We already knew this, but the Baja Ha-Ha Grand Poobah says the Latitude 38 Crew List Party last Thursday in Sausalito was “a smash!” The party was preceded by the Mexico Cruising Seminar hosted by Assistant Poobah Patsy Verhoeven. Patsy shared a boatload of information and tips on sailing south, and then spent even more time answering questions from the audience. She told the GP it was the largest Crew List Party group she can remember, with an unusually high number of first-time cruisers. And that she found them to be a really terrific group of folks. Below are a few of those folks …

So why was this year’s party so big? Because sailing is fun, and meeting other sailors is a big part of that fun. And because many of the partygoers had come for the Mexico Cruising Seminar and stayed for the party. The annual Mexico Cruising Seminar is helpful for anyone heading south over fall or winter. And especially for anyone joining the Baja Ha-Ha.

In case you missed it, or even if you were there but can’t possibly remember everything (most of us), below we share some updated info on this year’s Ha-Ha (and cruising to Mexico in general) from the Poobah.

As of September 3, the official last day to sign up for the Ha-Ha, there were 127 entries. If you missed it, don’t worry; you can still sign up. However, if you wait too long, you may not be included in the Meet the Fleet booklet and may miss out on some of the swag. You’ll be making life unnecessarily difficult for the Poobah and assistant Poobah, who do all the work of putting a Ha-Ha together. So signing up as soon as you can really does help. And signing up is easy. Just visit www.baja-haha.com.

TIPs (Temporary Import Permits) for your boat
If you don’t have one already, now is the time to get one. Mariners are not allowed to get a TIP more than 60 days before entering Mexico, or less than seven days before entering, so the window is now wide open. A TIP costs $60, and since it’s good for 10 years (!!!) is indisputably the greatest bargain in the entire world of cruising. If your boat has a TIP in someone else’s name, you must get this taken care of immediately. Contact [email protected]. If you think you can go rogue in Mexico and cruise without a TIP, you’ll soon find out that you can’t and will have some serious explaining to do.

What more can I do to get ready for a Ha-Ha?
Assistant Poobah Patsy has two suggestions. First, if you are not a Coast Guard-licensed captain, Patsy recommends you take the California Boater’s Test and get your Boater Card now. Why? Because even though it’s an easy test, the online program forces you to wait seemingly forever between questions, almost as if they want to make you suffer. So you can’t complete it in less than a ridiculous four hours.

Some will point out that you are not required to show a Boater Card if you check into Mexico at Ensenada. While that’s been the case, it’s been required almost everywhere else. Even more important, some insurance adjusters have been denying insurance claims if the captain can’t produce a Boater Card. So rather than wait until the last minute, get it out of the way now.

The other thing you can do now is sign up on PredictWind’s free fleet tracking for the Ha-Ha. You can currently track the locations and progress of 18 Ha-Ha boats. As time goes on, more will be on the tracker.

How will I check into Mexico with the Ha-Ha at Mag Bay?
We’re in the process of wrapping up the details, but as of now it appears that it will be a better system than ever. Furthermore, unlike in previous years when you were emailed your completed paperwork, this year you should get it, along with getting your passport stamped, at Mag Bay.

In the not-too-distant future you’ll be getting explicit instructions on how to do everything required to check in to Mexico with the Ha-Ha. But please note, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS PRECISELY. Or you’ll be out of luck.

Do I have to check into Mexico with the Ha-Ha at Mag Bay?
No. You have three other options.
First option is to take your boat to Ensenada before the start of the Ha-Ha and check in there with the help of one of the marinas. The marina folks do a great job. In fact, we always use them when we come north. Indeed, each year between five and 10 boats start the Ha-Ha from Ensenada. Starting from Ensenada also reduces the length of the first leg by about 15%. However, the marina slip fee and their fee for helping with paperwork are going to be more than you would pay if checking in with the Ha-Ha in Mag Bay.
Second, you can start the Ha-Ha with the fleet in San Diego, then pull into Ensenada and check in while the rest of the fleet continues on. This will take at least one overnight and require a berth in a marina, as there is no anchorage in Ensenada. This will put you well behind the rest of the fleet.
Third, you can check in at Cabo San Lucas at the end of the Ha-Ha. In addition to this becoming more expensive and difficult by the year, it also means you can’t legally stop between San Diego and Cabo San Lucas. If you are thinking of going rogue, be aware that the Ha-Ha is required to turn in a complete list of entries, and the Mexican navy will be checking it. While there are options, most entries will check into Mexico at Mag Bay.

The Ha-Ha starts in just under two months. We can’t wait to sail south again, and hope you’ll be able to join us for this 31st Cruisers Rally to Mexico. – Grand Poobah, aka Richard Spindler.

And now for a few more Crew Party pics:

Join the party by adding your name to the Crew List and doing more sailing.