Reggae ‘Pon da Ocean Begins Sunday

Listening to reggae music almost always evokes a feel-good attitude and conjures up images of sunny beaches, joyful celebrations and light-hearted fun. That’s why Reggae ‘Pon da Ocean seems to be the perfect theme for the first-ever SoCal Ta-Ta cruising rally, from Santa Barbara to Catalina (September 9-16).

Forty boatloads of would-be Rastafarians are currently revving up for Sunday’s kickoff party on Santa Barbara’s Stearn’s Wharf, followed by a rally-sail to Santa Cruz Island on Monday (11 a.m.). After a day there to explore and chill out, the fleet will continue its zigzagging course toward Catalina, with stops en route at Paradise Cove and King Harbor. 

We’ve got our coolers stocked, our light-air sails prepped, and our faux dreadlocks appropriately coiffed for the reggae dance parties — and we can’t wait to get out on the ocean to enjoy some late-summer fun. Will there be another Ta-Ta next year? That’s an open question that will probably be answered in our SoCal Ta-Ta recap article in the October edition of Latitude 38 magazine. In the meantime, look for updates on this year’s event here.