HA-HA XXXI IS A GO! GO! GO!
Yesterday Assistant Poobah Patsy Verhoeven spoke with Bob Hoyt of Mag Bay Outfitters, our man in Bahia Santa Maria, who reports that the Port Captain and Immigration officials in San Carlos are all onboard for Ha-Ha XXXI. So it's officially a go.
Sign-ups will be accepted starting on Friday, May 9, at noon.
The event itself will begin on Monday, November 3. We're all but sure West Marine will be onboard for the Costume Kick-Off Party in their parking lot on Sunday, November 2.
To add to the fun, the Poobah has arranged for the Beaver Full Moon to be shining on November 5, when much of the fleet will be approaching or in Turtle Bay.
While we haven't worked out the details, it's almost certain that the fleet will spend one more day in the Bahia Santa Maria / Mag Bay area and one less day in Cabo.
This would make checking into Mexico at Mag Bay easier than before, and certainly much easier and less expensive than at overwhelmed Cabo. The one-time tiny fishing village has become too crowded and problematic except for very short stays.
How bad does Hawaii's Kevin Millett want to do his sixth Ha-Ha? If all goes well, his new super 51-ft all carbon cat will be launched in Australia in April. “I reckon that would give me six months to enjoy the South Pacific,” he says, “and make it to the Glorietta Bay anchorage in San Diego just before the Ha-Ha start.”
Myron and Marina Eisenzimmer of the Swan 44 Mykonos, who have been doing every other Ha-Ha for the last 20 years, say they're in for sure.
“Sign me up,” says Chris Maher, who, if the Poobah remembers correctly, did one of the very early Ha-Ha's and has done a number in between.
Patric Walton reports that now all his commitments are done, he hopes to join number XXXI, which would be his third.
Anybody else?
For those new to sailing, the Baja Ha-Ha is the 750-mile cruisers' rally from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, with R&R stops at funky Turtle Bay and surreal Bahia Santa Maria. The event is open to boats 27-ft and longer that were designed, built, and have been maintained for offshore sailing.
What are two of the biggest benefits of the Ha-Ha? You'll almost certainly be making new sailing friends for life, and if you have kids, having other kid boats around.
The Grand Poobah doesn't know about the rest of you, but he's jacked about the idea of sailing his 30th Ha-Ha.
Ha-Ha sailing conditions tend to be light to medium, with the wind always from aft. Spinnakers and gennakers are a great idea, but wing-on-wing works great, too.
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If you somehow manage to tear a sail or get it all twisted up, Chuck Skewes
of Ullman Sails San Diego and Seattle offers free sail repair. He uses either
the Turtle Bay baseball field or the foredeck of the mothership Profligate as his loft.
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Paul Kamen has raced to Hawaii countless times
and has done
almost
as many Ha-Ha's. We'd be surprised
if he wasn't on Ha-Ha XXXI
giving free celestial navigation lessons once again.
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The Cruisers and Kids Bazeball game in Turtle Bay always ends with the
donation of thousands of dollars of baseball equipment.
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This photo of the anchorage at Bahia Santa Maria was taken around 25 years ago.
It doesn't look any different today with room for 1,000 boats to anchor in great holding.
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Yes, the Ha-Ha loves kids.
After the Poobah's Diving Olympics in Turtle Bay we fill them up with sugar and
return
them to their parents. Last year we had something like 21 kids under 16 in the Ha-Ha.
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Everybody loves Dona, center, Chief of Security. She hardly ever has to wield her billy club. That's Eugenie on the left. She was the skipper of the Ha-Ha boat that was sunk by a whale 180 miles south of San Diego in '09. Thanks to her direction, everyone was rescued from the life raft in textbook fashion.
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To know spectacular Bahia Santa Maria is to love it.
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'Crossing the bar' is something you normally don't want to do — unless
it's in a panga getting to the surreal rock 'n roll party on the bluff at Bahia Santa Maria.
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Making new sailing friends is easy at Bahia Santa Maria.
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Kids flip when they see other 'kid boats'. There is usually a bunch of them on the Ha-Ha.
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The terrace at Mango Deck, a great place to lunch overlooking the Ha-Ha fleet at Cabo.
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