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Posts by Andy Turpin

Aquila Lost Near New Caledonia

We sorry to report that another singlehanded cruiser has lost his boat. This one, in the South Pacific. Although full details are yet unknown, we received word this morning that retired school teacher Michael Rafferty recently lost his San Diego-based Islander Freeport 36 Aquila roughly 80 miles west of the New Caledonia island group. More »
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British Sailors’ Somali Ordeal Ends

"We are happy to be alive, happy to be here, desperate to see our family," said British sailor Rachel Chandler at a news conference in Mogadishu. She and her husband Paul were finally released yesterday, after being held captive by Somali pirates for 388 days. More »

Building Community Through Baseball

In Turtle Bay, the locals take baseball almost as seriously as fishing — the most common profession. latitude/Andy
©2010 Latitude 38 Media, LLC For decades, southbound sailors have been visiting the sleepy fishing village at Turtle Bay due to its well-protected anchorage and notoriously friendly people. More »

Cruising Cat Explodes at Anchor

Baja’s soft morning light was punctuated by a devastating fire aboard the Privilege cat Ker-Tidou. © 2010 Craig Powell After the 155-boat Baja Ha-Ha fleet’s recent visit to the tiny Baja fishing village called Bahia de Tortugas, the vast anchorage there returned to its normally sleepy state. More »

Feelin’ the Spirit

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 none of them came close to being as much fun as our San Diego-to-Cabo San Lucas rally. More »

Baja Ha-Ha Comes to a Close

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 on their 750-mile ‘cruise to the Cape’. More »

High Times in Turtle Bay

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! More »

And Away They Go

The Mothership, Profligate, led 154 boats out of San Diego this morning at the start of the 17th Annual Baja Ha-Ha. latitude/John A.
©2010 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Most members of the 196-boat Baja Ha-Ha fleet have been planning and preparing for years — if not decades — to throw off the docklines and cruise south to the sunny climes of Mexico. More »

Be a Ha-Ha Hero!

Here at Baja Ha-Ha World Headquarters we’re eager to recruit some Ha-Ha heroes for a special mission. No, you won’t have to crawl on your belly across the desert or parachute out of a plane. More »