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

Morning Light Opens This Weekend

Morning Light as she crossed the finish line of the 2007 TransPac.© 2008 Abner Kingman There is frequent coverage of racing boats in the half hour before and after they cross the starting line of big races, and in the half hour or so after they finish. But what’s it like the other 99% of…

Hannah, who’d like to find a berth on a Ha-Ha boat, at the helm while sailing off Spain. Hannah Knipple© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Still looking to crew on the Ha-Ha? Then you’re in the same boat — ahem — as Hannah Knipple, who graduated Pre-Med from Trinity College last year. Knipple had planned to…

Is anyone interested in possibly having their boat shipped home on a Dockwise ship after the Baja Ha-Ha? Tim Holl, one of the crew of the Catalina 34 Caitlin Marie, entry #168, contacted Dockwise Marine to see if they had any ships coming north from Mexico. Donna Blom, the Dockwise representative, responded that they had…

Ha-Ha XV Entry Deadline Extended

Compared to most offshore sailing events, the annual Baja Ha-Ha rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas is loosely administered by design. In keeping with that philosophy, the Rally Committee has extended the published deadline, September 10, until early next week. "Sure, what the heck — the more the merrier" said one Committee member.…

If you’re serious about finding a ride to Mexico, you’ve gotta be proactive. Sometimes it pays off to get creative. latitude/Annie© Latitude 38 Media, LLC If you’re in need of additional crew for next month’s Baja Ha-Ha cruisers’ rally — or you’re a potential crew member looking for a ride — you won’t want to…

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Cruising 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 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.