Latitude 38 November 2003

LETTERS

Many changes in clearing in to Mexico?

About six months ago you published an article on the hassles of having to clear in and out of Mexican ports. As 1 understand it, there was some lobbying being done to re¬ place the old system with one of a single cruising permit for six months or a>year, eliminating all the in and out fees as well as port fees. Has there been any progress?

Gisele Coffey Victoria, British Columbia

Gisele—As we understand it, a change to an annual cruis¬ ing permit was passed by one branch of the Mexican Con¬ gress, but then was turned down after heavy lobbying by port captains — by the other branch. So nothing has changedfrom last year.

Actually, maybe things are slightly worse in some places. As of late October, Jim Baker and Suzy Kendall of the 31-ft Brown Searunner trimaran Sparta reported bad news from Puerto Madero on the southern coast of mainland Mexico. When thiy passed through 18 months before, "one of the nicest port captains in the world" signed their zarpefor no charge. Unfor¬ tunately, he's no longer there, and the new port captain is demanding — apparently illegally — that everyone use a ship's agent to check in and out. Before it was oR over, Jim and Suzy had been charged $140. A whopping $60 — a tall pile of money in southern Mexico — went to the ship's agent. By compari¬ son, they had paid only $30 fOr a three-month cruising permit in Panama.

We'll have their full story in next month's Changes.

Mthe crew list form

We’d like to get a copy of the Crew List form necesseiry for cleaning in procedures in Mexico. We understand that the form must be in Spanish — or English and Spanish. We've looked mamy places for such forms, but haven't been able to find a copy. It would be helpful if you made the form downloadable from your website.

We re hoping to do the Ha-Ha this year, but thanks to my wife being hit and our car being totalled in a car accident, we have to be in trial in Los Angeles. We nonetheless plan to head south, so we ll be following the Ha-Ha as soon as pos¬ sible.

Bill & Bobi Holbrook Wandering Puffin, Islander Freeport 41

Los Angeles

Bill and Bobi — A half size copy of the required document appears in Latitude's First-Timers' Cruising Guide To Mexico, which was sent out to all Ha-Ha entries. The latest editions of Charlie's Charts also has the form in Spanish — with an En¬ glish translation — on pages 238 and 239. And we're sure Downwind Marine in San Diego has copies. But even if you miss all these, don't sweat it, as Just about every cruiser in Cabo — which we presume wUl be your port of entry — will be happy to lend you a copy or downloadable version.

Speaking of clearing in Mexico, we just got off the phone with Dick Markie of Paradise Resort and Marina in Nuevo VaUarta, who confirmed that while many cruisers use a ship's agent for clearing into ports, it's stm possible to do it yourself. The only exception might be at San Bias, where the last sev¬ eral port captains have made cruisers use an agent — even though this is apparently illegal.

In any event, Markie' says what really bugs port captains and their staffs is when cruisers who want to clear in show up slovenly dressed and poorly groomed, throw sloppy and half-

Page 90 • UtUujU • November, 2003

'hen you caCC

‘£mei'uvwe ^Marina home...

^ . 'yy} '' ' 'J''''' ''''' ' ^''^S '' / > ' "'"<■' ' '

m'-yvnic mar

t W,'.,-

THE 5i^ ,

ShiErweis 3uen3 if^xidby "iiiiwnMts ■* f ^ i)i««it * jFrsss Mettlim* * St««n% CWlutt:Kiill>£SCl A<£$«SS %l^dk3;: ^ Wktmmk G«te«ur

mw'siir^r

I'

’ ‘ ‘‘^valiahle'Um

Lailj Tj"' .; . .;

y'--' ^ V^ V^i*-'’'zj'~vi*' ■•>; o. Vi'

O.E §^4308

?j4C |S]?oi%J St.^%

Intematumd

■ rt,-.-^:.

... ca/T t/iw z/our Bacf^arcC!

YANMAR

We Don’t Deliver Pizza

ENGINE SALE

• Lighter

• Quieter

• Compact

• Less Maintenance

• Fuel Efficient

• More Reliable

Haulouts and full service marine repair for 80 years!

5-Year Warranty!

Oneof'\\

J^°nhern ^^'Ifornis's

\ ^°Py»nmar ' .°®«ters

But We Will Change Your Fluids Polish Your Fuel & Suck out Your Bilge.

Nor Cal 1 877-744-2244

Attention Yacht Clubs: Call us for FREE* diesel engine maintenance & repair seminars at your club!|

616 W. CUTTING BLVD., RICHMOND, CA 94804

(510) 232-5800 • Fax (510) 232-59141

November, 2003 • UKUJt. 3? ♦ Page 91