If you are planning on sailing offshore you now have more options than ever to make a safe and enjoyable trip.  There are several cruising rallies that will give you the safety in numbers and experience.  You can get what you want out of each but one thing you will get is a piece of mind.

The largest cruising rally on the west coast of North America and 2nd largest in the world is the Baja Ha Ha.  This event is amazing as it attracts many people year after year.  Some of the participants have participated in over 20 of these events.   The Baja Ha Ha starts in San Diego and ends officially in Cabo San Lucas.  Many of the rally goers head up to La Paz shortly after the finish of the rally to continue with friends the met along the way.  This rally not only offers safety in numbers, but it is also well run with events at each stop, great weather information, reasonably priced, and industry professionals that can help you along the way.

For smaller and novice sailors in the Pacific Northwest, the newly born Cascadia Cruising Rally is a great way to start on learning the basics of anchoring and gunkholing around the San Juan Islands and the Gulf Islands of British Columbia.  Evening seminars and organized hikes are a big part of this rally.  This rally is limited to 30 boats because of the more cozy spots that are targeted for this event.  48 North is a co-organizer and brings a lot of the fun on learning how to cruise.