Caribbean Marina Suggestions ?

[barryfish]

hello I'm new to this site. I am currently stationed in colorado because I am in the army. My question is when I get out in december I am wanting to live on my 36ft trojan yacht. I really want to live in cozumel. Does anyone know of a marina that allows liveaboards for a resonable price? I found some that were priced by the foot per day which 45 cents a foot and that comes out to $16+ a day and I plan on living there for a year. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[osirissail]

There are several in Belize - Moho Cay Marina and Belize Yacht Club in Belize City. and there is Cucumber Marina Old Belize Adventure Cultural and Historical Center - Cucumber Beach - Marina

[ArmyChief]

Originally Posted by TexSail

Lots of Galveston Bay folks head for a marina in Isla Mujeres (whose name escapes me).

Buddy of Indigo Oon has documented Isle Mujeres very well

Indigo Moon

[Panamajames]

I had a horrible experience in Mexico and Isa Mujeres. I would never go there again and never recommend anyone to go there. Mexican drug problems are not confined to the border, they are everywhere. I have no respect for the Mexican Navy and Mexican customs and Immigration. The port captain in Isla Mujeres was helpful but the other gang is out of control. Never again any part of Mexico.

[vintageray]

Thanks for that Panamajames. I thought I was the only one who noticed this. Saying much about what Mexico is really like can get you really beat up on here by people who haven't experienced it first hand. Since last November, it's been getting really bad down there.
I'm planning a trip to Careening Cay Marina at Bocas. Do you know it?

[Caribsailors]

I can get you dock space in the Cayman Islands if you're interested. Canal lot off Bobby Cay, just past Ann Street in North sound estates.

Google map it, I'll put you in touch.

Cheers

[Panamajames]

I have seen it at a distance. It has a good reputation is is not too expensive.. Probably the cheapest in Panama. I have been to Bocas Marina and I like their setup but we get a little bored around Bocas. With the new Red Frog Beach and resort marina at least you would have cleaner water as I think water is not so clean around Isla Colon in some parts. Check out the site for Red Frog Beach Marina. Sounds nice and clean and you have one of the nicest beaches in Panama. Just opened

As for Mexico: I have been there 20 times but my first experience with my sailboat was a nightmare. It would take an hour to explain but what you have is my facets of the government all trying to do their job no matter who they hurt. People are nice but the government is going down by these drug cartels. It may seemed safe before to the yachties but anything can happen there to make your experience a truly miserable one. Never again Mexico by land or by sea. NEVER

[Panamajames]

While traveling the Caribbean and I have been to probably 20 islands or more my best experience was in Cuba. They are the most polite and organized and friendly. Also a very clean country in my opinion. You know the rules there and you follow them. Nobody trying to one up another when it comes to Port Captain to Customs to Immigration. Lovely country and lovely people.

[Panamajames]

I am having a good experience with management at Lagoon Marina in Honduras. Very helpful and professional.

[JamuJoe]

PJ,
Our experience in Isla Mujeres was not bad. For a 'reasonable' fee of $75 the marina (Puerto Isla Mujeres) arranged all inspections and clearances except for the temporary importation for which we had to go to the Port Captain Office on Cancun. It was annoying that I forgot to bring copies of our passports, and the PC office did not have a copier for this purpose. I walked back to the ferry dock where a very nice woman in the coffee shop asked a ferry company employee jump upstairs to their office to make copies for me at no cost. Live and learn, now my ships book holds a good number of passport copies for such purposes. We spent only a week in Isla Mujeres, prepping the boat for storage on the hard, and look forward to returning in January.

I would agree that Mexico Gov't is a bit of a mess. Sailing up from Belize, we were first informed that we could check in a Xcalak, only to find after anchoring there that the PC could no longer process clearances. She (the dis-empowered PC) told us to clear in a Majahual. We were boarded by the Mexican Navy in our approach to Majahual. It was a polite experience, and they advised us to tie up at the commercial pier while we did our business with the Port Captain. Guess what - the PC could no longer clear in private yachts, only cruise ships. Unfortunately, a storm came in the next day and blew for five days, closing the port. There was no safe anchorage for our 4.5 ft draft, so we were trapped against that concrete pier that - surprise - the Mexican Navy also uses for the same patrol boat that had boarded us. The pier had only one space that had sufficient draft for my boat, and the Navy wanted that space. Their steel, hydro-jet drive, 4' draft, landing craft could dock on the other side without problem, but the young Captain wanted my space. Every day brought a fresh negotiation with his demands that we depart the dock so that he could shift to his preferred space. I could not safely depart, so we had a fine Mexican standoff. When the weather finally subsided enough for us to exit the cut (the buoy had washed away during the storm) we were both happy to see me sail away from Majahual. Yet, while trapped there, the PC and several locals were quite helpful and accommodating, finding extra fenders for me etc..

As with every country in Central America that we visited this year - from Panama to Mexico - caution, flexibility, polite persistence, and resilient good humor are required to navigate the shoals of bureaucracy.

[Panamajames]

I found Mexicans are pretty good people. I had one lieutenant in the Navy that was most helpful. But all in all the Navy people ( I am looking for the worst word I can use and I can not use it on this forum) My boat was held at the Navy dock and guarded by the Navy. They stole a few things off my boat including my NEW chartplotter chip with all my maps. They also ran into my sailboat and punched a hole in the fiberglass near the rub rail. Even though my boat was well guarded for 3 weeks they would not take responsibility for anything. I dont hate anyone but I hate the Mexican Navy and the Mexican government with a passion. I feel bad for the good Mexican people. Never again Mexico. One wrong move and you are in jail as I was for 1 week until the Mexican government admitted their mistake (another story). NEVER AGAIN IN MEXICO. Alot of bad guys lots and lots. Even some of the good guys are very bad guys.

[LOST 33]

I had extensive exterior work done to my Morgan 33 Out Island at La Cieba Shipyard. By the way, Greg at Lagoon Marina is a great guy, straight shooter and the marina is run like a US yard. La Ceiba shipyard was built by an American and it WAS probably run properly, but that is not the case anymore. I will strongly recommend that if you must go there, the only thing i would let them do is dry dock your boat for the season if you have no other choice of yards. The yard was secure and i didn't have anything stolen from the boat after it was there almost 6 months.

I removed all the deck fittings and the swim platform in prep for painting personally and explained to the painters what i was expecting. Every couple weeks i would fly back to see how the progress was coming along and do work on the interior. I was in shock when i found that the hull was not faired out as we talked about, just simply repainted. So they said that they would fair it, and repaint, all they did in the end was sand and put on another coat, no fairing, so they charged me twice to paint the hull even though it did not come out one bit better.
Then the topside was to be painted. they left the weatherstrips in place around the hatches and painted right over top of them. I went around the boat with a red marker showing all the places that needed to be filled and sanded, it was so bad the boat looked like a red and white poka dot sheet after i was done. They never covered the hatches with plastic while spraying so the overspray when all over the interior of the boat and in the engine room. It had to be done a third time after this!

I spoke with the manager/owner Giovanni about this after the first top side painting and showed his brother the job. They admitted that the work was very bad and needed to be redone. I made clear that this was the yards mistake and that it should be redone at the expense of the yard which would make sense. More about that later. The painter was so mad that i insulted his work and threatened me that "if we were in Roatan things would be different". He wouldn't tell me that day what he meant. I gave him $250 pre-tip just to calm him down so he would paint the boat again, for the third time. Couple days later we were working on the deck together and he was so happy to tell me that he murdered two people by shooting them with his gun and spent several years in prison over this. Seems he was quite proud of himself. Tells you alot about the type of people over there.

The final job was about 20% better than previous, but i had to get out of there before the hurricanes come farther south. When i came to get my bill, the long and short of it was that they charged me for each and every single hour or labor and piece or material to do the boat twice or three times as the case was. Then Giovanni gave me 15% discount on the total. So he charged me 100% more for the paint job and took 15% off. Nice. It was a ransom price, Giovanni avoided me for the next few days and then left back to Roatan i was told by the employees. Apparently that is standard procedure for the yard. When they know you must leave, they just sit and wait for you to pay. They win the waiting game. I had to pay it, no cash, no splash. Over all, there are good people in Honduras, very few in La Ceiba. I hope never to go back to La Ceiba ever again. Probably how many of these others feel about Mexico.
I am sure at one time this was a good yard with the American owner, but it is not anymore. The yard was given to Giovanni and his brother to manage by their wealthy and very hard working father. They never earned the yard and they do not respect what it takes to earn respect and they have no clue what customer service is. Avoid the place is my recommendation.

[zeehag]

i found that if you STAY with your boat in a mexican yard, there is a lot less hassle and no EXTRA charges.

[Panamajames]

I plan to haul out for a week at the shipyard.. to do my own work.. I notice it is $400 in and out and 3 free days.. It said in the web site to make an offer on anything.. Are they negotiable on their fees or set in stone.. I assume I can do my own work. Honduras just had a bloodbath in San Pedro Sula.
You have to be real careful with these Central American countries. They will kill you for any reason and very a few 100 dollars with no remorse.

My advice is stay away from Mexico until everything has settled down. 10 years or so. Mexico was a nightmare for me and my crew. Horrific to say the least. Avoid at all costs.

[LOST 33]

Wow, sounds like other than being shafted for about $7000 USD above and beyond what the painting should have been, i guess i did ok, considering no one punched a hole in my hull, stole stuff and i didn't have to spend time in prison.


I am sure you will be fine being there for a week and doing the work yourself. You can negotiate with them but make sure whatever you negotiate, GET IN WRITING. Oscar is the english speaking accountant there and he is a very nice guy. But he is only an employee and his word doesn't go far, he will try to help you but in the end, it is up to Giovanni and his crack head brother. I can't remember his name, i wish i could forget his smug face.

So yes, it is negotiable. You are not talking large amounts of cash so you should be ok.

The Taxi Driver Padilla is very good, doesn't speak alot of english but he is the main taxi driver for all the yachties, so he knows where to go for everything our people need. You can get his number from the office.