Look for the places that have a large number of anchorages close together, which would mean you never have to wander too far from shelter. Sailing in Mexico is not a crowded tour boat. Identification, ID Paperwork and such. Winter brings the occasional norther and, on the east coast, strong trade winds. It blows about 15 knots almost every day from about 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. See Jack Williams’ Baja Guide for the best shelters for the different conditions. While some … Hurricanes. Banderas Bay has wonderful sailing conditions, a variety of great destinations within the Bay, and a city, Puerto Vallarta, that has just about everything you could need – and all the social life you can handle. Your original birth certificate or driver’s license are acceptable – if accompanied by a notarized letter which verifies your identification. A great variety of sailboat charters and yacht rentals are available in every major coastal town, and tourists never have to search far for the perfect boat to rent for a day or for a week. But when you venture off into ‘real’ Mexico, you should avoid hassles by dressing conservatively. The majority of first-time cruisers to Mexico greatly underestimate the electrical needs of all the new gear they’ve had installed. Cruiser Code of Conduct. In addition to getting your body into great shape, open your mind by doing a variety of activities in addition to sailing, diving, hiking, swimming and exploring. Mexican fishing licenses are good for one year and can be obtained in San Diego from: Mexican Fisheries office, 2550 5th Ave., Suite 101, San Diego, CA; (619) 233-6956. If you politely approach an official and say, “I have a very big problem,” things can usually be worked out. Caution: Do not try this behavior in a authentic Mexican cantina. They’re not cheap, so catch lots of fish. Mexico is blessed with a great number of anchorages and generally excellent anchoring conditions. We think that both refrigeration and watermakers are worth it, but it’s possible to have a great cruise without them. Pat Rains. West Coast Sailing has long been a go-to source for dinghy sailboat parts, and is rapidly expanding it's offering of parts and accessories for many popular one-design keelboats such as the J/22, J/24, Sonar, Etchells, J/105, Melges 24, and more. So go starkers on your boat when you’re anchored way out or on some isolated beach. 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 or Hawaii for a couple of months, then to British Columbia until late fall. In fact, do yourself a favor and stay out of authentic cantinas. Yes, it requires covering quite a few miles. 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. Charlie's Charts was always a popular guide......i2f, 20 MPH ain't fast unless, you do it in a 1000sq 3/2 house on 10foot waves. Most Mexican officials are pretty flexible. 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. The skipper and crew should practice putting in single and double reefs, preferably at night at sea. Nasty Weather. ... but you go cruising on the west coast. Mazatlan is affected by only the strongest Northers, while Cabo is immune because of tall mountains. In addition, a chart indicating the location of all the thru-hull fittings should be posted in an obvious place. From Mazatlan, we recommend hauling butt south so that you make it to Z-town for Christmas and New Year’s. Between La Paz and Puerto Escondido, there's a stretch of approximately 140 miles of islands and remote anchorages. © Latitude 38 Publishing Co., Inc., 1998-2001 Published or Updated on: January 1, 2006 by 38 Latitude © 2008, Your email address will not be published. The Boat. If we had to guess, we’d say about 50% of the boats cruising Mexico have this kind of insurance. Sailing Directions 153 West Coasts of Mexico and Central America [Nga] on Amazon.com. Have any of you found a suitable guide that includes details that sailing moms would be looking for? Specialized marine parts are hard to come by in Mexico, too. Your final stop will be the Port Captain’s Office. 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 have plenty of cash on hand or Mexican liability insurance. 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