The Grand Poobah sent in the following succinct report: "At the start of Leg 3, with 160+ boats and more than 600 people, having too much fun to write. Seventy-two souls stranded on beach last night due to high surf – no casualties reported yet. More »

It was pre-Ha-Ha when Capricorn Cat passed down the California Coast, under a fiery cloud caused by the many fires burning ashore. latitude/JR
©2007 Latitude 38 Media, LLC Slow news was good news for the 150 boats in 14th Baja Ha-Ha, the cruisers rally that started off San Diego on October 29. More »

Flintstones, meet the Flintstones, the modern sailing
family . . . latitude/JR
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Roughly 600 sailors gathered in San Diego for the annual Baja Ha-Ha Costume Kickoff Party which, by any measure, was a smash hit. More »

From the Grand Poobah himself, here is some important info relating to the Ha-Ha: 1) Offshore flow is returning to SoCal and the air quality is much better. In any event, the conditions on the waterfront are nowhere nearly as bad as they were in 2003. More »

There are only two ways to get an official Baja Ha-Ha tattoo: Participate in the event, or fly down to Cabo with a bunch of Latitudes – thus becoming an instant Ha-Ha hero! More »

Although this Bristol Channel Cutter is traditionally rigged, that doesn’t mean she needs to have a stodgy paint job. © 2007 Terry Nugent Despite the fact that Terry Nugent’s 26-ft Bristol Channel Cutter Eye of Infinity IV is the smallest boat in this year’s Baja Ha-Ha fleet, she definitely won’t go unnoticed. More »

Based on data culled from the Ha-Ha entry forms, Honcho Lauren Spindler reports that although the number of paid entries is down from 183 last year to just 178 this year, the number of people expected to participate will be up by more than 10% – 680 versus 601. More »

As in years past, berth availability is tight, tight, tight in San Diego at this time of year. With 177 boats signed up for the 14th annual Baja Ha-Ha cruisers rally (which begins October 29), and about 65 powerboats  registered for the inaugural Fubar Odyssey (which begins November 7), we would encourage southbound skippers to take advantage of the many excellent berthing opportunities en route to San Diego, Two of the best choices are laying over at Two Harbors, on the northeast side of Catalina, where there are plenty of safe, secure moorings to be had at reasonable prices, and at Newport Beach, where well-protected overnight buoys are available for the incredible price of $5 a night. More »

"I’m planning to to take my family to Cabo on our very expensive yacht," writes Brian Littlefield, "and am wondering if there have been any recent pirate-type attacks down there. And if so, what should we bring for security, as guns are obviously out of the question. More »