1) Can I make a lot of new friends in the Ha-Ha?
2) Is it a good idea to anchor more than 25 feet from shore?
3) Is the water warm?
4) Is there enough room for boats to anchor at Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria?
5) When doing a group swim 40 miles from shore, is it a good idea to leave at least one person onboard?
6 How do I sign up for the Ha-Ha? Sign up today by clicking here. The 750-mile event starts on November 4th.
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 they resulted in marriages . . . if not children.
Anchoring close to the beach may be convenient, but is not that wise. When this Lagoon 38 cat slowly worked its 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. The boat was not damaged.
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.
The anchorages at both Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria provide excellent protection for 1,000 boats from the prevailing wind.
Yes, it's recommended to leave at least one person onboard when swimming far offshore.
