Mexico Clearance Rules Eased . . .

[GordMay]

Domestic Clearing Is Over in Mexico! Reports Tere Grossman
April 19 - Mexico City, Mexico

"Incredible but true," writes Tere Grossman, "but today the Mexican government published a notice in the official newspaper that says, as of today, mariners will only be required to check in with a port captain when they are coming from or going to an international port. This means that 'domestic clearance' - clearing in and out every time you enter a new port captain district inside Mexico - is history! They [boatowners] will now only have to let a marina know when they arrive, and the marina only has to have a record of who comes and goes ..."

Read the complete article: "DOMESTIC CLEARING IS OVER IN MEXICO!”
http://www.latitude38.com/LectronicL...#anchor1085433


For further information & updates:
Contact: Tere Grossman, President of the Mexican Marina Owners Association
Email: grossman@marinasancarlos.com

Marina San Carlos ~ N 27̊56.854' x W 111̊03.306'
Edificio Marina San Carlos Local #1
Sector La Herradora
San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico 85506
Phone: [52] (622) 22-61230, or [52] (622) 22-61202
Fax: [52] (622)-22-60565
Email: info@marinasancarlos.com

Sea of Cortez (Gulfo de California) Overview Map:
http://www.cruisecortez.com/map.htm
San Carlos Cruising Ground Map: http://www.cruisecortez.com/sancarloscruisingarea.htm

[Salacia]

This is such good news that it is hard to believe! Other than the article source does anyone have any first hand experience?

Can someone cruising Mexico right now tell us that this fix has really happened??

[GordMay]

From Latitude 38 ~ ‘Lectronic Latitude
http://www.latitude38.com/LectronicL...tronicLat.html

April 22
Domestic Clearing in Mexico over the Radio ~ and Free !

There will be a big meeting in Mexico City next week between the Department of Port Captains, the Department of Tourism, and the Mexican Marina Owners Association to work out the details in the great new changes for boat clearing requirements in Mexico. However, the folks at Marina San Carlos, at the direction of Tere Grossman
< grossman@marinasancarlos.com > , President of the Mexican Marina Owners Association, are not waiting. Check out this press release dated April 20:

"Dear Marina San Carlos Clients:

"As of today, private pleasure vessels will not be required to file Domestic Clearance papers (arrivos and despachos) with the Port Captain or with the Marina. You will from now on, only be required to check in with the Port Captain, Immigration and Customs, upon arrival at your first port of entry into Mexico, and should carry said check-in papers with you during your travels through Mexico. If you have been in Mexico for some time now, you may carry with you a copy of your most recent check-in papers, regardless of which port issued them.

"You will still be required to advise the Port Captain or your marina of your planned national departures and arrivals, either by radio or in person. In the case of Marina San Carlos, we will be taking your information by radio, in the office, or by filing a departure or arrival advisory form (available at the entrance of the office).

"You must still always have a valid import permit document for your boat issued by the Customs office (Aduana) and a valid immigration document for yourself, friends and crew. If you are planning to leave the Mexican waters, you must still file the appropriate exit documento (despacho) at the Port Captain office of the last port that you visit.

"The Marina Association of Mexico worked long and hard to get this law changed, and we hope that is makes your travels through Mexico more convenient and enjoyable.

Signed, "Heidi Grossman, Marina San Carlos"

It's probably wise to wait for the results of the meeting in Mexico before going completely nuts with enthusiasm, but it does sound very promising, doesn't it? Imagine, clearing out of one Mexican port for another by radio and for free!


From April 20

More Details - and Confusion - on the Apparent Elimination of Domestic Clearing in Mexico

”... To summarize, if you accept Tere Grossman 's interpretation of the laws in effect today, here's what you'd have to do at your first port of entry in Mexico:

1. Get tourist cards for the entire crew, which should be good for as much as six months. The alternative is an FM3, which is good for a year at a time.

2. Clear in with the port captain. Once this has been done, Tere believes you don't have to clear with a port captain again until you are leaving Mexico - but you do have to "inform" marinas or port captains of your comings and goings.

3. Check in with Immigration. Tere believes that once you've cleared Immigration, you don't have to do it again until you leave Mexico. And why not, for once you're in Mexico, why would you have to go through the same immigration process over and over?

4) Check in with Aduana (Customs). Once you've done that, Tere believes you don't have to do it again until you leave Mexico. Again, it makes no sense to have to continually go through customs. After all, once you're in Mexico, you can't bring anything new in.

5) Get a 10-Year Import Permit, assuming that you'll keep your boat in Mexico for more than a few months.

If you like what appears to be a much less expensive and less time-wasting clearing process in Mexico, Tere says it's important you let Mexican officials know. So please, take a minute to write a very short email of thanks and send it to Tere. She already sent a copy of yesterday's effusive 'Lectronic announcement to scores of important officials in Mexico, and wants to take more supporting letters when she does her rounds of Mexican officials next week.

And this just in, the interpretation from Mary Shroyer of Marina de La Paz:

"I wish you had not been so ecstatic over the change to the Reglamento de la Ley de Navegación without a copy of the change in front of you. Here is a non-legalese translation:

"Foreign flagged pleasure (no commercial use) vessels must only clear in at the first port of entry and while navigating between Mexican ports (cabotage) must inform the port captain or an authorized marina in each port of their arrival and departure, as well as of any change in crew. All vessels must obtain formal clear out papers with the port captain in the last port if leaving for a foreign port.
Authorized marinas must maintain a record of arrivals and departures (a log) of the vessels that inform them of their arrivals and departures from and to other Mexican ports.

For further information & updates
Contact: Tere Grossman, President of the Mexican Marina Owners Association
Email: grossman@marinasancarlos.com

Marina San Carlos ~ N 27̊56.854' x W 111̊03.306'
Edificio Marina San Carlos Local #1
Sector La Herradora
San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico 85506
Phone: [52] (622) 22-61230, or [52] (622) 22-61202
Fax: [52] (622)-22-60565
Email: info@marinasancarlos.com
San Carlos Cruising Ground Map: http://www.cruisecortez.com/sancarloscruisingarea.htm
Sea of Cortez (Gulfo de California) Overview Map:
http://www.cruisecortez.com/map.htm

[GordMay]

A very good idea From Brad Barrett as posted at: http://www.renegade-cruisers.org/bb/viewtopic.php?t=943

You can just copy and past the following “thank you” ... PLEASE! Even if you do not go there yet, you may someday, and eliminating costs of near 50 us dollars everytime you leave one place and everytime you land at another makes this great cruising ground even better! THANK YOU!

Send To: info@marinasancarlos.com, marinaseca@marinasancarlos.com

Subject: ATTN: Tere Grossman Thank you for friendly tourism

To whom it concerns;

Thank you for doing what you have done to make Mexico more friendly to tourism. I can now plan on spending more time vacationing in Mexico on my boat. Please continue to work to make the process of sailing in your beautiful country of Mexico easier, and I will continue to plan to spend more of my time as a tourist there.

Thank you very much,

(your Name here)

An alternative “thank you” letter:

To: Tere Grossman

Dear Sir :

This letter is sent to thank you for the steps being taken to improve Mexican tourism, and in particular, how these changes will improve matters for those of us who visit your country aboard privately owned yachts.

As a result of the changes in process, we are pleased to advise your office that it is certainly our intention to adjust our cruising plans to allow for more time to be spent visiting the ports of Mexico.

In consideration of the revisions being made to make the process of visiting your beautiful country easier, you can be assured that we will be encouraging many of our fellow yacht owners to follow our example and visit Mexican waters often.

On behalf of ourselves, and all those who welcome these changes, we sincerly wish to express our congratulations and thanks for your efforts thus far, and we look forward to the implementation of further measures in the near future.

(your Name here)

HAPPY CRUISING ,
Gord May