Pacific Puddle Jump
Ever since Latitude 38 editors coined the phrase ‘Pacific Puddle Jump’ 24 years ago, we’ve taken great pleasure in supporting, and reporting on, the annual migration of cruising sailors from the West Coast of the Americas to French Polynesia.
Pacific Puddle Jump your way to Tahiti
Boats from many nations register with the rally and they depart any time between late February and early June from various points along the West Coast, with the largest concentration of passage-makers jumping off from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Balboa, Panama.
By signing up, your boat will be included in our fleet ‘safety database’, and your daily positions recorded. There is no committee boat, nor are there mandatory daily radio check-ins, however, several radio nets always evolve, which are administered voluntarily by fleet members. You will also be eligible to receive substantial discounts from our sponsors including a discount on a special package offered by a Tahitian yacht agent that includes clearance in and out, repatriation bond exemptions for your crew, and duty-free fuel access beginning in the Marquesas. You will also receive an official PPJ burgee and other PPJ ‘swag’.
Latitude 38 pre-departure parties
Not only does the staff of sailing magazine Latitude 38 report on each year’s fleet in both the monthly magazine and online in the ‘Lectronic Latitude postings, but they host annual pre-departure parties in Mexico and Panama, and co-host a three-day post-arrival celebration in Tahiti.
Members of the PPJ begin their crossings anytime between February and May from a variety of places along the West Coast of the Americas.
