anchoring fees

[jeremiason]

Mexico's Govrenment Port Auhtority (API) charge an API Fee (About $10 per day) sporatically along the Pacific Coast for anchoring.

In Cabo San Lucas, they come collect it in a API marked Panga with uniformed API personnel. In La Paz, you are suppose to pay the fee at the API Office. Even Zihuatenajo tried collecting the fee for a while in 2011, but then backed down. We heard rumors about other commercial ports collecting fees, but don't have first hand knowledge.

They say the charge is to manage the federal waterway and I get that. The Mexicans have to maintain the buoys, dredge the channels and provide sort of supervision, but franly I think it is just another way to tax the tourist. The API fee does not give you any benefits, like garbage collection.

In the three places we experienced the API fees, only one made sure everyone paid it (Cabo)... The other two relied on the honor ystem, which doesn't work.

Also in Guadamala, on the Pacific side, Puerto Quetzal charges anchoring fees equal to the per day charge for the local marina in order to encourage boats to use the marina instead of anchoring. This has caused every Pacific Cruisers Guide to recommend passing by the port. We attended this year's El Salvador Rally and not one of the more than 40 boats traveling from Mexico to El Salvador stopped in Guademala as a result of their anchoring fees.

In our experience, no fees were charged in any other Pacific Central American countries from El Salvador to Panama.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

There is something wrong with fees when no service is provided. I will go somewhere else until there is nowhere else to go.

= taxes

[Captain Bill]

I traveled extensively through the Bahamas last year from the Abacos to Great Inagua and the only place we got charged an anchoring fee was in Treasure Cay in the Abacos. This anchorage is in a dredged private basin with 360 protection. The fee did include access to the Dinghy Dock, Showers and Pool at the resort. In a few places the mooring balls are so thick it's not very practical to anchor such as Little Harbor. There were plenty of free anchoring areas nearby in both of these cases so paying the anchoring fee or for a mooring ball was purely optional.

[phorvati]

Why would anyone even go to treasure cay and pay? I wonder if that development in bakers bay finished? That sounds like another place they would charge for anchoring. Also, I remember dropping stern anchor right on the beach at chatn'chill on lee stalking island. And I just ran into a guy who said its all mornings now. That sucks.
Bahamas is full of free to anchor places and deserted beaches. It does suck that everywhere you sail there is less anchoring and more fees. Its a fact everywhere you go. So you will be anchoring further away from shore and with more scope, as times goes on.