It’s Not Too Late To Ha-Ha; Sign-Up Deadline Extended
As the Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha Fall Crew List Party approaches, the Ha-Ha Poobah has realized that closing registrations for this year’s cruisers’ rally to Mexico on September 1 may be a little premature. Because how many people will be attending the Crew List Party on September 7 and realizing that they’re about to miss out on one of the best sailing adventures around? Fortunately, the Poobah is a wizened, crusty old sailor and caught his error in time. Now, anyone who wants to join the the “This Might Be the Last Time” Baja Ha-Ha has until September 10 to sign up!
“By extending the deadline,” he says, “it gives folks on the fence about signing up a chance to learn more about the Ha-Ha, grill Assistant Poobah Patsy Verhoeven, and meet folks who are doing the Ha-Ha, and other folks who are looking for crew positions on the Ha-Ha.”
Right now the Ha-Ha entrants stand at 105 boats and crew. That’s a ton of fun right there! The latest entry is Steve Green of Golden, CO, signing up with his Corsair 31R Mamacita, proving that you don’t have to be from California to join the sail south.
Now, here’s a reminder about the upcoming Fall Crew List Party and Baja Ha-Ha Seminar/Reunion. The afternoon kicks off with a Mexico Cruising Seminar at 4:30 p.m. This will be an excellent opportunity to get the latest news about the ins and outs of sailing into Mexico from the region’s cruising experts, and to catch up with other Ha-Ha skippers and crew, old and new! Then, at 6 p.m., the Crew List Party kicks off with a no-host wine and beer bar, door prizes, and free snacks.
The Seminar and Crew Party are free for skippers and first mates whose boats have signed up for the Ha-Ha. NOTE: Although it is free for Ha-Ha skippers and first mates, we still ask that you “purchase” a ticket so we can make sure you get a seat for the seminar.
The entry fee is $10 cash for all others, except $5 for those lucky enough to be 25 and under. The location is the Spaulding Marine Center in Sausalito. For full details and tickets got to L38 Crew & Ha-Ha Party Time.
In other Ha-Ha news, the Poobah heard from his friends down south that Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hilary did have an effect on parts of Baja. Here’s what he learned:
“Fun and funky Turtle Bay, the first stop in every Baja Ha-Ha, probably took the hardest hit from Hilary, of any populated area on Baja. They were the bulls-eye.
“As the eye was going to pass right over them, they first got hit with winds to 80 knots from the east, and a short time later, as Hilary passed, they got hit with winds in the same speed range from the south.
“Many of the structures at Turtle Bay are flimsy, to say the least, and we have no idea how many have been damaged and how badly. But we know that they lost the internet and electricity, and no doubt the unpaved road to the Transpeninsular Highway is a shambles.
“The good news is that our dear old friend Rojelio, who ran the humble beer depository on the beach for decades, tells us that nobody was killed. I’m not sure how he knows, as he was in La Paz when Hilary hit, but that’s the report he gives us.”
With all of the above in mind, remember, if you snooze you lose; those who hesitate are lost — or in this case, left behind. One of these days is often none of these days. You can see what we’re getting at. Don’t wait, or it might be too late. Sign up for the 29th Baja Ha-Ha now.