If you’ve been on the fence about joining this year’s SoCal Ta-Ta cruising rally, it’s time to quit procrastinating and make your decision, as the Santa Barbara-to-Catalina event can only accept seven more entries. (The roster now stands at 43 boats, listed below.)

Designed to be a fun-filled, low-pressure, one-directional cruise with no overnight sailing, the Ta-Ta serves as a great introduction to the cruising lifestyle for first-timers. But it’s also great fun for highly experienced voyagers — for example, circumnavigators Kurt and Katie Braun of the Deerfoot 74 Interlude.

The fun begins with a skipper’s meeting and Ta-Ta Kick-Off Party in Santa Barbara September 13, with the first leg — to Santa Cruz Island — the next morning. On the way to Catalina, the fleet will also stop at Channel Islands Harbor and Paradise Cove. The rally will conclude September 19 with a "Rasta Party Potluck and Awards" at Two Harbors. The event’s theme, after all, is Reggae ‘Pon da Ocean. Sound like fun? Indeed it will be. (See the Notice of Rally here.)

Current sign-ups:

Aegea / Sabre 38 / John & Michelle Zeratsky / Sausalito
Alegria / Beneteau 41S5 / Leslie Schmitz & David R. Du Ket / Oceanside
Always / Seawind 1160 / Steven & Julie McShea / Lihue, HI
Atsa / Tayana 48DS / Hartley Gardner & Lesley Johnstone / Phoenix, AZ
Aventura / Island Packet 370 / Erik & Brian Jones / Alameda
Beach Access / Lagoon 380 / Glenn Twitchell & Debbie Jahn / Long Beach
Big Sweetie / Hunter 450 Passage / Charles & Carolyn Moyer / Channel Islands
Boomerang / Corsair 31UC / Charles & Elaine VanderBoom / Lake Havasu City, AZ
Chat De Mer / Fountaine-Pajot Belize 43 Maestro / Leo Brodeur / Alameda
Delphis / Pearson Vanguard 32 / Bruce & Janet Dart / Channel Islands
Destiny / Catalina 42 / John & Gillian Foy / San Pedro
Ditto / Norseman 400 / Ronald Bohannon & Linda Wells / San Pedro
Dream Maker / Hunter Legend 38 / Jack & Karen Cronk / Oceanside
Exodus / Catalina 350 / William & Elizabeth Wendt / Long Beach
Full Glass / Beneteau 47.3 / Alessandro & Kristen Mercurio / Channel Islands
Grace / Traveller 32 / Robert Walker / Alameda
Gypsy Soul / Bruce Roberts Offshore 44 / Danny Webb / Emeryville
Insula / Island Packet 460 / Troy & Michele Stone / Saugatuck, MI
Interlude / Deerfoot 74 PH / Kurt & Katie Braun / Georgetown, SC
Jenna Renee / Beneteau 373 / Nick & Stuart Harden / Alameda
Latitudes / Ericson 32 / Marc Marois & Joe Barrett / Newport Beach
Looking Forward / Balboa 26 / Michael Kinney & Deborah Froessel / Benicia
Lunar Dawn / Cascade 36 / Jeff Kennett / San Diego
Mystic / Lagoon 410 / Christian & Bridge DUrso / Portland, OR
Ojo Rojo / Columbia 36 / Keith & Terry Albrecht / Alamitos Bay
Oso Loco / Kettenberg 32 / David Turpin / Santa Barbara
Pegasus / Formosa 51 / Bob Mathews / San Diego
Ruatahi / Manta 40 / Paul Ludgate / Newport Beach
Running Free / Ericson 38 / Don & Christine Taugher / Alamitos Bay
Sabbatical / Valiant 40 / Phil Kumpis / Hermosa Beach
Sashay / Catalina 42 MkII / Rodney & Peggy Kidd / Alameda
Sea Wolf / Hunter 376 / Christopher Mendonca / Vallejo
Seazed Asset / Cal 40 / Vance Sprock / Moss Landing
Shadow / Islander 36 / Greg & Kathy Kircher / Ventura
St. Somewhere / Beneteau 440 / Pat McCormick / Alamitos Bay
Tango / Perry 43 / Holly Testa & Denis Michaud / Boulder, CO
TBD / Farrier 36 Tri / Greg & Jeanne Carter / Santa Rosa
Tercer Deseo / Hunter 410 / Rod Granger / Ventura
Vanishing Girl / Beneteau First 40 / Paul Martson & Jared Brockway / Ventura
Venture / Jeanneau 49 SO / Mike & Gail Chobotov / Sausalito
Vesper / Columbia 36 / Paul Kriete / Santa Barbara
Volare / Catalina Morgan 440 / Adam & Jessica Heinicke / San Diego

After the pounding that the Baja Peninsula took last fall thanks to Hurricane Odile, we can probably all agree that it’s somewhere else’s turn. Unfortunately, though, a powerful new threat is poised to pounce. 

Although stalled roughly 450 miles south of Manzanillo, Hurricane Blanca is currently packing winds of 130 mph — making it a Category 4 — and is expected to strengthen in the next 48 hours.

NOAA computer models show Blanca passing far offshore of Puerto Vallarta Saturday, and making landfall on the outside of the Baja Peninsula Sunday or Monday. But there is no guarantee, of course, that it will follow the projected track shown above. 

Although there are no official hurricane watches in effect today, needless to say, boaters in the Southern Baja region should be making preparations. It’s worth noting that during Odile, the worst damage was to boats that were anchored out, rather than in marinas. You can follow Blanca’s progress at the NOAA Hurricane Center website.