Boat Yards Mexico Pacific Side - Where ?

[sailingpeanut]

Hi,
I'm planning to take my Trimaran down to Puerto Vallarta end of November.
Idea is to sail around there for a while und fix everything needed to head over to Thaiti some fine day.
Things I know I'll need to fix/build are bimi/doger, replace stern rails, get a watermaker and a ice box conversion. Might even haul her out (36' long, 25' wide).

Any shared experiences - what marinas are good / chandleries / importing parts etc. would be - well more than helpfull actually.

thanks in advance,
Olaf

[Daddy's Dream]

I'm looking at getting a boat that needs a lot of work and am also wondering about boatyards on the Gulf side of Mexico. And will the differance in labour cost make it worth my while?

[Pete the Cat]

Unless things have radically changed in the last two years since I travelled the entire coast for a season, you need to be able to take care of yourself in Mexico. There are few --but more-- travelifts every year (someone might start a list of current ones here-- with some rating of their capabilities), but parts are a problem--most everything needs to brought in and it will cost you dearly to import parts if you do not bring them in personally (which I found easy). There are not a lot of local folks (outside the ex pat cruising community) who have high level boat finishing skills.

There are some exceptions. I got some excellent SS railwork done in Mazatlan for a very reasonable price. I did not need a boatyard but watching that quality of some of the boatyard work done in other places like Puerto Vallarta was not encouraging.

[Charlie]

I was impressed with the knowledge of Marina Seca in San Carlos. I don't know if they can pull Tri 's though. I was looking at a boat to buy and the manager went over everything with me and showed good knowledge of boats. The people I tlaked to said they did good quality work too.

[Daddy's Dream]

The five things I wanted to get done there are:
1. The cap rail was torn off, I need it replaced by a good wood worker.
2. A little fiber glasss on the top side of the hull where the cap rail was torn off.
3. The rub rail was torn off one side and I'll need to get it replaced.
4. Pull, sand, inspect, and paint the mast. This I could do with a good place to work.
5. Possibly a bottom job as I don't know when the last one was or if it needs one.

From what I understand, if you have the parts shipped directly to the harbor master there are no import duties. But I agree it would be much better to take what I need with me.

Bill

[r.furborough]

There is the Baja Naval boatyard and marina in Ensenada Baja Mexico . This is not a recommendation as I have never been there, I just know of it.

Bob

[imagine2frolic]

Baja Naval is the only yard I know on the Pacific side, and it's only 60 miles from San Diego? Until you get down to Puerto Vallarta everything else is located in the Sea of Cortez, or Cabo. Cabo couldn't pick up a tri when I was there. Have things changed?

[Daddy's Dream]

Originally Posted by r.furborough

There is the Baja Naval boatyard and marina in Ensenada Baja Mexico . This is not a recommendation as I have never been there, I just know of it.

Bob

That's great, but I'm not on the left coast.

[imagine2frolic]

I think he was answering the original question.

[r.furborough]

Yes, but the original requester of information was asking to the Pacific side, you hijacked his thread!

[imagine2frolic]

I have been known to hijack threads, yes this is true. The Pacific side of Mexico does include Baja. Somewhere around Puerto Vallarta, and south on the mainland. If you drink :cubalibreCorona you will know this. The lable has a map clearly showing where the Pacific is. Where was the hijacking?

[Yeti]

Currently coming down the coast and here is what I can tell you.

I started in Mazatlan and there is one place there in area of Marina Mazatlan and El Cid Marina. I beleive its a Fonatura marina/yard. There are also a couple of places in the area of the commercial harbor. Don't kow much about them myself. The owner of the boat I'm on was going to use the marine railway at one place and we were going to do a bottom job ourself however I just dived on the boat myself and scrapped it.

There is also a brand new Fonatura marina/yard in San Blas on the estuary. Its still kinda under construction. The manager quoted the owner of the boat i'm on a very reasonable rate on their travel lift however the lift has not been "inspected" yet by somebody from Mexico City and it most likely won't be until December. They really didn't have docks up when we were there. But they let us stay tied to their fuel dock that they are not using yet either. They were working on getting some dock space up for this season. And of course San Blas is a pretty cool place.

La Cruz has a yard and lift at their new Marina. However the yard quoted US $80 per foot for a bottom job. Interestingly that yard is empty.

There are the usual places in PV. We did not inquire about anything there.

We are currently in Barre Navidad and I haven't seen a lift here yet. However I can report/confirm that the marina at the Grand Bay/Isla Navidad Resort place is extremely expensive. We had to stay one night (elec/battery issue) and it cost US $2.50 per foot. Interstingly this place ain't that full and we will be anchoring in the lagoon later this afternoon.

That is all I can tell you. Hopefully it helps some.

[Daddy's Dream]

I apoligize I was thinking he was on the Atlantic side as well. I thought I was after the same info he was and didn't realize I was hijacking.

Again, I apoligize. If anyone has info on my question please PM me.