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Posts by Richard
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Sample Letters to Officials & the Media

January 8, 2014
For the sake of American and Canadian boat owners, the country of Mexico, marine businesses and workers in Mexico, and marine businesses and workers on the west coast of the United States, we beseech you to take a few minutes to send your thoughts to Mexican and US officials, as well as the US media. More »

Why Mexico Is Still A Third World Country

January 3, 2014
"One of the reasons Mexico remains a Third World country is because it continues to appoint people to positions of power who don’t have any idea what they are doing." This is the opinion of one of the most mild-mannered and respected marina owner/managers in Mexico, one who is also one of the most knowledgeable on Mexican maritime law. More »
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The Latest on ‘Impounded’ Boats In Mexico

December 30, 2013
"Ours is one of many boats that has been seized in Mexico," writes Cranky Sailor. "Our boat was in a marina in Ensenada at the time. We are trying to find other victims of the AGACE attack on foreign boat owners, but it’s not easy, and I imagine people are simply afraid to speak up, fearing revenge from the Mexican government. More »

Foreign Yachts in Mexico Update

December 23, 2013
A source told us that of the 50 or so boats ‘impounded’ in this marina, only three didn’t have Temporary Import Permits or had other paperwork problems. latitude/Richard
©2013 Latitude 38 Media, LLC We received a phone call on Sunday from Jorge Gamboa, the head of Tourism for Mexico in California. More »

Is Mexico Committing Nautical Tourism Suicide?

December 20, 2013
We sure hope not, although thanks to the actions of a new sub-agency of Hacienda (the Mexican IRS) called AGACE, it appears the country is on the verge of doing just that — and even worse, perhaps setting the stage for possible problems with the United States government. More »

Toys and Tools for Cruisers

December 18, 2013
We’ve got an update of a product we previously reported on, and a new product that may be of interest to many cruisers. The update is on the DJI Phantom quad copter equipped with a GoPro camera. More »

Bill Gates Invests Big in Mita

Is Bill Gates getting tired of the Seattle gloom? Who knows, but Cascade Investment, which he and Saudi businessman Alwaleed bin Talal own 95% of, just told the securities and exchange commission they are paying $200 million in cash for the Four Seasons Resort in Punta Mita, plus an adjacent 48-acre parcel of development land. More »

And Now for Something Different

One of the more dramatic moments on Esprit’s recent Atlantic crossing. Esprit
©2013 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Because Latitude is based on the West Coast, we usually feature sailing photographs from California, Mexico or the South Pacific. More »

Riviera Nayarit Splash & Blast

December 16, 2013
Capricorn Cat shuttles part of the Riviera Nayarit Splash group to Paradise Marina, having to dodge whales on the way. latitude/Richard
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC The cruising season moved into higher gear on Friday the 13th, as the Riviera Nayarit Tourism Board, plus the Marina Riviera Nayarit and Latitude 38, threw a Riviera Nayarit Welcome Splash for veterans of the this year’s and previous Baja Ha-Ha’s — plus anybody else who happened to be around and likes sailing. More »

Fun Ha-Ha Question

December 13, 2013
Practical Sailor has a blog site where one contributor offered up the following on the subject of cruising rallies: "The big problem (with rallies) is the illusion of group security. With regular radio contact there is some of that, but participants in the Baja Ha-Ha routinely report never seeing another boat in the rally for days on end. More »