Mexico Moorage

[Rex Delay]

Contemplating taking our boat to the west coast of Mexico and leaving it there. Know nothing of facilities, costs, security etc. Any input?

[PaulSommers]

Do you use Active Captain? You could use their interactive cruising guide to spot places you might be interested in, and you will find info. on rates, facilities, etc. Lots of user reviews as well which help a lot. I have been to LaPaz, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Barre de Navidad on my sailboat - many sailors are using these places as their home bases, from which to explore other places in Mexico (the Sea of Cortez north of LaPaz, the "Gold Coast south of Vallarta, etc.). The summers can be brutal and many folks fly back north during the summer months, and enjoy the winters in Mexico for many years. Since it is too late this year to "escape" from your home location, you might want to fly down and check out some of these places, talk to some gringos-in-residence, etc.

[Rex Delay]

That was sort of the plan but would like some first hand experience on where to start. Some places are good, some not so. Need advise on where to consider. Probably a 5 yr. plan. Have not been to Mexico since 1972, probably changed a little.

Seek permanent moorage for winter use.

[PaulSommers]

My suggestions for two good places to start would be would be Marina La Paz for heading up into the Sea of Cortez; Marina Riviera Navarit at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle for the Puerto Vallarta area and points south. There are other marinas in both areas so you can look around and see what suits you best. Buen suerte!

[Rex Delay]

Looking for personal experience for a marina to use as a base that will be secure, safe and when I am not there haul, paint etc. and generally take care of things.

[C Gypsy]

I kept my boat for two years, during the summers of 2013 & 2014, at Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta. Paradise Village is a great Marina that is secure and is very protected from hurricanes. I had Anclar Marine watch the boat and they did a wonderful job. They are a young couple from Victoria, BC and are raising their two young children in Mexico (anclar.marine@gmail.com). There is also a marina at La Cruz, which is just north of Paradise Village and is in the same hurricane protection of Banderas Bay.

Paradise Village has nice docks, clean water that can be drank from the tap at the dock, a yacht club, modern shopping center, casino, and resort facilities available to anyone who is in a boat in a slip. At Paradise Village you can be in Mexico and feel like you never left Canada. Lots of amenities and no culture.

La Cruz is trying hard to make their Marina a world-class eco friendly Marina. La Cruz has a drydock, fuel dock, marine repair, rigger, sail loft, and daily sail training for their youth sailing team. Every Saturday is one of the best local craft and food markets that I have been to on the "West Coast". As you walk out of the Marina, past the guards, you are truly in small-town Mexico. A quick ride on a bus and you can be at a modern shopping center. Anclar also has boat watch at this Marina and there is excellent security.

For the last couple of years I have kept my boat at Marina Mazatlan, 2015 & 2016. I have Tony's Boat Management watch the boat during the summer (www.tonysboatmanagement.com). Marina Mazatlan has cheaper slip fees, good drydock facilities, good repair services, two fuel docks that are available, shopping center within walking distance, and good bus service to go downtown. The security is very good at the Marina.

I like La Cruz the best, but it is just easier for me to be in Mazatlan. I've had Yanmar repairs, bright work done, waxing, bottom paint changed from ablative to epoxy, rebuilt the reefer box, rebuilt the forward head, and diving done often on the bottom here in Mazatlan and I have no complaints. The shipwright for the reefer and head is from Nanaimo, the engine mechanic is from England, the boat yard owner is from Washington State, the boat watch is from Australia, and the rest are locals. All are very conscientious.

If you have any other questions about Mexico from Mazatlan to Zihuatanejo, or transiting the coast from Canada to Mexico, let me know.

[PaulSommers]

There is good security in all of the places I mentioned, all of which I have utilized within the last several years. You will find "boat boys," a strange term for adult men, but there it is, in all of these locations who you can employ informally (cash only) to watch over your boat while you are away, washing it regularly, varnishing if necessary/wanted, running the engine periodically, etc. Regular bottom scrubs are an essential part of these services, as barnacles attach to boat bottoms very quickly in the tropics, and other growth soon follows. Negotiate your own deal, but expect to pay for bottom cleaning every 3 weeks. It cost me about 500 pesos each time; some people charge more. Get references on whoever does this and observe the guy at work at least once - when I hauled my boat after a year of regular cleaning, I found barnacles on the bottom foot of the keel - he just did not get down that far. Most marinas in Latin America put strict limits on DIY activity in marinas and even in boatyards. Labor is cheap, and you are considered a rich gringo - by definition - you own a boat! So you are also expected to shell out for help. Several of the places I suggested accommodate folks in nearby anchorages who dinghy in to shower, go to town, etc. (Marina La Paz, La Cruz, Barra de Navidad). That's for when you are down there - put the boat in a marina or on the hard while you are away. If La Paz - on the hard - hurricanes have hit La Paz the last two years. That goes for Mazatlan as well - most people going away for the summer seem to put boats on the hard. La Cruz is much safer for in-water - the Bay of Banderas reliably deflects hurricanes. OK, the worst ever was headed for a direct hit on Banderas a year ago, but it veered south and petered out as soon as it hit land 100 mi. S of Banderas. Another option for off-season storage is San Carlos "Marina Seca" well up the Sea of Cortez. Most of this you can learn from the user reviews on Active Captain, by the way. There is a wealth of information there -- all "personal experience."

[zeehag]

wow
for high price, ye cannot beat la cruz--is priciest in banderas bay, but easiest to enter and exit. la paz i avoid. too many gringos, same san carlos. guaymas is a good place to stash a boat, or it was until newton rolled thru--is probably repaired by now.
as we donot know what kind of amenities you wish nor price range, it is difficult to tell you where to go.
barra de navidad has a nice marina for leaving boat for lots a money, as does ixtapa.
if you wish to leave a boat and not pay thru nose for rent, marinas in mazatlan --there are 4-- have affordable options.
all marinas in mexico have good security.
yes mexico has changed a LOT since 1970s. much busier. more boats. more marinas. more gringos.
getting the latest charlies charts would be your first place to start.
haul yards--la paz, ensenada, la cruz, ixtapa, mazatlan. guaymas san carlos.
charlies charts, again, will have information
btw--if worried about canes--mazatlan has not been hit by cane in over 35 yrs.
banderas bay marinas, nuevo vallarta and vallarta suffered ts damages a few years ago. bad for nuevo vallarta.

[lorrie]

Originally Posted by PaulSommers

My suggestions for two good places to start would be would be Marina La Paz for heading up into the Sea of Cortez; Marina Riviera Navarit at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle for the Puerto Vallarta area and points south. There are other marinas in both areas so you can look around and see what suits you best. Buen suerte!

Paul
Are you sailing Mexico currently?
I hear there is sailing rally in La Cruz in November.



Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[zeehag]

marinas in mexico are safe. the harbors are being militarized this year, which means military as guards instead of private security.
marinas are safe.
lowest rates i have found are marina mazatlan, unless you wish to head up sea of cortez to place boat in guaymas or san carlos.
in summer mazatlan is safe, but i would hesitate to plop my boat up soc for summer, a scanes love to smash stuff up a tad up there, despite what your insurance company says.
there are only 2 hurricane holes in mexico--ixtapa and isla navidad. they are south of the alleged safe places insurance dictates. .

[Marathon1150]

We have kept our boat in Marina Palmira, La Paz, BCS since 2009. La Paz is great for a variety of reasons. Lots of boat people to fix things, good supplies, several haul-out options, safe and serves domestic tourists rather than international tourists. Most importantly it is well placed for adventures in the Sea of Cortez and though it gets warm in the summer, humidity is mostly manageable, compared to the mainland. For 11 months of the year, humidity is low.

We are paying US$600/month for an 11.5metre boat. We have been using a yearly contract up until this year and that will provide a 10% discount. We intend to leave for the SP in March/April so have only renewed for 3 months.

There is a dry storage marina next to Marina Palmira and a railway to pull boats. Some people pull their boats out if they head north for the summer months. Some people do the same in Guyamas/San Carlos.

[krisb007]

Originally Posted by Marathon1150

We have kept our boat in Marina Palmira, La Paz, BCS since 2009. La Paz is great for a variety of reasons. Lots of boat people to fix things, good supplies, several haul-out options, safe and serves domestic tourists rather than international tourists. Most importantly it is well placed for adventures in the Sea of Cortez and though it gets warm in the summer, humidity is mostly manageable, compared to the mainland. For 11 months of the year, humidity is low.



We are paying US$600/month for an 11.5metre boat. We have been using a yearly contract up until this year and that will provide a 10% discount. We intend to leave for the SP in March/April so have only renewed for 3 months.



There is a dry storage marina next to Marina Palmira and a railway to pull boats. Some people pull their boats out if they head north for the summer months. Some people do the same in Guyamas/San Carlos.

US $600/month seems high even for US marinas. Is that just straight slip fees or are there any perks within that cost?

[cortezsailor]

Originally Posted by krisb007

US $600/month seems high even for US marinas. Is that just straight slip fees or are there any perks within that cost?

From my research , surprisingly , I have found the better marinas are more expensive then most marinas on the west coast , Vancouver - San Diego. Of course there are lots of marinas north of Mexico that are more expensive but it seems there not a lot of deals to be had on the Baja anyways.

[Marathon1150]

I agree - good marinas in Mexico are not cheap. We are now paying slightly more in La Paz than we paid in the heart of Vancouver, Canada.

Regarding "perks", Marina Palmira has a pool, cruiser's lounge, chandlery/convenience store and free shuttle into town. Power and water are extra.

However, the cost of living outside of marina costs is much cheaper than in a Canada. So it costs us less to live in La Paz than in Vancouver, if housing is taken out of the equation.

[zeehag]

my experience showed me the two designated mexican hurricane holes r eon southe=west coast mexico. if you research well, you will also fin dthis information.
insurance companies flat refuse to pay for any and all damages within specified latitudes, so these are worthy to those who summer on board in mexico.
the info is also relevant for those who decide to leave their boat in mexico
contrary to popular belief, you are not safe in soc. it is hurricane alley. south west mexico where canes form is generally much safer, lower winds, and not anything over ts rating hitting shore. these 2 cane holes were designed and built for protection under most cane approaches. they are isla navidad in barra de navidad lagoon, and ixtapa. onc eyou stuy canes a while you will see this, despite propaganda spewed by each mexican marina stating safety for 30 yrs, not hit by hurricane for 36 yrs,yada yada-- facts are--they are not safe places, should that missing cane be found to enter.
banderas bay --nuevo vallarta was destroyed a few years before i went to la cruz by a tropical storm entering via mouth of banderas bay. oops
bub it was not a cane.
mazatlan marina states--no hurricane damage in 36 yrs.
fact is, no canes have dared enter,...
i see pix of damages done over years in la paz, guaymas, and other alleged cane holes that are not holes--but self proclaimed hidey holes wherein boats are toppled due to shifting dirt under the stands..i see pix of boats on rocks in la paz and cabo. yeah real cane holes. i trust em not.
my only issue with soc is that, once a cane is at the mouth of the gulf, there is no escaping the damage coming down your throat--i call it a boat trap for that reason.
as you summer in mexico, you will learn the varying reasons for the migration--visa, health, but most spend summer north, then come south for snow season. memories are short-- once newton came, all forgot odile. you are only as good as your last race holds true with nature.
i met patricia as a c5--she wobbled her trying to grow eyeball over my designated hurricane hole designed for it marina. wow it was impressive storm. yes i sustained damages, but i still had a good enough boat to make it to mazatlan without assistance other than crew.
as i am a year round resident if mexico at present, i choose to head for true designated hurricane holes for summer. and , no , in summer, they are cheap. is called low season for a reason. high season=high rent.
low season=low rent.
those of you in baja donot know the seasonal rent changes as there is no need to fill marinas in gringo land. they flock there for availability of much needed items from "home" which are readily replaceable here with items found locally under a different than familiar name..and ohmygods the locals speak spanish, not southern california english.. which gets us back to the alleged convenience of baja locales.
is all your choice.
i choose to remain away from the flock.