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
This year’s most sensational smoochers were Bill and ShantiAna Bartlett of the Alameda-based Columbia 39 ShantiAna.latitude/Andy© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Each year, the Baja Ha-Ha rally’s Cabo San Lucas beach party ends with a guaranteed crowd-pleaser: the notorious From Here to Eternity kissing contest. The idea is to reenact the steamy — and once controversial…
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As we write this, most fleet members of the Baja Ha-Ha XVIII cruising rally have left Cabo San Lucas in their wakes, as the event ended with a raucous awards ceremony Saturday night (generously hosted by Marina Cabo San Lucas). But the memories of the fun-filled 750-mile migration linger, as do the photos and videos.…
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This unusual folding cat was trucked from Wyoming for the San Diego start. Aptly named Cat 2 Fold, she was looking good at the start of Leg 2. latitude/Andy©2011 Latitude 38 Media, LLC There are dozens of reasons why sailors from all along the West Coast and beyond join the Baja Ha-Ha rally each year.…
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The crew of Profligate, the mothership of the Baja Ha-Ha, are obviously having a terrific and care-free time during the ‘Barely Legal’ version of the 750-mile rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Here was this editor, patiently awaiting a status update from Assistant Poobah ‘Banjo Andy’ Turpin, when we heard through the office…
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The Alameda-based Tayana 47 Oceanaire was looking good flying twin blue headsails on the approach to Turtle Bay. latitude/Andy© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Over the past two days, the Baja Ha-Ha XVIII fleet arrived at the small fishing town of Bahia Tortugas (Turtle Bay), where they received an exceedingly warm welcome from the local population,…
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
Thanks to Gold Sponsors Naos Yachts and Marina Puerto Escondido and all Sponsors Below!
