Transporting a Boat to Cancun from Florida

[Arl798]

Hello ladies and gents...

I was wondering if someone can answer a few questions for me...

I just found the boat of my dreams in Florida (2001 410 sea ray) and plan to have a captain deliver it to me in Cancun. I am Canadian and will be registering the vessel in Canada.

My question is. What kind of issues will I and or the captain have with importing this to Mexico? As well what steps should be taken prior to delivery date? And obviously being present on the delivery date would be advisable I assume?

Thank you

[s/v Moondancer]

We are presently 20 miles from Cancun. We entered at Isla Mujeres using an agent...No problem encountered, total fees $200. However, they want to see a Zarpe and since US doesn't issue them you need to get form 1300 off the internet and have some official stamp it.

http://forms.cbp.gov/pdf/CBP_Form_1300.pdf

We then had to go to Cancun and get a boat import certificate. You need this if you are staying for more than 10 days or so but it is good for 10 yrs including re-entry and costs $50.

Marina Puerto Isla Mujeres and Marina El Cid in Puerto Morelos are both excellent and safe marinas (lack of theft and safe from bad weather especially the one in the Lagoon in Isla Mujeres) with low long term rates ($20-$25/day for our 55 ft boat)

Another advantage of a good marina is that they have good relationships with the Port Captain and immigrations so they can smooth the process.

The agent is a guy who works at the marina, has a copy machine as they want 6 copies of every form and everybody is his cousin. Well worth the $50.

[capngeo]

Make sure you have a 400nm range!

[donradcliffe]

As a Canadian registered boat, you will have to check out of Florida, which will get you the paperwork the port captain in Mexico will want. You will also need a TIP (Temporary Import Permit), which you can get online, or easily get in Cancun after you arrive. The TIP will allow you to keep and use the boat in Mexico for 10 years.

You will also need to write a notarized letter giving the captain permission to take the boat for the voyage.

[capngeo]

You also want to add the captain to the insurance as an authorized operator!

I used to deliver a boat from the Tampa area to Cozumel every year for the owner to vacation on for two weeks. The Mexican Officials were very easy to deal with (at least the ones in Quintana Roo were)

[Arl798]

Thank you all for your info you have provided. I am very excited too live aboard part of the year in Cancun.

Has anyone one stayed at La Amada marina? I think that is where I am going to keep it.

[Mrinjectormx]

Originally Posted by capngeo

You also want to add the captain to the insurance as an authorized operator!

I used to deliver a boat from the Tampa area to Cozumel every year for the owner to vacation on for two weeks. The Mexican Officials were very easy to deal with (at least the ones in Quintana Roo were)

.


Hi how would does it cost to bring a boat Fort Lauderdale to Cancún México

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Mrinjectormx.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Mrinjectormx

.
Hi how would does it cost to bring a boat Fort Lauderdale to Cancún México

For a licensed professional with insurance, it won't be cheap.

A big question is going to be what is the boats range? Heading straight into the gulf stream, good chance, you don't have enough range. Also, if the weather is bad, you may have to pay the captain/crew to wait for better weather as that's not a boat to go out in any conditions.

In theory, you could follow the gulf coast and cross into Mexico at Texas but that brings a host of other problems and expenses.

What is the condition of the boat and how reliable are the engines? A sailboat has two independent propulsion systems. If there is a problem where you can't sail, you can motor (and vice versa). With a power boat, if you have a fuel problem, you can be dead in the water.

[mvweebles]

Time is money in deliveries so really depends on the boat. Sailboats tend to be slower than power (even when under power). Powerboats are often limited by range and need to plan fuel stops. You can budget around $700/day (+/-) for professional captain and two crew; less for hobbyist captain and crew; plus all expenses.

[Rumrace]

Congrats OP. I’ve had 4 Sea Rays 400 Sedan, 330,270,260 sundancers. All were perfect boats. Ohio laid some nice hulls. The 400 or 330 would have little issue making your trip.
Mexicans are fantastic folks. We have close friends on the west coast.
I set up an immigration tent at the Toronto Spanish festival and explained to a couple hundred Mexicans they could get a work visa for Canada in one hour. Seems it may have caused an immigration wave. They moved into little Korea of all places. It’s now the latest disco cloths with black lace and silver. It’s a really nice super clean area.
I love the east coast of Mexico for shallow reef diving and use to run a scuba junket there every year. The West coast diving and fishing is so different. Giant Ray diving in several very deep bays. No coral diving just kelp and dodging jelly fish.
If Sea Ray had a fault it was Tankage. My 270 was a day boat with 4 hatches but a porta pottie. The water tank was a joke. Sea Ray gave me product numbers of optional tanks and where to buy them.
The 330 and 400 I roped apart before I put them in to upgrade water and sewage tanks.
My Current Jeanneau Sailboat has an additional 130L tank and a single head.
The Return of Jeanneau Power Boat line winds my watch The 43 is crazy but probably comes with small tanks to add the big ones on the option list.

[Rumrace]

I had the same engines and weight as the 410 at 2,000 RPM with the factory aluminum tank which I believe is identical 140-160 nm. The range sucks. At full put so 900rpm extends fuel to over 600nm
I don’t know the 410 gear layout but the 400 had plenty room to add a second tank. Sea Rays are such fast hulls there is no point going slow. So many good boat brands lost in the past 15 years would be nice to see Sea Ray fully recovered. In their prime they were better built than any builder pretending to be their peers.
The 410 is like a Riva Hardtop at 1/3 the $$$. Add tankage !

[Mrinjectormx]

It’s sound very complicated. So how is everyone bring their boat to cancun. Thank you for your reply

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Mrinjectormx

It’s sound very complicated. So how is everyone bring their boat to cancun. Thank you for your reply

As a Canadian, the OP might be able to take advantage of Cuba but I don't know the rules or availability of fuel. If you can break it up into 2 - 200mile runs, should be pretty easy if the boat is in good operating condition.

It's possible to buy a flexible fuel bladder to increase range. If you can get enough range at 20kts, it's less than a 24hour run. Honestly, probably wouldn't mess around paying someone to do it. Look for a good weather forecast, run down to the boat and head out.

Alternatively, slow down to 6-7kts and run on one engine, and that might up the range enough...of course, if the boat is new to the OP, he may have no idea what the range really is.

The OP hasn't indicated what the condition of the vessel is or what his budget is to have someone do the run for him. Something as simple as a dirty bottom might be the difference in range. It's amazing how much a little crud on the bottom can impact speed.

It's not rocket surgery but it's not an insignificant trip to be taken lightly.

[mvweebles]

Folks - this is a necro-thread from 2011 resurrected by meinkljectormx. No idea what kind of boat he has. Could be a Searay as the OP had. Could be something else. Could be a sailboat. Who knows.

To mrinjectormx - this isn't complicated, but you do have to provide more information on what you're trying to accomplish. There's 400 nms of open ocean between Key West and Cancun which is not a trivial crossing.