attention Pacific Mexico sailors

[Bill Seal]

Originally Posted by jdazey

Ports of Entry from Noonsite:

• Acapulco,
• Cabo San Lucas,
• Ensenada,
• Huatulco (La Crucecita),
• La Paz,
• Mazatlan,
• Puerto Chiapas,
• Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point),
• Puerto Vallarta/ Banderas Bay,
• Salina Cruz,
• San Blas,
• Santa Rosalia,
• Zihuatenejo

Puerto Penasco is at the extreme northern end of the Sea of Cortez, 1000 mi up from La Paz, and damn near in the Colorado river. Don't know how you could get there without bumping into land on either side.

[jdazey]

Originally Posted by Bill Seal

Puerto Penasco is at the extreme northern end of the Sea of Cortez, 1000 mi up from La Paz, and damn near in the Colorado river. Don't know how you could get there without bumping into land on either side.

Click on the link for further information from Noonsite re Puerto Penasco. Apparently there is a marina and and there are plans for a cruise ship dock!

[Zzmeyer]

I would absolutely check with your intended destination. The rules, while much more consistent, still due vary. You will need a Temporary Import Permit which you cannot get at all ports of entry. You can apply online, but I believe you will need a mailing address to receive the actual TIP. I'd wait until you arrive if arriving at a port than can issue a TIP. Process is easy and costs about $50. You do not want to be sailing around Mexico without one. You can be assessed approximately 18% of the value of your boat without one. Currently (as of two days ago), if arriving Cabo San Lucas direct from USA without stopping in Ensenada you must notify Customs and the Health Department before arrival. I don't know the requirements at other ports.

[mvweebles]

Sounds like the OP is in a tight budget. But for folks who do not have strong Spanish skills or plan to spend first few nights in a marina anyway, hiring an agent might be a good value.

Ensenada marinas do not charge for agency support. I know, seems to be good to be true, but it's mostly true. Even hard to offer a gratuity.

Some agents are pretty expensive. But many in Mexico are a couple hundred bucks. I know, not cheap, but you can spend a lot of time and hassle figuring out the entrance drill. For example, fees cannot be paid on cash, you have to go to a Banerjito Bank branch and make a deposit, then return and show the receipt.

Just depends. I can recommend Michelle Aguiler in Ensenada who can gladly assist with all arrangements for a modest fee. Yes, you could use the free agent at a marina, but she will be available 24/7 and can assist with any questions or situation, including finding a berth of needed.

Michelle Aguiler
Info@bcconnection.com.mx
+1 619-305-9385

Peter

[sv_pelagia]

Check in in Ensenada is very easy - - all in same building, so no running around.

As already suggested, we found Cruiseport marina staff VERY helpful (proving transport to/from, and walking us through). No extra cost.

But OP not planning to checkin that far north....

IF OP wants/needs an agent in La Paz, we had a good experience with one in La Paz. (We required to arrange when shipping boat out on freighter.) PM me if required. (Agent not really required for "normal" checkin/checkout.)

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Check in in Ensenada is very easy - - all in same building, so no running around.

As already suggested, we found Cruiseport marina staff VERY helpful (proving transport to/from, and walking us through). No extra cost.

But OP not planning to checkin that far north....

IF OP wants/needs an agent in La Paz, we had a good experience with one in La Paz. (We required to arrange when shipping boat out on freighter.) PM me if required. (Agent not really required for "normal" checkin/checkout.)

Michelle Aguilar was the office manager at Cruiseport Village until a year ago, so chances are she assisted you if you came in last few years.

I arrived into Baja Naval and also found the marina staff there very helpful.

But for a modest fee, I am happy to use an agent who I can contact anytime for any reason. I find it to be good insurance.

Peter

[Benz]

Originally Posted by DawnTreader

Thanks everyone for the great replies and information. I think we'll aim to make landfall in Puerto Vallarta or La Paz, clear in, pick up a cruising guide, and head up into the sea of Cortez for the hurricane season. Barra de Navidad would be another destination option, but we'd like to stay mostly out of marinas, so maybe not.

Which is an easier port to navigate and clear in La Paz or puert Vallarta or Mazatlan?

I'd skip Puerto Vallarta if your destination is the SoC. Check in at Cabo has been easy the five or so times I've done it over the years; from there La Paz is an easy hop. I've never been to the port authorities in La Paz, so can't comment. Entry there is easy though, food is cheap--it's a great town. If you divert to PV, then you have to slog up north along the coast--if you come in from out to sea, Cabo or PV makes little difference in landfall, but big difference in getting into the SoC.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Benz

I'd skip Puerto Vallarta if your destination is the SoC. Check in at Cabo has been easy the five or so times I've done it over the years; from there La Paz is an easy hop. I've never been to the port authorities in La Paz, so can't comment. Entry there is easy though, food is cheap--it's a great town. If you divert to PV, then you have to slog up north along the coast--if you come in from out to sea, Cabo or PV makes little difference in landfall, but big difference in getting into the SoC.

La Paz is much more laid back and cruiser friendly. Cabo is one of the most expensive marinas in the country and caters mostly to the sport fishing set. Nice, but my sense is La Paz might be a better fit for the OP.

But point well taken - if OPs plan is a tack well offshore and land on SoC, nonsense clearing in South, even mazatlan let alone PV

Peter

[Benz]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

La Paz is much more laid back and cruiser friendly. Cabo is one of the most expensive marinas in the country and caters mostly to the sport fishing set. Nice, but my sense is La Paz might be a better fit for the OP.

But point well taken - if OPs plan is a tack well offshore and land on SoC, nonsense clearing in South, even mazatlan let alone PV

Peter

Yes, but you can anchor off the beach at Cabo, walk inland to the port authorities, eat some righteous street tacos, and be glad to weigh anchor for Los Frailes as soon as the rigmarole is done.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Just in case you consider Cabo San Lucas:
- we found the Port Caotain to be a bit of a jerk
- not a great stop anyways (wished we had bypassed it)
Nearby Puerto San Jose (del Cabo) much much better.

We spent a lot of time in La Paz: great place! Never heard complaints about Port Captain etc

Not in your planning, but: Ensenada was so easy for Port Captain/Customs etc (all in one bldg) plus great marinas. No anchoring though.

Cabo is an armpit with drug selling galore on the walkway by the marina. Yes the harbormaster is a jerk. Everything in the marina is expensive. If you need to get fuel, get in, fill up and get out.
La Paz is my favorite place. Very friendly and a great boating community.

[Benz]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Cabo is an armpit with drug selling galore on the walkway by the marina. Yes the harbormaster is a jerk. Everything in the marina is expensive. If you need to get fuel, get in, fill up and get out.
La Paz is my favorite place. Very friendly and a great boating community.

My point was that you can avoid the marina entirely. As for the PC being a jerk, well, those guys come and go--and sometimes jerk depends on mood and sometimes it depends on how they're approached. There are very few PCs I've met who aren't jerks in some form or fashion. It's the nature of the beast.
Cabo is certainly a nasty town, and I wouldn't spend one minute more there than necessary (maybe two--if my favorite taco shop was still around), but checking in is no harder than in any other Mexican town, and a lot easier than some.

[DawnTreader]

I like the idea of anchoring off Cabo San Lucas, clearing in quickly then continuing on to more pleasant anchorages.

We aren't interested in staying in Marina's except for the purpose of laying the boat up for inland travel or doing heavy maintenance/repairs, and then we might look to haul out anyway.

We also don't like cruising in/around large population centers. We prefer being out in nature and then calling on small towns (anchoring)to re-provision and be social. Does this sound like the Sea of Cortez? I am beginning to wonder if anchoring is more the exception then the rule in this area.

Timing could be tight for us, so we are beginning to consider a Central American landfall. It is a long hard sail up the Chilean Channels. We're hoping to leave Tierra del Fuego in a week or two, but it might take 4 months to get north to Puerto Montt, then it is nearly 5000 miles to SOC. If we can't time it to arrive comfortably before Hurricane season start, we may head to Panama or Costa Rica. What is the cruising like in these places? Mostly anchoring, or marinas? Plenty of nature? We love wild isolation.

Thanks again for all the thoughtful replies.

[mvweebles]

Baja/SoC is, with few exceptions, nothing but isolated anchorages. Even small towns are rare.

Cabo was "found" 40+ years ago. It's a huge city that caters to tourists and lately, a burgeoning cartel controlled drug trade. If you're thinking the anchorage off the beach sounds quaint, think again. It's an open roadstead awash with tourist boats, parasail boats, fishing charters, and endless drone of jetskis. It's not well protected - Bernard Moitessier beached his boat here in a storm in 1982. The port captains office is a couple miles away on the other side of the marina.

As far as street tacos, I would be stunned if decent ones were within rifle shot of this tourist zone, except maybe in a hidden ally catering to workers. You will have many offers for timeshare condos before you find comida tradicional

La Paz on the other hand us also a fairly large city but has little tourism. It has a good central Mercado and would be a much better place to provision after a month at sea.

Read the ActiveCaptain reviews

[DawnTreader]

Mvweebles: you make a strong case for La Paz. And your description of the Sea of Cortez is what I had in mind, it sounds wonderful! At this point it looks like we'll aim for La Paz if we can get through Chile fast enough, otherwise it will have to be Panama or Costa Rica.

[sv_pelagia]

"Baja/SoC is, with few exceptions, nothing but isolated anchorages. Even small towns are rare."

[emoji106]

I also concur re anchoring out off Cabo (we did that 1 night). Wouldn't want to leave boat and do the long walk to Port Captain.

La Paz is wonderful, and yes, anchoring off is easy and safe.