FIVE HA-HA YEARS LATER, WHAT ARE THEY UP TO? PART II
Sherry Smith of TriLoLi splits time between being a
captain in New York & cruising in the Sea of Cortez
Curious as to what the folks who did the 2018 Ha-Ha are up to, we emailed them. We received so many responses that we've divided them into three segments. This is Part II.
We think the information will be as interesting to those who did the 2018 or other Ha-Ha's, as well as those thinking about doing this year's Ha-Ha. Sign-ups for this fall's Baja Ha-Ha XXIX, which starts on October 30, and begins on May 9.
Sherry Smith
TriLoLi, Beneteau 423
Tiburon/New York
"I'm still working, so I'm not cruising full-time yet. TriLoLi never left Mexico after the Ha-Ha and stays on the hard at Puerto Penasco during hurricane seasons. I launch her most winters for seasonal cruising in the Sea of Cortez, which is my happy place. As a seasonal captain during the summer in New York City, this works for me, but there is more cruising in my future. In the meantime, I live vicariously through the Poobah's Facebook posts."
Paul Martson
Kazan, DK 46
Banderas Bay
"I've done eight Ha-Ha's, although only a few times as skipper. I'm looking forward to doing another this fall, probably on the J/160 Mandalay.
I've been sailing for J/World full-time, year-round. Next month I'll be sailing from Oahu to Tahiti, before heading back to do the TransPac as captain of the Andrews 56 Good Trouble with a crew of under-represented/diverse sailors sponsored by Bill and Marie Rogers of Offshore Sailing Opportunities."
Paul Hofer
Scarlett Fever, Jeanneau 509
Wilmington, DE.
"Scarlet Fever and I are still cruising. We have taken part in the Baja Ha-Ha many times, starting in the fall of 2014.
"I highly recommend Ha-Ha, as it's a great time that makes your voyage more fun and safe. There are doctors, mechanics, electricians, riggers, chefs, and many more tradespeople who take part, and everyone willingly helps his/her fellow cruiser.
"We have logged tens of thousands of miles of cruising and owe great thanks to the Baja Ha-Ha, Poobah, Patsy, Dona, and all the cruisers who have helped us learn and enjoy the lifestyle!"
James and Eilen Denmark
C.A.T., Nonsuch 30
Washington Crossing, PA.
"We continued into the Sea of Cortez and commuter cruised out of La Paz and San Carlos for 18 months. The Sea is the best cruising ground ever! When COVID hit we were lucky enough to be in San Carlos and were able to get the boat trucked out and back to the East Coast where she is now cruising out of Oriental, North Carolina in Pamlico Sound. I was on the last flight out of Hermosillo before the lockdown, and the truck crossed the border at pretty much the same time I did.
I also crewed on the Rafiki 35 Thisldu out of Sausalito in the 2019 Ha-Ha. They cruised as far as Nicaragua when COVID hit and got stuck there for the duration."
George Conner
Silver Heels, Norseman 447
Ventura
"We're still cruising. The boat is in Fiji now."
Rob of Narcissus still has his boat in Mexico,
but is
thinking of bringing her back
to the Bay Area.
He's also thinking of buying a larger monohull.
Narcissus, Beneteau Oceanis 352
San Francisco
"We cruised the Sea of Cortez for about 18 months then sailed down to Puerto Vallarta. We stayed there for a year before heading up to Puerto Los Cabos for about six months, then back over to Mazatlan, then back down to Puerto Vallarta.
"I’m a single-hander, although my son or crew joined me occasionally. Never a full-time cruiser, I’ve been commuting back and forth over the last four years. I'm now considering bringing the boat back to the Golden Gate YC on San Francisco Bay as I want her closer to home.
"I'm also considering a much larger boat for retirement within a year. Definitely going to stay mono."
Dean and Roxanne Sutherland
Endearing, Ocean Alexander 50
Vancouver, WA
"Thank you for starting and continuing such a great activity to assist sailors explore Mexico and beyond. And for letting us power boaters tag along.
"Since our first Baja Ha-Ha in 2016, I’ve cruised about 30,000 nautical miles, including 6,000 last year. No reason to stop anytime soon. We’ve even enjoyed the Baja Bashes. We simply take our time. For example, we enjoyed 17 days at anchor last year in Turtle Bay waiting for weather/sea windows as we watched others have very rough experiences due mostly to impatience. We always pick up some boating buddies along the way and get to hear new stories.
"I plan on doing the Ha-Ha this year with two friends on their new power boat. Neither of them has cruised in Mexico before. All three of us guys are jazzed to be cruising the Baja and more with the Ha-Ha group! We can't wait for May 9 to sign up.
"The Ha-Ha is nearly an annual event for us. We love the cruising, camaraderie, friendships, support, activities, helping others, common enjoyment of the people, lands, waters, and customs of Mexico, etc."
Graham McGlashan
Jazz, Farrier 41X
Vancouver, B.C.
'Thank you for organizing the Ha-Ha over the many years, as it's truly been a game-changer for the many cruisers who have had aspirations such as ours. And thank you for championing La Cruz over the years while we were building Jazz. We did the 2018 Ha-Ha and eventually ended up in La Cruz, which we love!
"You may remember ours is the first electric powered cat to do the Ha-Ha."
Peter Bozek
Dawn Treader, Catalina 34 Mk I
Ventura
"Definite kudos go out to the Ha-Ha and my Ha-Ha crew of Ken and Abbi. You helped and supported me and Dawn Treader down to Cabo. That was a huge plus. Would I do it again? My current situation makes that answer irrelevant. But with someone permanently in my life with similar desires? Likely. Without that? Probably not. But I reflect on my cruising and Ha-Ha experiences fondly and as being worth it.
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