AS OF SEPTEMBER 3, THE OFFICIAL LAST DAY TO SIGN UP
FOR THE LAST HA-HA, THERE WERE 127 ENTRIES
If you missed the official deadline, don't worry, you have a friend in the Grand Poobah. He says you can still sign up. However, if you wait too long, you may not be included in the Meet the Fleet booklet and may miss out on some swag.
In addition, you'll be making life unnecessarily difficult for the Poobah, who has to write all the bios and make the many updates to them, do a 1,000-mile Bash with Profligate, and do all the other work putting a Ha-Ha together. So signing up as soon as you can really does help.
And signing up is easy. Just CLICK HERE.
THE LATITUDE 38 CREW LIST PARTY LAST NIGHT IN SAUSALITO WAS A SMASH!
Assistant Poobah Patsy Verhoeven was on hand to answer questions and said it was the largest Crew List Party group she could remember, with an unusually high number of first-time cruisers. She found them to be a really terrific group of folks.
IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE A TIP FOR YOUR BOAT, IT'S TIME TO GET ONE.
Mariners are not allowed to get a TIP (Temporary Import Permit) more than 60 days before entering Mexico or less than seven days before entering, so the window is now wide open. A TIP costs $60, and since it's good for 10 years (!!!), it's indisputably the greatest bargain in the entire world of cruising.
If your boat has a TIP in someone else’s name, or if it is expired or not properly cancelled, you must take care of this immediately. Contact patsy@baja-haha.com.
If you think you can go rogue in Mexico and cruise without a TIP, you'll soon find out that you can't and will have some serious explaining to do.
WHAT MORE CAN I DO TO GET READY FOR A HA-HA? SOME ARE ASKING!
Assistant Poobah Patsy has two suggestions. First, if you are not a Coast Guard-licensed Captain, Patsy recommends you take the California Boater's Test and get your Boater's Card now. Why? Because even though it's an easy test, the online program forces you to wait seemingly forever between questions, almost as if they want to make you suffer. So you can't complete it in less than a ridiculous four hours.
Some will point out that you are not required to show a Boater's Card if you check into Mexico at Ensenada. While that's been the case, it's been required almost everywhere else. Even more important, some insurance adjusters have been denying insurance claims if the captain can't produce a Boater's Card. So rather than wait until the last minute, get it out of the way now.
The other thing you can do now is sign up on PredictWind's free Fleet Tracking for the Ha-Ha. Read about this in the middle of the front page of the baja-haha.com website. You can currently track the locations and progress of 18 Ha-Ha boats. As time goes on, more will be on the tracker.
HOW WILL I CHECK INTO MEXICO WITH THE HA-HA AT MAG BAY?
We're in the process of wrapping up the details, but as of now it appears that it will be a better system than ever. Furthermore, unlike previous years when you were emailed your completed paperwork, this year you should get it, along with getting your passport stamped, at Mag Bay.
In the not too distant future, you'll be getting explicit instructions on how to do everything required to check in to Mexico with the Ha-Ha. But please note, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS PRECISELY. Or you'll be out of luck.
DO I HAVE TO CHECK INTO MEXICO WITH THE HA-HA AT MAG BAY?
No. You have three other options.
The first is to take your boat to Ensenada before the start of the Ha-Ha and check in there with the help of one of the marinas. The marina folks do a great job. In fact, we always use them when we come north. Indeed, each year between five and 10 boats start the Ha-Ha from Ensenada. Starting from Ensenada also reduces the length of the first leg by about 15%. However, the marina slip fee and their fee for helping with paperwork are going to be more than you would pay if checking in with the Ha-Ha in Mag Bay.
Second, you can start the Ha-Ha with the fleet in San Diego, then pull into Ensenada and check in while the rest of the fleet continues on. This will take at least one overnight and require a berth in a marina, as there is no anchorage in Ensenada. This will put you well behind the rest of the fleet.
Third, you can check in at Cabo San Lucas at the end of the Ha-Ha. In addition to becoming more expensive and difficult by the year, it also means you can't legally stop between San Diego and Cabo San Lucas. If you are thinking of going rogue, be aware that the Ha-Ha is required to turn in a complete list of entries, and the Mexican Navy will be checking it.
While there are options, most entries will check into Mexico at Mag Bay.
THE HA-HA STARTS IN JUST UNDER TWO MONTHS.
We can't wait to sail south again, and hope you'll be able to join us for this last one.
The Ha-Ha will be the mothership Profligate's 58th transit of the Baja Peninsula,
and the 29th as the mothership of the Ha-Ha.
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Turtle Bay is the first place where cruising kids get out and explore,
and realize they're not in regular school anymore.
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Here's a view of the world famous Cruisers and Turtle Bay Kids Bazeball game
with the Ha-Ha fleet in back.
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Don't forget to bring baseball supplies to donate to the kids after the game.
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Turtle Bay is also the site of the Turtle Bay Beach Party.
It's not only a great place, it's a great place to network.
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This is a shot of a Ha-Ha fleet departing Turtle Bay on the 240-mile leg to
Bahia Santa Maria. It's fun sailing in company,
before long the distances between boats increases dramatically.
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