumes — the more elaborate the better. latitude/Andy©2012 Latitude 38 Media, LLC As we gather together our beach toys, potluck utensils and fresh-caught fish for today’s Turtle Bay beach party, we’ll take stock of the last two…

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Ha-Ha Fleet Approaching Turtle Bay

As we post this report (noon on Wednesday) via SailMail from the Baja Ha-Ha mothership Profligate, we’re about 60 miles from crossing the finish line of Leg One, just outside Bahia Tortugas (Turtle Bay), with the fleet spread out far and wide around us. The bulk of the 2012 Ha-Ha fleet are getting ready for…

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Mexico, Here They Come!

“Mexico or Bust!” Watch out, Baja, here come the Ha-Ha’ers! latitude/John A.©2012 Latitude 38 Media, LLC The Baja Ha-Ha 19 fleet awoke to clear blue skies this morning, ideal for the fleet’s southbound departure to the waters of Baja California. Having converged on San Diego from all along the West Coast — as far north…

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The Times They Are A-Changing

And like ol’ Bob Dylan sang back in the early ’60s, "and accept it soon that [if you stay in California] you’ll be drenched to the bone." A reminder to one and all that Daylight Saving Time ends in the wee hours of Sunday, October 28, in most of Mexico (in the States and municipalities…

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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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