Heading South: Latitude 38's Guide to Sailing and Cruising the Coast of Mexico and Central America
Cruising News for Mexico and Beyond
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The Latest Cruising News
We bet Jackie Evans had no trouble finding a berth at last year’s Mexico-Only Crew List Party.latitude/LaDonna©2012 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Based on their personal experiences, some have characterized Latitude 38‘s Crew List Parties as being three hours of fun that can change your life. If that prospect sounds intriguing, you’ll want to circle Wednesday,…
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It’s often said that any decent boat will get you to the same beautiful anchorages. There’s no greater evidence of that contention than in the annual Baja Ha-Ha cruisers’ rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. When each year’s fleet assembles on the starting line in late October, there’s always a vast range of…
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The 2012 Baja Ha-Ha fleet is getting bigger by the day. Wanna join the party? latitude/Andy© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Every time May 1 rolls around — the date when registration opens for the annual Baja Ha-Ha rally — we’re reminded of the legendary Oklahoma Land Run that began at noon on April 22, 1889.…
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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…
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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.…
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 the 204 Baja Ha-Ha Sponsors!
