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
Luckily there was no tattoo parlor at Bahia Santa Maria, or Jack and Leanne might have opted for permanent tats rather than these temporary ones. latitude/Andy© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Australians Jack and Leanne Hembrow had done several cruising rallies in the South Pacific before signing up for the Baja Ha-Ha, but they tell us…
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Bathed in early morning light, the getaway from Bahia Santa Maria was one to remember. latitude/Andy© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Just as the bulk of the Baja Ha-Ha 17 fleet approached the finish line of Leg Three, they were greeted by 25-knot headwinds — a final trial for the 600 sailors in this 155-boat fleet…
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The Baja Ha-Ha Grand Poobah, clearly on ‘manaña time’, called in the briefest of reports as Profligate was leaving Bahia Santa Maria this morning: "We had a great party at Santa Maria last night, and we have light winds this morning as we’re heading out. What?" he asked someone onboard. "We caught a fish? Ok,…
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Tachyon ran aground just a few miles north of Bahia Santa Maria, where the bulk of the Ha-Ha fleet was anchored. © 2010 Google Earth At sunrise this morning, as the Ha-Ha fleet was trickling into Bahia Santa Maria, the crew of Profligate was alerted to a beached boat just north of the bay. According…
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Six hundred sailors aboard 155 boats set sail Monday, bound for sunnier latitudes. latitude/Andy© Latitude 38 Media, LLC After enduring the coldest summer in recent memory, the 600+ sailors in the Baja Ha-Ha XVII rally fleet have now achieved a long-anticipated goal: They’ve found sunny skies! The breeze held steady through day two, and in…
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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