Preparing for the Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha Fall Crew List Party Splashdown

With this year’s Baja Ha-Ha now only around three and a half months away, we’re keeping an eye on who’s signing up to join the fleet, and planning our annual Latitude 38 Baja Ha-Ha Fall Crew List Party (this premier event has so many names even we have trouble using the right one). The Ha-Ha sets off from San Diego on November 4, and the Crew List Party splashdown is on Wednesday, September 4, at Spaulding Marine Center in Sausalito.

You may wonder how the two events are connected. Latitude’s crew list parties are the place to be if you are looking for boat crew for your boat, or a boat to crew aboard if you don’t have your own. The Fall Crew List Party serves this purpose, and additionally, aims to connect sailors who want to make the voyage down to Mexico. The party also features a Cruising Seminar for Baja Ha-Ha sailors and other sailors preparing to head south. This is always an informative event, as here cruisers get the most up-to-date information directly from those in the know.

The seminar will run from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. with half an hour of Q&A from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Doors will open for the cruising seminar at 3:30 p.m.

The next part of the Crew List Party will be for mingling, chatting, making crew connections, and generally rubbing shoulders with other sailors. If you take a look at our Crew List page, you’ll see there are sailors with varying degrees of experience looking to join a boat for the Ha-Ha and other sailing adventures. There aren’t quite as many boats listed as seeking crew, so skippers, if you’re in need of extra hands, add your listing here, and come to the party!

At the time of this writing, the Baja Ha-Ha had 85 boats registered to join the cruising rally to Mexico. Some of these boats will already have their crew lined up, but there are often Ha-Ha crew connections that take place at the Fall Crew List Party, so it’s a good place to be if you want to sail to Mexico in the fall.

Speaking of the Baja Ha-Ha, here are five commonly asked questions about the rally, answered by the Ha-Ha’s GP (Grand Poobah):
1) Can I make a lot of new friends in the Ha-Ha? — Yes, you should be able to make lots of new sailing friends at any one of the eight social events. Caution: Some participants have made such good friends that it resulted in marriages … if not children.
2) Is it a good idea to anchor more than 25 feet from shore? — Anchoring close to the beach may be convenient, but is not that wise. When a Lagoon 38 cat (pictured below) slowly worked her way onto the sand at Turtle Bay, not even the best efforts of 50 or more Ha-Ha folks could get her off. It took the tide to do that.

3) Is the water warm? — The water is cold at the San Diego start. It’s sometimes warm enough for pleasant swimming at Turtle Bay. It’s usually warm enough at Bahia Santa Maria. And when the fleet crosses the Tropic of Taurus, it’s downright fun to shower together with seawater.
4) Is there enough room for boats to anchor at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria? — The anchorages at both Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria provide excellent protection from the prevailing wind for 1,000 boats.
5) How do I sign up for the Ha-Ha? Sign up today by clicking here. The 750-mile event starts on November 4.

Oh, and one more question (asking for a friend) … When doing a group swim 40 miles from shore, is it a good idea to leave at least one person onboard?

We want to thank all the sponsors of the 2024 Baja Ha-Ha. Please support them as you prepare your boat to head south, or anywhere else!