WHAT TO DO IN MEXICO AFTER THE HA-HA S
ome skippers will be a little overwhelmed when the Ha-Ha ends in Cabo on November 11. Blame it on an excess of cruising possibilities. We're here to try and help sort them out. There are roughly three kinds of 'cruisers' — Commuter Cruisers, OneSeason Cruisers, and Long Distance Cruisers. We have different recommendations for each. Commuter Cruisers The most important thing commuter cruisers need to do is secure a berth in Mexico so they can fly home without having to worry about their boat. Since the Ha-Ha is two weeks long, and most folks usually need a week or two to get ready for it, many commuter cruisers with jobs or businesses need to return home as quickly as they can. We don't recommend trying to The heck with a "cold leave your boat in November rain," give Cabo for two reaus a swim in the 82° sons: 1) Much of blue water halfway it has become a between Cabo and cheesy tourist hellPuerto Vallarta. hole, and 2) You probably can't afford the berth fees. Luckily, there are three good and relatively close alternatives: La Paz, 150 sailing miles to the north, is an excellent option because the recent dramatic increase in the number of berths means you'll almost certainly be able to find a slip there. The primary marinas are the classic Marina de La Paz, Marina Palmira, and the grand new Marina Costa Baja — and Singlar's new Fidepaz Marina is expected to open soon. Nonetheless, we strongly recommend making reservations right away to ensure October is great in the Sea of Cortez, and normally November is terrific, too. But by the middle of December, the season is usually over.
that you get a slip in the marina of your choice. All the marinas are fine, but they are different. For example, if you want to be close to downtown and where there is a very vibrant cruiser community, you'd prefer to be at Marina de La Paz, while if you're looking for a quieter and more upscale marina closer to the islands, Marina Costa Baja would be your choice. (The phone numbers and email addresses of all marinas in Mexico are published in Latitude's First-Timers Guide To Cruising Mexico, which was sent out to all Ha-Ha entries.) With great anchorages as close as a few miles and some spectacular islands as close as 15 miles, La Paz makes a great place to visit for a week or two — or even just a very long weekend. Be aware, however, that the winter weather in La Paz can be unpredictable. Averaged over a period of years, it's sunny and warm about half the time, and windy and cold the other half. The problem is that the weather can be streaky, being either good or bad for days, weeks, or even months at a time. And as Neil Shroyer points out, some winters are much better than others. Fortunately, weather forecasters are getting much better at seven-day forecasts, so you'll often be able to decide whether you want to head south one week or wait for more promising weather the following week. A good source is www.buoyweather.com. There is wonderful warm-water swimming in the La Paz area and north until about the middle of December. But once the water cools off, you're going to need a wetsuit — perish the thought! — until at least the middle of March, and maybe even later. When Aero California Airlines was shut down for safety violations this year, La Paz was left with hardly any flights to and from the States. Fortunately, Alaska Airlines has stepped in and taken up a little bit of the slack. However, the number of flights out of La Paz is very limited when compared with the 150 flights a day out of San Jose del Cabo. The good news is that it's only about a 3-hour, $16 bus ride between San Jose del Cabo and La Paz, and much of the drive is through lovely desert scenery. Thanks to the rain dumped by Hurricane John, the drive will be particularly beautiful through about the end of this year. Mazatlan, about 210 miles across the Sea of Cortez, is another excellent place to leave a
boat after Cabo. Often folks will head up to the anchorage at Los Frailes to get a better angle for sailing across the Sea. While Mazatlan's El Cid Marina typically fills quickly with Ha-Ha boats, Antonio Cevallos, the Harbormaster at Marina Mazatlan — and brother of El Cid Harbormaster Geronimo Cevallos — tells us he will be able to accommodate everyone who wants a slip. Although their rates will be going up, Marina Mazatlan has always had some of the least expensive slips in Mexico. While the Mazatlan area doesn't have quite as many great cruising opportunities as La Paz, many cruisers fall hard for the city because it's so authentically Mexican. The marinas have active cruiser communities, and there's good surfing just a bus ride away from the marinas. While Mazatlan is sometimes affected by Northers, it usually doesn't get hit as hard or as often as La Paz. Mazatlan has numerous flights to and from the United States. Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Vallarta, about 315 miles from Cabo, are perhaps the most popular commuter cruiser destinations in Mexico — which is why berths can be so difficult to get. If you're interested in getting one, we'd drop the
