Panama canal vs. Mexico land crossing?

[jls356guy]

Hi, I'm west coast based and am considering buying in florida. Has anyone ever done a land crossing over mexico as opposed to going through the panama canal? Thinking in terms of saving time and maybe beating my way up the mexican coast vs. having to head out to hawaii & back. Be interested in your experience if so.

[Benz]

The standard dodge is to sail to Texas and have it trucked from there. It's been a few years since I was there, but I never heard of a boat being land-trucked across Mexico. I suspect the demand is almost nil and so the specialized trailer and expertise doesn't exist.

Most of the fees involved in trucking are in loading/unloading--the distance doesn't matter all that much, so TX to wherever your home port is will be a time and money saver over beating north along the Mex. coast. For that matter, trucking direct from Fla might be an option.

[Sailmonkey]

There is a guy in Guatemala who has moved boats east to west before......but that still leaves you with the beat at the end.

So, I also suggest Texas to California.

[zeehag]

sierra madres kinda present an issue with crossing mexico. might wanna either sail it or truck from teejass.
before trucking, donot forget that way you miss very beautiful scenery and places.
bash isnot bad with a decent boat and engine combo and frequent stopping in beautiful anchorages in high season, aka winter.
wondering why you donot buy closer to home. cali has many thousands of boats needing new owners. marina space is at premium with wait lists. why import when there is probably your exact boat waiting for a new owner. just asking..

[rwidman]

As a practical matter, you're probably better off buying a boat on your side of the canal. Figure out the cost of transportation and add it to the price of that FL boat. Then decide.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

There is a guy in Guatemala who has moved boats east to west before......but that still leaves you with the beat at the end.
So, I also suggest Texas to California.

His truck and trailer are total pieces of junk. I can't believe either would make it across the country, never mind with your boat. These are serious junkers. I would never trust him with my boat.

[BernBruce]

5 years ago we bought our 32 Yake Seaward, I believe the name to be correct lol. We bought in Florida with the intention of taking it through the Panama Canal to Puerto Vallarta! I got hospitalized in Canada and that blew the winter so the following year my husband decided to truck it to PV from Cancun. So we set sail in Florida, thru the keys, and to Cuba, hung out there for a couple of years and then sailed to Cancun. Going through the canal was costly and time consuming and would have taken more time than we were willing to put in. We did our research, and PV and Cancun recommended the same mover, Jose Takata, who we were in contact with. Takata has been transporting boats of all sizes for maybe 20 years and is always busy!! His equiptment was very modern and his staff very professional!! He actually allowed my husband to travel with him from PV to Cancun to pick the boat up and become a very good friend. Cost was about 8 G. In my research and I did plenty, the longer the distance the more costly the fees. We had insurance but looking back Takata trucking has NEVER lost a boat, and we could not have been happier. Now we have a condo in PV and have moved on and our sail boat is up for sale at a very good price if you would rather save the cost and the hassle. my email is bernadette59@hotmail.com, and my facebook page is Bernadette Christie Coben.

[Dartanyon]

We trucked our boat from Tampa to Seattle. Our experience was horrible. I am SURE it was not typical and that there are good truckers out there. Even if we had found a good trucker, I still don't think I would have done it knowing what I know now. Boats were just never meant to be held up on pressure points and vibrated at 55MPH over 3000 miles of rough highway. I think if sailing around weren't an option, I'd would have put it on a transport ship and have it brought around, or better yet, bought one of the ones on the west coast (Cali or MX) and put the $30K worth of shipping expense & damage towards making the boat like what I wanted in the Florida one. Simply my experience, yours may vary, as I'm sure other's have better experiences.

[BernBruce]

When we decided to truck our boat from Cancun to PV, we looked at the fellow in Guatemala and he never did reply to our emails. We tried and tried.. Happy we found Takata trucking.. Google and I am sure you will be thrilled, he does it every day for years without incident.

[fuentes]

We purchased our 45 ft. Leopard in the BVI. Sailed, motored, fought, bashed, struggled, made repairs, avoided tree trunks and pangas without lights in the gulf of Panama, went through "chubascos" and rain/lightning storms, asked (begged) for courtesy stops in Costa Rica and Acapulco, imported it in La Paz, and finally arrived in San Felipe 35 days later beat to hell. You plan to miss all of this? What a trip!

[KP44]

There are Mexican trucks available that can transport you across. We trucked our boat to Tucson. The Mexican transport picked it up at Tucson, Arizona, and finished the haul to San Carlos, Sonora. But other truckers are available. Or talk to Mario at San Carlos Marina in Sonora. mario.calderon@marinasancarlos.com

[KP44]

It sounds like you want to go from west coast to the Gulf. Hooking Ball marina at Rockport, Texas, can probably unload you into the Gulf near the South Intracoastal Waterway that seems to go as far as the Florida panhandle.
There are many good boat transport companies. We used Pathway Boat Transport and our 45', 60' mast, 18 ton vessel was in excellent hands. I can HIGHLY recommend them for transport. pathwayboattransport@gmail.com

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Dartanyon

We trucked our boat from Tampa to Seattle. Our experience was horrible. I am SURE it was not typical and that there are good truckers out there. Even if we had found a good trucker, I still don't think I would have done it knowing what I know now. Boats were just never meant to be held up on pressure points and vibrated at 55MPH over 3000 miles of rough highway. ................ .

My boat and at least a hundred others like it was hauled from where it was manufactured in Western Canada to the US east coast where it was sold to the first owner.

Boats (and rocket ships) can be trucked but whoever does it has to know what he is doing.

[buzzstar]

Not done it, so merely idea for you to follow up on, or not. I suppose my answer is, yes, but why? You alone know your trade offs in time, money and risk, and their relative importance.
To start, you might want to take a look at a marine services directory or two. I just peeked at one on my shelf called boatersbook (sort of a yellow pages) and see it is on line under Boaters Directory, Boat Equipment and Supplies, Marine Repair Services. There are quite a few listings under boat transportation, and each business has a web address, an email, and/or a telephone. I am also aware of of publication called The Log. They have plethora of directories, including many marinas and brokerages in Mexico. I'd bet a few minutes on line and a few phone calls would find specific services and sources for the transport end of your question. As to the sailing end. at least right now my inclination would be to stay away from the Gulf of Mexico and probably the canal too. But a bit further on the canal would be a heck of a route to wherever on whatever's west coast you might be aiming to reach. Not to sound churlish, although I am, the word troll is my first reaction to OPs such an the one to which I have replied.

[davil]

what size boat?