Do It Now, Not at the Last Minute

A big surge in last-minute Baja Ha-Ha entries has brought the total to just shy of 170, making it the largest Ha-Ha in the last three years. Considering the fact that we here at Latitude told it like it really was during last year’s boat impoundment fiasco in Mexico, we’re both gratified and more than a little surprised at the number of entries.

(And no, thanks to the government’s embarrassment over last year’s impoundings, and the much-improved Temporary Import Permit forms, we don’t believe there will be a repeat of last year’s blunders.)

Procrastination is inherent in the human condition, so we feel it’s incumbent upon us to warn all Ha-Ha entrants not to show up in San Diego a week before the start of the Ha-Ha and expect to get a lot of work done. Yes, there are lots of good riggers, sailmakers, diesel mechanics and other service providers in San Diego, but most of them have been busy this year, and with well over 100 new boats soon to show up in town needing work done ‘yesterday’, yacht service pros are going to have more work than they can handle. So if you need anything but emergency work done on your boat prior to the Ha-Ha, we encourage you to try to get it done where your boat is now. This is the time of year when boat industry work tends to slow down in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and even Southern California, which means wherever you are now is a good place to have final boat projects completed.

A second thing to remember is that boat supplies and tools are both expensive and hard to come by in Mexico. So if you’re planning on doing any boat projects, buy the parts and other supplies in the States.

We have a tin palate, so we don’t drink much wine. But if you’re the least bit picky about the wine you drink, you’ll want to take all you can carry. Yes, you can get some familiar brands at Costco in Mexico, but you’re going to pay more and not always be able to find your favorites.