I.
Preparation
If you're going to sail to Mexico, the size of your boat isn't nearly as important as the quality. Make sure the boat was designed, built, and has been maintained for open-ocean sailing. While Mexico usually has lighter winds than many sailors prefer, now and then weather conditions can get pretty rough. Hopefully you won't ever find yourself in such conditions, but if you do, you won't want to be trusting your life to a boat designed for lake sailing.
If you own a trailerable boat that wasn't designed for open-ocean sailing, remember that parts of the Sea of Cortez are ideal for trailerboat sailing. Look for the places that have a large number of anchorages close together, which would mean you'd never have to wander too far from shelter. For those willing to drive further, Banderas Bay would be another great place for a trailerable boat.
No matter what kind of boat you take to Mexico, check to make sure her basic features, systems, and emergency gear are in good working order. After all, you're better off discovering that the steering cable needs replacement at the dock in California than off Cedros Island at 2 a.m. when it's blowing 30 and everyone is seasick. ‘A stitch in time saves nine' is for landlubbers. When it comes to boats, a 'stitch in time' can save 109 at sea. Specialized marine gear is expensive and hard to come by in Mexico. So if your gooseneck fails while rounding Cabo Corrientes, you might have blown a month of your precious cruising time.
If you're unsure how to evaluate the condition of your hull, thru-hulls, steering system and rudder, propulsion system, mast, rigging, sails and other gear, hire a surveyor. It may turn out to be one of the best investments you make.
Gear. Despite the fact that many boats heading to Mexico are loaded down with gear, much of it isn't absolutely necessary. To our mind, the following is the minimum: EPIRB, Coast Guard-required safety gear, liferaft, dinghy (which may be modified to serve as a liferaft), three appropriate size anchors with appropriate size rode, compass, two GPSs, VHF radio, working sails, a light-air headsail, some kind of cockpit shading, one set of charts and one cruising guide. Add food and water, and you can enjoy a great minimalist cruise.
While we've cruised Mexico in a boat with the above gear, if you've got money left, it would also be nice to have an electric windlass, depthsounder, radar (which is as important for navigation as it is for avoiding ships in the fog), speed and wind instruments, a top-quality dinghy with an outboard powerful enough to make it plane with two passengers, and an SSB radio.
There's nothing like cold beers and lots of fresh water when cruising in the tropics. While bothrefrigeration and watermakers are great, remember that in addition to their initial cost, they'll also increase demands on your boat's electrical supply and your maintenance time. We think that both refrigeration and watermakers are worth it, but it's possible to have a great cruise without them.
Skipper and Crew. If you're the skipper, you need to be fully aware that there are significantly greater challenges to cruising in Mexico than there are to sailing across the Bay or on a typical weekend cruise from Marina del Rey to Catalina. The biggest of them all is that you have to be self-sufficient. For all intents and purposes, there is no Coast Guard or U.S.-style tow boat service in the more remote and offshore areas of Mexico. You need to assume that you'll be on your own. As such, you need to be comfortable with night sailing, heavy weather sailing, coastal and offshore navigation, anchoring, and handling the fatigue that accompanies the first couple of days at sea.
It's also important that you know how to respond to problems. What would you do, for example, if you lost your engine's charging capability, your engine or transmission, your mast, your rudder? Have contingency plans for the basic problems.
If you don't have much offshore experience, you should strongly consider bringing along a seasoned mentor for your virgin run from San Diego to Cabo. We had mentoring for our first two trips to Mexico, and it really prepared us for doing it on our own. Not only do you 'learn the ropes' more easily, but the trip will probably be more relaxing and less stressful. And when you're finally on your own in Cabo, you'll have much greater confidence in your abilities.
Before heading south of the border, the skipper and crew should review all the boat's emergency gear and systems, as well as how to reef the sails and how to start and operate the engine. The last is critical, because it would be a shame if the skipper fell overboard and was lost because he/she didn't bother to teach anyone else how to start the engine. It's also wise to post a diagram indicating the location of all the thru-hull fittings.
The skipper and crew should practice putting in single and double reefs, preferably at night at sea. The man overboard drill should also be conducted under realistic conditions. You'll be anchoring all the time in Mexico, so the whole crew should be made familiar with all the gear and techniques - prior to having to set the hook at midnight in Bahia Santa Maria.
If you're crewing on a boat and the skipper hasn't gone over all the basic and emergency systems and procedures, insist that he/she do so.
While many people have singlehanded to Mexico, it's safer - and usually more fun - to have at least one other person along. If your boat is large enough, a third or fourth person the trip down Baja much more of a pleasure cruise. But if there are just two of you making a quick trip from San Diego to Cabo, expect to be wiped out when you arrive at the Cape. After all, the first couple of days at sea are the hardest on even the most experienced sailors, and 12 hours of watches per day will drain anyone.
Insurance. There are two types of insurance you'll want to consider. The first is insurance for your boat in the event that you lose the mast, get blown on the beach, or get holed by a shrimper. If your boat is in good condition, you shouldn't have any trouble getting it. If you already have it, there's a good chance your insurer will add a Mexico ‘rider' for an additional fee. If we had to guess, we'd say about 50% of the boats cruising Mexico have this kind of insurance.
The other insurance to be considered is Mexican liability insurance. In the unlikely event you do some damage with your boat in Mexico - run over a panga fisherman in the middle of the night, T-bone a shrimper and damage the hull, that kind of thing - you'd better either have plenty of cash on hand or Mexican liability insurance. If not, your boat - and maybe even you - could be impounded.
Liability insurance for Mexico is not expensive, and can be purchased in Mexico or in the States from a broker who deals with boat insurance for Mexico. It's the kind of thing you probably won't ever need, but if you do, you'll be really glad you have it.
Identification, I.D., Paperwork and
such. Don't go to Mexico - or take any crew to Mexico - without the following:
Personal I.D. - New rules require all travelers to and from Mexico, including U.S. citizens, to show a passport to re-enter the U.S. So if you ever plan on going home, get that passport - and allow at least six weeks to get it. To be clear, a drivers license and birth certificate are no longer acceptable forms of I.D.
Tourist Card - Everyone traveling to Mexico must obtain a Mexican 'Tourist Card' or visa. When arriving by boat you'll invariably be given a tourist card that's good for six months. After that, just get it renewed. Although you can get them in advance, why bother? They only take two minutes to fill out and are readily available at all points of entry.
Boat Documents - Every boat must carry current vessel documentation that proves ownership and port of registry. If your boat is not a U.S. documented vessel, you must carry state registration papers - and ideally a bill of sale and/or other proof of ownership.
Fishing Licenses - Oddly enough, this is the only paperwork you have to take care of before entering Mexico - on the assumption you'll be carrying any fishing gear onboard. If you have as little as just a few hooks, you must have licenses for your boat, your dinghy, and for each of your crew. If you're caught with fishing gear, but without a license, you'll be liable for fines. It's very unlikely that this would happen, but don't run the risk.
Mexican fishing licenses are good for one year and can be obtained in San Diego from: Mexican Fisheries Office, 2550 5th Ave., corner of 4th and Laurel, San Diego, CA; (619) 233-4324. They're not cheap, so catch lots of fish.
Radio Licenses - In addition to having an FCC ship's station license* for VHF and SSB radio, Ham operators would do well to obtain a reciprocal Mexican license. You can get one in Tijuana from the Secretaria de Communicaciones y Transportes for a fee of $75. Take two copies of your U.S. Ham license along with two copies of your stamped Tourist Card to: 1071 Calle 16, Libertad (near the intersection of Cajon Azueta and Calle 16); phone: 011-52-668-29500; fax: 011-52-668-23889.
*To obtain an FCC amateur radio license you will need to complete form FCC 605 which can be downloaded from the Internet (www.fcc.gov/Forms/Form605/605.pdf). For general requirements and procedures see http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/amateur/licensing/index.html. Or call (888) 225-5322.
Charts and Cruising Guides.
Charts come in many forms: originals, single reproductions, compilations of reproductions, and electronic. The most important thing to remember is that almost all of the charts for Mexico, and many chartlets in older cruising guides, are inaccurate! It sounds worse than it is, but when sailing close to shore in Mexico, your GPS coordinates will often actually have you on the side of a hill or a mile or more inland. We always assume at least two miles of error for charts of anywhere in Mexico, and constantly doublecheck our GPS position with radar and depthsounder.
To our mind, there's nothing like the look, feel and romance of original charts - which unfortunately run $15 or more. As a result, the Yachtsman's Chart Book and the out-of-print Mexico ChartGuide West compilations are good deals. Another way to go is to buy a couple of large-scale charts and a good cruising guide. For newer sailors, electronic charts seem to be irresistable. But you always want to have some 'hard copy' backup in case you spill a pitcher of sangria on
your computer.
There have been a number of cruising guides to Mexico over the years. Charlie's Charts of Mexico has been around forever, has sold in the tens of thousands, and is the classic. The most recent - and perhaps the best - is Captain John and Patricia Rain's Mexico Boating Guide 2nd Edition, which has lots of current information and chartlets, plus numerous aerial photos. But remember, when 'Charlie' and the other authors say their charts are "Not to be used for navigation," they mean it. By the way, before heading south, you may want to pay a visit to http://maps.google.com, then go to 'satellite'. In a matter of minutes you can visit every anchorage in Mexico to get terrific detailed aerial overviews. Check out, for example, the aerial views of the Ha-Ha stops at both Turtle Bay and Bahia Santa Maria. Such views make tremendous additions to regular charts. In fact, we highly recommend taking along aerial views of every significant anchorage in Mexico. Google is so fast that it's easy to do.
With regard to Baja, Jack Williams has the Pacific Coast covered in Baja Boater's Guide, Volume 1 - the Pacific Coast; and the Sea of Cortez coast of Baja covered in Baja Boater's Guide, Volume II - The Sea of Cortez. We particularly liked the aerial photographs of most anchorages and important points, although they have been surpassed by satellite photos on Google. In addition, the Williams guides are a little out of date.
While the cruising guides offer some historical and cultural information about Mexico, nothing can compare with the informative general tourist guides to Mexico published by Moon Publications and/or Lonely Planet. While a combination of their Baja Handbook and Pacific Mexico Handbook will do the job, they also offer handbooks for Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. We'd say the first two, at about $15 each, are 'must buys' to fully appreciate Mexico.
While lots of folks read trashy novels in Mexico, there are three classic books you shouldn't miss: The Log from the Sea of Cortez by John Steinbeck, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, and Karl Franz' People's Guide to Mexico. If you're confused by Mexican culture, Franz' book - now in its 25th edition - will explain it in a most entertaining manner.
II.
Weather
When it comes to cruising climates, there are really two different areas of Mexico. One is the Sea of Cortez, where the air and water are not tropical in the winter. The other area is - depending on your standard of warmth - from Mazatlan or Puerto Vallarta south, where it's almost always tropically warm.
Air temperatures in the Sea of Cortez can be coolish from as early as mid-November until May. And it can get downright cold when a Norther roars down from the States. However, since the Sea of Cortez pretty much runs north-south for more than 550 miles, there is great variation in the effect of Northers and the air temperature. When a Norther is blowing 40 knots and it's very chilly in Conception Bay, for instance, it might only be blowing 15 and be just perfect in La Paz.
The exceptions to Sea of Cortez weather are Cabo and Mazatlan, both of which stay warm almost year round.
Water Temperatures. While there can be spells of cool and cold air temperatures in the Sea of Cortez as early as November, the water temperature normally stays quite warm as late as early December. We once recorded 88° at Isla Partida during Thanksgiving. After that, the water temperature cools rapidly and dramatically, so forget swimming from La Paz north without a wetsuit until March or April.
The bottom line is that the best times to cruise the fabled Sea of Cortez are the spring and fall. Winter is too cool for those who enjoy water sports and are looking for a great tan. Summer is very, very warm in the Sea - in fact, August and September are hot as Hades - but some folks still love it.
South of Mazatlan or Puerto Vallarta, the air and water temperatures are pleasant year round. While some Northers blow down as far south as Mazatlan, they never invade the sheltered waters of Banderas Bay or the Gold Coast. However, if you like serious warmth in the dead of winter, there's nothing like getting as far south as Zihuatanejo. At midnight one memorable New Year's Eve, we measured both the air and sea temperatures at 80°. The skies almost always seem to be blue in Z-town.
Nasty Weather. While the sailing winds in Mexico are normally light and benign during the prime cruising season between November and June, there are some notable exceptions. The Pacific Coast of Baja is periodically subject to strong winds from the north, northwest and east, as well as 'Pineapple Expresses' from Hawaii. See Jack Williams' Baja Guide to find the best shelters for the different conditions.
The Sea of Cortez can also be dangerous from November to March, as Northers howl down from the States on a semi-regular basis. It's not uncommon to have 40 or more knots of wind during a Norther. But the wind isn't the problem that the short and steep seas can be. When there's a Norther blowing, you want to be holed up in a snug anchorage, not crossing the Sea of Cortez. Thank goodness for modern weather forecasting.
The number of Northers during any given winter can vary tremendously. Sometimes they seem to come almost one after the other. Other years there are hardly any at all.
Hurricanes. The hurricane season in Mexico is generally considered to be from June 1 until October 31. During the last 50 years there have been a handful of Mexican hurricanes in the month of November, but none of which would have affected cruisers. There was, however, one nasty hurricane in the middle of December - so you never can tell. And there have been several hurricanes in late May.
In the summer hurricane season, most boats on the mainland are tucked tightly into marinas and therefore quite safe. In fact, in the last 30 years, we can't recall any boats being damaged in mainland marinas from Mazatlan south.
While cruising pretty much shuts down on mainland Mexico during the summer months, many folks continue - and love - cruising the Sea of Cortez. The Sea gets visited by a hurricane about every other year, but only rarely do they affect cruising boats. However, the summers of '92 and '93 were the worst in about a quarter century, and many boats were damaged at La Paz and Puerto Escondido, with a few more in the water at San Carlos. However, the most vulnerable marinas in La Paz have been shored up. As such, if you're in a marina in Cabo, La Paz, and San Carlos, we think the odds are much in your favor. If you leave your boat anchored out, all bets are off.
The further up in the Sea you get, the greater the chance that an approaching hurricane will fizzle out before reaching you.
If you want to be an authority on Mexican hurricanes, go to: http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/index.html. This site has all the data, plus a color-coded chart showing the windspeed and path of every Mexican tropical storm and hurricane since 1949.
In the summertime, the Sea of Cortez is also subject to chubascos - brief storms with winds that often blow at close to hurricane force. In the fall of ‘97, a number of cruising boats were driven ashore at Puerto Escondido by a chubasco.
Best Sailing Wind. Banderas Bay has the most consistent sailing breeze in Mexico. It blows 8 to 18 knots almost every day from about 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. - and the water is always flat.
Most Annoying Wind. Coromuels come up in the middle of the night and blow out of La Paz - and into the normally protected coves of Isla Partida. If you're on the hook out there, they can drive you nuts, because they die the next morning just as you're ready to go sailing.
Most Popular Weather Forecast. Don Anderson of Summer Passage in California busts his buns providing weather forecasts specifically for cruisers in Mexico. He's on at 12,359 kHz at 1530 and 2245 Zulu (UTC) time, and 16,534 kHz at 2315 Zulu. His forecasts are repeated on several of the Cruiser Nets.
Don't Become Obsessed With Weather Forecasts. The longer people stay on the hook, the more they seem to become weather obsessed - and fearful of the weather. And it's a group phenomenon that can paralyze most of an anchorage. The truth of the matter is that unless you're crossing the Sea of Cortez, doing a Baja Bash, or awaiting the approach of a hurricane, you don't have to worry much about the weather in Mexico. If you're just sailing up or down the coast, a look out your porthole is all that's necessary.
III.
Typical Itineraries
We think it's best to leave San Diego immediately after the end of the hurricane season. In so doing, you normally avoid bad weather coming down the west coast of the United States in early winter, avoid really bad winter weather off the coast of Baja, and have the longest cruising season. As such, all our itineraries are based on getting south to Cabo by early to mid-November - which is about when the Ha-Ha fleet arrives.
Caution: There is nothing sacrosanct about the following itineraries. You can modify them all you want to suit your tastes, as they are just very rough suggestions.
Six-Month Itinerary. Hurry down the coast of Baja, have a beer and a shower in Cabo, then hustle up to La Paz and the islands just north of La Paz. Once in this fine cruising area, kick back into cruising mode and enjoy the area for as long as the water stays warm and the Northers don't blow. In a typical year, you'll still want to head over to Mazatlan by early December - if not a few weeks earlier for the Cruisers' Thanksgiving in Mazatlan. From Mazatlan, we recommend hauling butt south so that you make it to Z-town for Christmas and New Year's. Yes, this requires moving right along.
After spending a month to six weeks in the Z-town / Acapulco region, you should slowly start working your way north, remembering that the terrific Banderas Bay Regatta for cruisers takes place in March. By early April, it's a good time to cross from Mazatlan to La Paz, remembering that Loreto Fest is usually held the first weekend in May. From then on, continue enjoying the Sea of Cortez as far north as the water temperature and your schedule allow.
Cruisers with boats less than 45-ft have the option of heading home via Cabo and the 'Baja Bash', or sailing to San Carlos and having their boat trucked back to the States. You don't want to do a Baja Bash if you're on a tight schedule - you want to be able to wait for good weather.
The above six-month itinerary is for those who prefer warmer weather and don't mind moving smartly for brief spells. If you prefer to mosey or get a late start, skip the first foray into the Sea of Cortez and sail directly from Cabo to Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. If you really like to mosey, skip the Sea of Cortez and don't even go south of Manzanillo. Count on spending a lot of time in Tenacatita and Banderas Bays.
One-Year Itinerary. Take your own sweet time sailing down to Cabo, have a beer and a shower, then sail across to Puerto Vallarta. Allocate five months to enjoy the mainland between Acapulco and Mazatlan, remembering that the real heat is down south by Z-town. In late March or early April, cross into the Sea of Cortez and spend the rest of your time there. Lots of cruisers take a 'vacation' from cruising in August and September when it's so very hot in the Sea of Cortez. Come November, either sail or truck your boat home. By the way, November is normally the best month to do the 'Baja Bash' back to California. March and April, when the northwesterlies really blow, is usually the worst.
If you have one year and you want to enjoy more than Mexico, do the six-month itinerary outlined above, then sail to either French Polynesia and/or Hawaii for a couple of months, then to British Columbia until late fall. Several folks who have done circumnavigations tell us that this is the best 12 months to be found anywhere in the world.
Best Cruising Grounds. Most Mexico vets would vote for the 140 miles of islands and isolated anchorages between La Paz and Puerto Escondido, and/or the 175 miles of fine cruising between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. Both are ideal for having guests aboard, as they can be covered in a week, and there are airports at both ends of each. As mentioned before, the Sea of Cortez is not recommended in winter, and the mainland is not recommended in the summer.
Cruisers' Most Popular Spot. Z-town seems to win hands down. True, it's about 1,400 miles south of San Diego and 780 miles south of Cabo, but few cruisers who've gone the distance regret it. Also extremely popular are La Paz, Puerto Escondido, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, La Cruz, Nuevo Vallarta, and Tenacatita Bay.
Area with Most Things to Do. Banderas Bay has wonderful sailing conditions, a variety of great destinations within less than 15 miles, and a great city - Puerto Vallarta - that has just about everything you could need. But many cruisers also fall in love with Mazatlan and La Paz. The one city almost all cruisers dislike is Cabo San Lucas, as there are too many sportfishing boats, tourists and timeshare salesmen.
IV.
Once You're in Mexico
Necessary Documents. When sailing to Mexico, you'll want to have the current documents and paperwork - both the originals and about five copies:
1) The original of your vessel documentation - with current stamp - or state registration.
2) Passports for the entire crew.
3) Proof of Insurance - mostly only required by marinas.
4) Boat and Individual Fishing Permits - even if you're just carrying fishing gear.
5) Mexican Tourist Cards - pick them up at your first port.
6) Crew List - click here to download a PDF.
7) Notorized permission letter for children who are minors if they are not accompanied by both their parents - muy importante!
8) Letter of Authorization if a captain is to be left in charge of the boat.
The New Clearing Rules in Mexico. If this will be your first time cruising in Mexico, you have no idea how lucky you are that the rules for 'domestic clearing' have changed. In the bad old days - meaning before April 19, 2005 - it took a lot of time and money to clear out of one port captain's district and into another port captain's district. It involved going to the Port Captain, Immigration, Aduana (Customs), sometimes to a bank, and back to the Port Captain. If the Port Captain required you to use a ship's agent, it could cost you over $100, and take all day. And then you'd have to do it all over again at the next port - even if it was only 10 miles away. It was a tremendous waste of cruiser time and money, and much disliked.
Clearing in and out of Mexico Today. The procedure for clearing into your first port of entry in Mexico is the same as it's always been. You visit the Port Captain to get papers clearing your boat into the country. Then you visit Immigration to get a tourst card / visa for each member of your crew. Finally, you visit Aduana to get your boat's 10-Year Temporary Import Permit. You have not cleared in until you've gotten all these papers. If you want, you can hire a ship's agent to do the paperwork for you. Expect that it will take all day or even overnight, and it can't be done on weekends or holidays.
Do not lose your ship's clearance into Mexico, the Import Permit, or your visa. These are all valuable documents that should be kept with your passport.
Clearing in and out of Domestic Ports. If you are going from one port captain's district to another within Mexico - such as from Cabo to La Paz, Mazatlan to Puerto Vallarta, etc. - the new clearing procedure is much easier, quicker, and less expensive than before. All that's required is that you "inform" the port captain of your arrival or departure. Depending on the port captain, this can mean slightly different things.
Some port captains still require that you stop at their office and give them the basic information - such as boat name, size, document number, list of crew, and such. But that's it. It shouldn't take much more than five or 10 minutes, and unlike before, there is no charge and you shouldn't have to use a ship's agent.
Since port captains aren't getting any money for doing this work, many are allowing marinas to keep logs of the arrivals and departures of boats for them. This also constitutes "informing" the port captain. In these cases, you once again would provide the basic information about your boat and crew. If you are renting a berth in a marina, usually there is no charge. If you're an anchor-out using the marina's log, you might be charged a couple of bucks for that service.
So yes, there still is a little work to do to clear in and out of domestic ports, but it's very little, shouldn't take much time, and is entirely reasonable. But again, don't try to do it on a weekend or holiday because the port captain's office will be closed.
Dress to Impress. To a greater degree than in the United States, officials and business people will treat you according to the way you dress and behave. If you dress like you're an important person, you'll usually be treated accordingly. But if you dress like a bum, don't be surprised if you don't get as much respect as you'd like. It's not the end of the world if you dress in the 'cruisers' uniform' of shorts, faded t-shirt and flip-flops when you visit the office of a port captain or other official, but it doesn't show much respect.
If you're a woman who enjoys wearing sexy outfits or displaying breast augmentation with a skimpy bathing suit, you won't have many problems around tourist areas or resort marinas. But if you visit official offices or venture off into 'real' Mexico, you can expect to be treated with less respect than you might wish. Similarly, although going naked is lots of fun, Mexico isn't the South of France. So only go starkers on your boat when you're anchored way out. If you go naked on the beach, know that 'Mexican eyes' are everywhere.
V. Marinas In Mexico
At last count, there were nearly 3,000 berths in 24 marinas along the west coast of Mexico between Ensenada and Huatulco. Click here
for the contact numbers and email addresses. Caution: these
numbers change from time to time.
Generally speaking, berthing is not cheap in Mexico during the winter high season, so it's nice that just about everything else in Mexico is a bargain. There are, however, good deals on low-season berthing.
VI. Anchoring
Mexico is blessed with a great number of anchorages and generally excellent anchoring conditions. Little Isla Partida, just up from La Paz, for example, practically has more good anchorages than the entire Hawaiian Islands. If you can successfully anchor in Southern California's Channel Islands or in Hawaii, Mexico will be a cinch. But Mexico will not prepare you for the deep-water anchoring and coral conditions of the South Pacific.
Anchoring Etiquette requires that you treat others the way you'd like to be treated - you know, the Golden Rule. So unless specifically invited to anchor next to someone, assume that you should give them as much space as possible. And unless an anchorage gets extremely crowded, don't anchor directly upwind of another boat.
By the same token, if you get to an anchorage first, don't be a hog by putting out 10:1 scope. And if an anchorage starts to get crowded, actively try to help newcomers find a good spot rather than pretending they don't exist. It's not only the nice thing to do, but what goes around comes around.
If you've got a generator or like to play your stereo loud, remember that noise carries great distances over water. Respect the fact that most cruisers appreciate tranquility.
VII.
Cruising Happiness and Cruising Blues
Cruising rarely turns out to be how first-timers imagined it. Not necessarily better or worse, just different. The keys to enjoying cruising are realizing that it takes time to adapt to an entirely new lifestyle and to sloooooow down. This is particularly true for folks who've sold everything to go off on a 10-year cruise, because they've heaped a ton of pressure on themselves to like it.
Sometimes the best thing cruisers can do after a couple of months is take a 'vacation' from cruising. We recommend that they put the boat in a marina and return home to see family and friends - and to be reminded why it was they wanted to leave in the first place. Being back in the States for a week or two is usually enough to send once-reluctant cruisers scurrying back to their boats.
If you're a couple, be more forgiving of one another than normal, for both of you have all kinds of new responsibilities and anxieties. Sticking through the tough times often makes couples closer. And if you're a gung-ho male sailor with a novice girlfriend or wife, the dumbest thing you could do is scare the hell out of her. Give her time to ease into sailing - or let her take a plane on the long passages.
It used to be that the biggest killer of cruising dreams was alcohol. Booze is cheap in Mexico and the climate is conducive to sipping all day and half the night. The number of Americans - mariners and non-mariners alike - who lived out their lives in an alcoholic haze in Mexico was tragic. This is much less of a problem than it used to be, but if you drink, periodically stop to evaluate whether booze is controlling your life. The good news is that there are AA meetings and other support groups just about everywhere that Americans gather.
VIII.
Odds and Ends
Money. When it comes to major expenses - berthing, fuel, and tourist bars and restaurants - credit cards are almost universally accepted. But don't even think of pulling out your American Express platinum card - or even traveller's checks - at a small local restaurant or bodega.
Warning! Credit card fraud is rampant in Mexico, so if you use your card, make sure you monitor your account. ATMs are now located just about everywhere in larger Mexican cities. Warning! Cruisers periodically report having been ripped off by ATMs or thieves using them.
Unless you're a free-spender who likes hanging around the bright lights of tourist areas, you'll be surprised at how little cash you need. Many couples cruise on less than $1,500/month, all included. Want to try something fun? See if you can make it through an entire month without spending a centavo. It's actually not that hard to do if you're at a remote anchorage in the Sea or at Tenacatita Bay.
To give you an economic frame of reference, the minimum daily wage in Mexico is roughly $4 U.S. That's daily, not hourly. Many laborers and such make $15 to $25 a day.
Staying in Touch. If you're one of those people who likes to stay in touch with your family, friends, and business, there are many ways to communicate back to the States.
Cell Phones - If you like to hear voices, you can now get relatively economical 'North American Plans' for your cell phone from Cingular and Verizon that are good for the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Shop around and read the small print. Coverage is surprisingly good in the more populated coastal towns and even some remote areas.
Satellite Phones - If you like to hear voices and like to anchor at remote anchorages, a Globalstar or Iridium Satphone is the answer. While Globalstar has better audio, it's much less reliable. We recommend Iridium.
Email - The most popular communication devices to hit the world of cruising since shouting are email via SSB radio and SailMail, and by Winlink and Ham radio. Every cruiser who has either of these will tell you that they are a godsend. They do require a significant investment setting up in terms of the radio and a Pactor modem, but cruisers consider them a terrific value. They are not only good for staying in touch, but also for ordering parts and making reservations at marinas at which you're about to arrive.
Wireless - More and more marinas, and even anchorages, are getting wired for relatively high-speed Internet. Talk about cool!
Internet Cafes - You can find these all over Mexico, and they are important if you want to send photos or documents that are too long and big for Winlink and SailMail. But they aren't cheap.
Warning! One of the great reasons to go cruising is to get away from the overload of information. While trying a 'no money month', why not try a 'incommunicado month' too?
Guns. There are reportedly about 70 Americans in Mexican jails because they brought guns or bullets into Mexico. Given Mexico's history with revolutions, banditos and drug cartels, they show little mercy on those who violate their strict laws. We've never brought guns or bullets to Mexico, and we never felt as though we needed them.
Drugs. Messing around with any amount of illegal drugs in Mexico is foolish and can be very dangerous. While the overwhelming majority of Mexicans are kind and friendly, this doesn't apply to drug dealers and runners. Life can be cheap in Mexico - as evidenced by the 22 people executed in drug dealing in Ensenada on one day in '98.
Even buying a little pot for personal use can be risky, as there is always the possibility you're dealing with the wrong kind of people and/or are being set up. The penalties for being caught with even a small amount of pot can be severe, and Mexican courts don't let lawyers jive-ass their clients out of trouble the way U.S. courts do. Never allow any illegal drugs on your boat.
Cruiser Code of Conduct. If there was one, it would be based on the Golden Rule and the Caribbean motto: "Take only photos and leave only footprints."
Getting Wild and Crazy. Just about everybody needs to get wild and crazy from time to time. Fortunately, in any large Mexican tourist area there are designated bars where Americans can get drunk and behave like complete idiots. Our post Ha-Ha favorite has always been Squid Roe in Cabo, where the staff relentlessly encourages everyone to get bombed, do lascivious things with consenting partners, and generally misbehave in a controlled environment. Caution: Do not try this behavior in an authentic Mexican cantina. In fact, do yourself a favor and avoid real cantinas.
Toilet Paper. Between Montezuma's revenge and the lack of well-stocked restrooms in remote areas, it's wise to always carry some toilet paper with you. However, things have been improving in this regard.
IX.
The Most Common First-Timer Mistakes
1) Wrongful Anchoring. The two main causes of faulty anchoring - which lead to anxiety and sleepless nights - are: inadequate equipment and poor technique.
As Einstein noted, everything is relative. So what looks like an enormous anchor and monster rode sitting on a shelf in a chandlery looks like toy stuff when trying to hold a 12-ton boat off a lee shore in a 40-knot blow. Within your cruising budget, there are items you can skimp on, but anchors and rodes should not be among them. Buy big and buy extra. And don't forget the windlass and chafe gear.
The good news about Mexico is that other than at Cabo, where the outer harbor is an uphill sand bottom, and La Paz, where the famous tidal waltz has boats drifting about in all directions, the anchoring conditions are generally very good.
Of course, even the biggest anchor and strongest rode won't do you any good if you don't know how to use them. Throwing the anchor and rode over the side in a bundle while still moving forward is a recipe for disaster. Such a mess will hold in light wind, but as soon as you go to sleep and the breeze comes up, you'll drag rightthrough the fleet.
In most conditions, the proper anchoring technique is to back down at a slow but constant speed, getting the rode to lay out in a straight line. When you get the proper length down, you gradually increase your power in reverse, allowing the anchor to slowly but surely dig in.
2) Dinghy Deficit. When cruising Mexico, your dinghy is not an indulgent toy, but your lifeline with both the shore and greater adventures. For some cruisers, it's their liferaft, too. In our opinion, you need a top-quality dinghy with an outboard powerful enough to plane while carrying the number of people in your crew. That means 6 hp for one, 7 hp for two, and 15 hp for three or four. A good dinghy and outboard combination is expensive, but if you take decent care of it, it should last for five years and still have good resale value. A serviceable second dinghy of some sort is a godsend for boats with larger crews.
Because you'll make so many landings in Mexico, you'll probably want dinghy wheels. You probably won't use the wheels anywhere else, but they're worth it for Mexico alone.
3) Reefing Madness. Far too many people sail to Mexico without having a 'clew' about how to properly reef or heave to. Reefing is essential for safety and comfort. And it's useless to practice at the dock, because it's an entirely different experience during a storm at night at sea. If you sail shorthanded, reefing at night is not a bad routine strategy. Sometimes folks heave-to even in light conditions just to catch some rest or a peaceful meal.
4) Over-Provisioning. There's not a significant food product you can't find in Cabo, La Paz, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo or Acapulco. So why cruisers continue to load up with a six-month supply of goods at Costco in San Diego is beyond us. The stuff takes up valuable storage space, overloads the boat, and goes to waste. Besides, there are great mercados - and Costcos and Sam's Clubs - all over Mexico.
5) Electrical Shortages. The majority of first-time cruisers greatly underestimate the electrical needs of all the new gear they've had installed. Transmitting on SSB, for example, can really drain a battery. So can refrigerators struggling in tropical heat and watermakers trying to filter the high salinity water of the Sea of Cortez. The only two solutions are to limit electrical consumption or increase capacity.
6) Health Kick. While the climate in Mexico is great for drinking, it's even better for the healthy outdoor life and getting yourself into better shape than you've been in years. We all know the formula: Walk a couple of miles a day, swim a mile a day, eat well and drink in moderation. And we all know the results: less weight, lower blood pressure, greater endurance, wilder sex, and better general health.
7) Make the Most of Cruising. We suggest that everyone about to take off cruising prepare to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the experience. In addition to getting your body into great shape, and doing the normal things such as sailing, diving, hiking, swimming and exploring, use the free time to expand your mind in other ways. Have mental goals, too.
While in Mexico, interact as much as possible with the locals, for they are wonderful people. One of the biggest surprises is how friendly and helpful most of the civil servants have become. |
