Formalities and Informalities: Entering Mexico by Private Boat

 ¡México!

We've been in Mexico for eighteen days! It's fun.

We've had opportunities to practice our Spanish. We've met wonderful (and patient!) locals, spent days in only our swimsuits, explored lava caves, hiked canyons, snorkeled, and dug our toes deep in the sand. Life is good. This is the paradise we've dreamt about, and the Pacific Baja Coast does not disappoint. We're currently sitting at a friendly coffee shop in Cabo San Lucas, feeling both grateful for the memories along the way and excited for the adventures to come. We're waiting for a small boat part to arrive in port here in the next couple days, and then we'll head north toward La Paz. We have almost seven months to enjoy the Sea of Cortez. Seven months!

But first, I should catch you up!

While I'm eager to write about the magic of the Pacific Baja Coast, that will need to wait. Instead, this post will focus primarily on the fine details of officially entering Mexico by boat. Woohoo! Exciting stuff! 

These were the details that confused us when we first left Washington nearly three months ago, so I figured I'd put what we've learned all in one place in case it could help anyone else planning this passage in the near future.

If that's not you, save yourself the boredom and skip ahead to the photos. Really. Being our family member or friend should not be a punishment.

For those of you still here, I've highlighted the most important details so you can simply skip my mindless rambling. :)

To Ha Ha or Not to Ha Ha?   

Many first-timers to Mexico choose to join the Baja Ha Ha rally. It leaves San Diego on November 1st and sails to Cabo San Lucas. It's perfect for new blue water sailors or those who enjoy the social opportunities of traveling in a large horde group (think 100-200 sailboats). The rally offers informative seminars and fun events but sails on a strict schedule. It does not help with the formalities of entering Mexico by boat. 

We chose not to join the Ha Ha. We wanted to meet Mexican locals, not just other cruisers, and make decisions based on weather and whims, not an arbitrary itinerary. We're happy we did it our own way on our own schedule, away from the crowds. But there are pros and cons of both options. We suggest you look into what works for you and your crew and determine what you hope to get out of the trip south. We don't think there's a wrong answer. You'll get to the Sea of Cortez either way, and you'll enjoy your time getting there.

Staging in San Diego

Most people stay in San Diego since it's the closest city to the Mexican border and a convenient stop for last-minute projects, parts, and provisions. As a result, there are crowds--especially right before the Ha Ha leaves--and therefore expensive transient marina slips.

Anchoring in San Diego is free, but we were advised to reserve anchorage space weeks or even months ahead of time. You can view and reserve anchorages here. After setting up an account, you can make three reservations for three days each at a time. We reserved our spots in June and still found plenty of space for late October and early November.

"But what if we don't know when we plan to be in San Diego, Denise?" No worries patient readers, you can always modify or cancel reservations at no charge.

If you show up to San Diego without moorage or anchorage reservations, don't worry. You can try the first-come, first-served A-9 Cruisers Anchorage. It requires an inspection at the coast guard dock on the way and can get crowded with Ha Ha boats, but there's no limit for how long you can stay. The view of downtown San Diego from there is stunning.

If you prefer to stop at a dock, the police dock is the cheapest option in San Diego ($1.21 per foot per night, including power). You can reserve the police dock up to two weeks ahead of time; do it right away if you hope to stay in the last few days of October (prime Baja Ha Ha dates) as it books up right away. Other cruisers reported suspicious activities and poor management there, but that was not our experience at all; we found it both safe and friendly. The link to the police dock is the same link as above.

Bringing your Boat as your Carry-on

Heading south from San Diego, Ensenada is the closest port of call (you will probably skip this port and check in in Cabo if you're part of the Ha Ha though, as Ensenada cannot accommodate a group that large). The problem is that there is no longer any permitted anchorage inside the bay. Ensenada marinas know this, so they're expensive (a whopping $2.00+ USD per foot!). Supply and demand strikes again. Fortunately, fuel is much, much cheaper here than in Southern California so there is no need to top off in San Diego.

When planning your time in Ensenada, keep in mind that you will need a minimum of two days: one for the entrance formalities (entrada) and one for the exit formalities (salida). The paperwork should only take a couple hours Tuesdays through Fridays or Saturday mornings. If you need to complete any paperwork on a Monday, however, the process can easily take three or four times as long as the backlog from the weekend piles up.

If you have a large boat (read: over 40 feet), you may want to reserve a slip weeks or even months in advance. At 36 feet, we could easily fit anywhere, but friends with larger boats had to get on wait lists or skip Ensenada altogether.

Also, if you think you might stay six days or more in Ensenada, then reserve a full month. Paying for a full month is cheaper at most of the marinas than paying for six days at their daily rate, and you won't be able to switch from paying daily to paying monthly after you've already arrived.

Here's the good news: the slip rates for the marinas include an agent to navigate the entrance formalities with you...Which is invaluable. The only exception to this offer is Marina Coral, which is faaaaaancy. They will charge you the same as the other marinas and then an additional, equally expensive fee for entrance assistance. They do have a pool though, so do what you will with that information.

And unless you speak fluent bureaucratic Spanish, help with formalities is advised. A marina agent will drive you to the port captain's office--which is in the same building as customs, which is in the same building as immigration, which is in the same building as the Banjercito (TIP*) office--and lead you from line to line (to line to line to line to line to line in a repetitive circle). The close proximity of the offices allows travelers to foolishly believe the process is efficient and convenient.  

The agent will then speak for a while with each official while you stand there smiling and nodding your head like an idiot. We learned we were good at this part. Then you will sign on the dotted lines and give your tarjeta de credito to pay each fee. You'll leave with a valid ten-year Temporary Importation Permit [TIP] for your boat and a 180-day visa for each member of your crew.

You will need to bring: 

• Passports for all current crew members
• Your boat registration (either state or USCG registration in the US or federal license in Canada)
• Your engine serial number
• An idea of your gross and net tonnage
• Your dinghy registration number (only if your dinghy motor is 10 hp or more) and your dinghy motor serial number (again, only if your dinghy motor is 10 hp or more) 
• Your credit card, because bureaucracy feeds on money
• Your Mexican liability insurance

Fees in USD:

Visas: $32.50 per person

TIP for De Novo: $56 (varying slightly by tonnage)

Port Captain Fee: $17

Our total: $138

The ability to travel hassle-free by boat in Mexico: priceless

Notes: The exchange rate was around 19.6 pesos per US dollar when we paid the fees. These fees do not include marina costs in Ensenada.

This is more expensive than entering Canada (free) or the US (around $30) by sailboat.

*TIP is a Mexican Temporary Importation Permit, necessary for cruising Mexico and starting in any Mexican marina. Buy your TIP in person during entrance formalities at the Banjercito in Ensenada or Cabo rather than online. If you are traveling with the Ha Ha and don't want to deal with the line at the Cabo Banjercito, you can also buy it early at specific Mexican consulates in California. 

A Quick TIP Tip

While these steps are unnecessarily bureaucratic, they usually aren't problematic. However, issues could arise if your boat already had a TIP from an earlier trip and you or the previous owners never canceled it. Check here to see if your boat falls into that category. Do this step early, like in the earliest planning stages of your trip. If you weren't the one to issue the initial TIP, skip the second blank in the login page. If your boat doesn't yet have a TIP, or if the TIP was properly canceled when your boat last left Mexico, you're fine. Otherwise, you will need to take additional steps long before you arrive in Mexico. This site offers excellent advice for those in that situation.

Extras

If you plan to visit the Sea of Cortez's conservation lands by boat, you'll need permits for everyone onboard. The conservation lands include the Loreto Bay National Park islands, the Golfo de California Biosphere Reserve islands, the Bahía de Los Angeles and surrounding islands, and Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park. It's spendy at around $80 USD per year per person, but the money does help protect these important lands. Simply go to site above, click on the large image, and start a new account. Alternatively, if your time in these reserves is limited, you may decide to pay the day use fees (around $4 USD per person per day) directly to the rangers instead.

If you plan to fish while in Mexico, you can buy your licenses online. Like the conservation permits, every crew member needs a license if any fishing happens onboard. Annual permits run about $45 USD a year.

Tip: Buy your fishing licenses before or upon arriving in Mexico. If you are stopped with fishing gear aboard and no permits purchased, you could face serious fines. 

Listen all, y'all, it's Cabotage

Once you've cleared in and out of your first Mexican port, you can move on and forget about the formalities...well, almost. You will also need to clear in and out to every large port (Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Puerto Vallerta, etc.), but these later check-ins are free and relatively simple. "Cabotage" (moving among ports within the country) requires only a brief call to the port captain on VHF or at most, a ten-minute stop to the port office. Check-in and check-out can usually be completed on the same day, sometimes during the same VHF call. No bureaucratic fluency, agent, fees, or extra stops required. Much easier. 

Main Takeaways

Our suggestions for entering Mexico are as follows:

1. Check early to see if your boat has an outstanding TIP.
2. Make early arrangements if you choose to go to San Diego or Ensenada.
3. Buy fishing licenses and, when the time comes, conservation permits.
4. Budget for some entrance fees and, if entering the country through Ensenada, marina stays.
5. Use assistance with the formalities if needed.
6. Put your TIP, passports, and other paperwork in a safe place on the boat for use in future ports.
7. Move on to enjoy everything Mexico has to offer.

Now that the formalities are behind us, there's no question that they were well worth it. Now it's all about the important things: sunshine, swimming, and sailing.  

Our next post will focus more on these important things. :)

¡Nos encanta México!

Photos!

Wonderful stop at Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands

De Novo at anchor
Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island

SV Griffin coming to join us for a hike at Willow's Anchorage, Santa Cruz Island.

Gigabyte and Minibyte (De Novo)
So much gratitude to my Aunt Laraine and Uncle Dave for letting us stay with you in Newport Beach! Thank you for the comforts of home, advice about cruising in Mexico, and a beautiful space to work on De Novo. We so loved staying with you! Cruising is definitely in our blood. :) 

Sailing one long easy tack from Newport to San Diego

We loved San Diego.
We visited with my dad, brother, and nephew here.
Thank you, Dad, Steve, and Kellan for making it all this way. We love you!
We also enjoyed reconnecting with SV Raven, SV Palomita, SV Wanuskewin, and SV Griffin and meeting several new cruisers here. 

The Ha Ha parade starting to line up.
It was much more relaxing to watch the parade than to be in it. :) 

De Novo in San Diego's Police Dock before the Ha Ha left.

De Novo in San Diego's Police Dock after the Ha Ha left.

In Glorietta Bay, our favorite San Diego anchorage

Glorietta Bay

We added a designated foldable solar panel and controller to Boo, our dinghy, so our electric motor battery stays topped off while ashore. It locks up to Boo too!


Leaving San Diego for Mexico!

Beautiful Ensenada

Beautiful Cruiseport Harbor

Just a reminder that cruising is really just doing boat projects in exotic locations.
(Here, we're fixing a leak and upgrading fittings in our freshwater system.)

Another reminder:
(We had to fix our autopilot, a job made much more difficult and time-intensive when we accidentally spilled all of the ball bearings into our cockpit! Oops.)

¡Hola patos Mexicanos!

¡Hola gato bonito!
(Fathom, an invaluable and skilled crew member on SV Gemini)

Kristin Pederson, ocean sailor extraordinaire and friend, joined us here for the Ensenada to Cabo San Lucas leg, our favorite passage yet. She, and the wonders of the Pacific coast, will be in the next post. 

Leaving Ensenada at sunset. Warm seas and exciting adventures to come. 

Thank you to everyone who reads our blog.

Love, Denise and Dave 💙