La Paz as a Snowbird Destination

[ksanders]

Kevin (and other Mexico cruisers) : what's your plan for land transportation? Bikes? E-scooter/bike? Taxi? Walk? Rental car? I find an old beater bike is very helpful, but still there are obvious limits.

For some reason, rental cars in Ensenada are 2x-3x to same in Q. Roo (Playa del Carmen), though that was pre-pandemic.

Just curious how you'll crack this nut.

Peter

Being here has made me think this transportation issue through a bit.

Walking for the shorter errands. Walking is good for you. I can even after a week feel the muscle change taking place due to walking further distances than to my truck every day. That is part of the point, to exercise in the fresh air more, get in better shape, loose some weight.

For hauling stuff like a load of groceries a cart is easy peasy. I'll be getting a two wheeled good quality grocery cart.

For further distances a bike is needed. Something comfortable with a decent seat and a fairly upright stance. Something with medium wide tires, and some really low gears. A decent sized basket either behind the seat or off the handlebars will make hauling stuff easy.

I have been a cheapskate regarding bikes. With the specific requirements I'm looking for something a bit higher up the scale will be in order. The trick will be to keep it washed off with fresh water, and keep it oiled up to prevent rust to the running gears.

For further distances a taxi. For days where it makes sense rent a car.

This transportation challenge does not just go for La Paz, this goes for cruising in general. When I leave Seward Alaska my truck will be parked at my sons house for safe keeping.

 

[mvweebles]

Rust will be less of a problem on that coast, especially Baja. I bought a $100 single speed bike at target 10 years ago - as you say, more upright with wider tires and a more comfortable seat . It's pretty rusty but works fine, though single speed is a bit limiting. I chose a single speed because I was worried about maintaining the gear shift mechanism, at least in Florida climate. Honestly, I worry about theft more than anything else (especially in Mexico) so an old beater is less of a concern. Im still trying to figure out the right lock that's quick but secure and not too difficult to stow on the bike.

I used to have a pair of Dahon folding bikes. They were better than nothing, but I didn't really like them, though they did have 7-speeds (and seemed to need adjustment regularly, especially since folding them stretches and pinches the cables). Maybe newer ones are better.

We have a condo in Playa del Carmen and rent cars regularly as they are $30-$35/day including insurance so easily affordable. But it's a hassle - nothing goes as smoothly as US so it takes an attitude adjustment. When I rented cars in Ensenada was at least double that rate and still a hassle.

Yes, goes for cruising anywhere. Just curious what you were thinking. Being able to reliably have a 3-5 mile radius would be nice. The e-bikes are interesting. But again, theft.....

 

[Larry M]

We used cabs or a car rental when we did major provisioning.

As far as a bike goes, I donated mine after a season. Unless the drivers have gotten more courteous, riding a bike, for me, wasn’t for the faint of heart. After a few cars and busses pulling over and forcing me onto the curb a local school kid got a bike.

 

[GoneFarrell]

For many years I spent as much time in Baja from Punta Eugenia to over to Muluge and the Bahia Concepcion and then south to your location as I could possibly get away with in the winter, back before wife and kids I look forward to sharing the area with them soon, by boat.

I've been doing similar here from my winter time casita in Mulege for the last 15 years! Should you or other TF vagabundos wander into Bahia de Conception in the winter we should cross paths for tacos, ceviche and cervesas here or down the bay. We have a "boat ramp" in our park suitable for kayaks and paddleboards.

Nearest fuel dock is about 40 miles north at Santa Rosalia. South of here would be operations at Loreto, 80 odd miles. Mulege is on an estuary that runs inland a mile and a half, my place is a mile in on the estuary.

There is a "bar" and some rocks at the entrance by the lighthouse, the outfall from hurricane floods over the years. Bottom comes up to about 3 feet depending on tides, we have significant tides here. Anchorage on the north side of the lighthouse is possible, but if the northeries are blowing its an uncomfortable ride at anchor, go down the bay or up to the lee of Punta Chivato.

There used to be a puerto capatina here on the lighthouse rock, but that function has moved north to Santa Rosalia. The capatina's residentia has been taken over and rebuilt by the Mexican Navy, but they are never there.

Last several seasons we've trailer boated off the beach in the bay, lots of fun. Love it here, small town vibe, fresh local vegetables and beef, goat cheese from the ranchos & brewpub.

La Paz is great for the big city it has become, is a city "vacation" from rural Mulege.

 

[ksanders]

Yet another reason to choose Marina De La Paz

when the northerlies set in and they do this for days at a time, this marina is fairly calm as it is on the lee side of a big condo complex.

by comparison Marina Cortez is on the windward side.

The anchorage looks rolly polly.

The wind feels to me to be in the 20 knot range today

 

[rgano]

I was delivering a 105-foot converted crew boat from New Jersey to San Diego in 1989 when I made three stops in Mexico, Salina Cruz, Acapulco, and Cabo San Lucas. We carried 6500 gallons of diesel and ran at 20 knots on our four 12V92TAs. I had eight paid crew. In every country we touched on there was always a hassle with checking in and out of the ports because the owners would not pay for an agent, I always had to hunt down the local port captain for document signing etc. The firearm I carried added a slight complication, but never anything especially daunting. By the time I got to Cabo San Lucas, I was a bit tired with all the trouble hunting up authorities and finding sufficient fuel - some places would not fill us up. We were taking a couple of days break at Cabo when two private soldiers carrying their Belgian FN rifles decided to come aboard uninvited one evening on what turned out to be an extortion attempt. They apparently thought none of the Yankee crew spoke Spanish (I am "half" fluent from a lot of time in Central and South America while in the Navy) and first looked at us and said, "Drugs?" to which I replied in the negative. They kept repeating this mantra apparently hoping we'd hand over some money for a bride to make them go away or to imprison us for the attempt. I finally broke out my ace in the hole, an assistant engineer who was fluent in Spanish who informed them in no uncertain terms that we were carrying no drugs and that we were not going to give them a damned dime and to go away. They spent a couple of hours aboard and decided to hassle us with a search of the vessel to amuse themselves since we would not give them anything as a bride to make them go away. It must have been shift change for them when they finally ambled off leaving us in peace.

Sinaloa with all of its cartel violence is not so far away. I wonder when the troubles will find their way to Cabo and environs?

 

[Bertram Guy]

Great Thread, I am in the middle of a similar cruise. Ran my Offshore 62 down the Baja Peninsula recently. We left on December 11th. checked into Ensenada the next morning, I used an agent that made it very easy. Just a heads up the Coral was out of fuel so my agent arranged a fuel truck for virtually the same price. The trip down was absolutely amazing like a 800 mile bay cruise. Crazy fishing on the Uncle Sam and Theitis Bank. Didn't plan on fishing but it was hard to ignore Marlin and Dorado damn near jumping in the boat. I hold 1100 gallons of fuel so didn't need to make the Turtle Bay fuel stop. My boat is in Puerto Los Cabos in San Jose and I made the reservation with deposit last June and glad I did the Marina is full with a waiting list. It is an amazing trip. La Paz is 100% more affordable than San Jose or the Cabo area, less touristy and in my opinion a better vibe, San Jose is less touristy than Cabo proper but pricey. As somebody mentioned earlier and in my opinion services like washdowns, bottom cleaning, laundry, and somebody checking on the boat every couple of days while im not there are a freaking bargin compared to Southern California standards. Anything you buy that has to be imported is expensive you are paying duty etc, or with your TIP you can mule it yourself under Yacht in Transit status. The only thing I regret is the fact that I waited so long to make this voyage. The feeling you get when rounding Cabo Falso on your own boat for the first time is like nothing else.

 

[AZ2Loop]

This thread is making me miss Mexico. I hope we fully explore the Sea of Cortez sometime in our boating life. There was a 43' Nordhavn in Ensenada that just went under contract. I hope someone here bought it and I hope they go south, then turn hard to port, then up the Sea of Cortez. If we are lucky, they will share their experiences here. Ksanders, you have good times ahead!

 

[ksanders]

Here are a few photos of Klee Wycks boat Domino

What a cool boat! and the most unique tender I have ever seen!

 

[klee wyck]

Here are a few photos of Klee Wycks boat Domino

What a cool boat! and the most unique tender I have ever seen!

Hey! What a nice wake-up as I sit here in the PNW snow waiting for our next trip down. Wishing I was there at the moment!
The tender is call Domini. JP, the PO, was never satisfied with a commercially available tender so he built this one. His special requirements related to the fact that they never tied up at a marina and they were often in remote places which did not have docks of any kind. He needed surf landing/launch capability on any shore surface, massive cargo capacity, and a dry ride.
One of my favorite features is the swim step, a very nice feature for divers getting back into the tender after an excursion among the sea life!
Domini was his answer. JP did not take no for an answer.

 

[bowball]

Domino looks great!

 

[EngNate]

Mariscos Moyeyos great seafood restaurant, it's out near the Fonatur marina;. Rancho Viejo just off the Malecon for a good steak.

 

[Rsysol]

La Paz and the Sea

Kevin,

I didn’t read all of the responses but we’re currently in Puerto Vallarta and cruising the Pacific Coast right now, heading to La Paz and the sea later in the spring.

La Paz is a great choice but keep in mind the the sea is subject to some fairly constant northerly winds in the winter. So much so that your cruising can be limited. The water tends to be rather cold as well.

Not trying to discourage as we love La Paz!

 

[BandB]

Kevin,

I didn’t read all of the responses but we’re currently in Puerto Vallarta and cruising the Pacific Coast right now, heading to La Paz and the sea later in the spring.

La Paz is a great choice but keep in mind the the sea is subject to some fairly constant northerly winds in the winter. So much so that your cruising can be limited. The water tends to be rather cold as well.

Not trying to discourage as we love La Paz!

Wifey B: We loved all the area of Mexico we cruised. We spent time in Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, and Huatulco followed by Puerto Aventuras, Cancun and Isla Mujeres. What we haven't done is all the little fishing villages from Cancun to Brownsville.

Now where to cruise this winter/spring?

 

[murofrelwart]

What is La Paz like for boat services (mechanical, electrical, fiberglass, etc.) and basic parts availability?

 

[Terry Wilkinson]

Lots of services available in La Paz and good quality.

 

[squimmy27]

My plan has been a Baja snowbird winter from a summer bird in the San Juans when I retire in 2024. I've been going to Baja since the 70s and was intending on the East Cape area. Took a dive trip to Cabo Pulmo/Los Barriles a couple years ago, I had been there maybe 5 years before, and couldn't believe the change (looking like Cabo San Lucas). I hadn't been farther up the gulf-side coast. Went to La Paz the last two weeks of October, explored up to Loreto (check out Marina Puerto Escondido), spent some time with the marina staff at La Paz. Slips seems to be about the same as here ($650-750) for a 50'. I concur with previous posts. People are friendly, fresh food is available, marine services are plentiful. And after shoveling a foot of snow off my boat in Sequim I definitely want to be a snowbird....

 

[Captain DJ]

I absolutely LOve La Paz. Great Food and wonderful waters to explore and play in. I live across the Gulfo de California (Sea of Cortez) in San Carlos Nov-June and then on my trawler in PNW from July-Oct. I want a boat down here, but I will have to be satisfied for now with friends' boats and my little center console.

San Carlos is really awesome too.

 

[Larry M]

What is La Paz like for boat services (mechanical, electrical, fiberglass, etc.) and basic parts availability?

Most boating centers in the US aren’t as well serviced as La Paz. Parts can be more expensive but not by much. Here’s the go to service directory for La Paz.

https://www.clubcruceros.net/pdf/service_directory.pdf

 

[ksanders]

As a bit of an update for the digital nomads out there.

My business uses a Voxter cloud based VOIP service. This gives us office phone features like agent login, auto attendant, park, page, etc... all things a business needs.

In the USA this service works perfectly over cellular or even the KVH satellite.

Here in Mexico that is not the case. I am finding that some TCP ports must be being blocked as my phone acts strangely. I brought down my spare router specifically to iron out the issues. The UDP voice component works great but things like the buttons on my phone do not work correctly, making it impossible to use the phone for most of what I need it for.

I think the solution will be to use a VPN service on the WAN side of the router. Unfortunately the router I brought with me is a couple years old (my spare) and does not support VPN on the WAN side.

Another work around would be to go into my Voxter portal and forward my extension to my cell phone but that does not give the functionality that I need to be effective. My business routes client calls into a que so that either myself or my business partner can take the call, whoever is on duty that day or not busy if we are both "working".

Again, this will ber of zero interest for most cruisers but for the digital nomads out there it might be very important information

 

[captmikem]

My first impressions were of course culture shock. La Paz is not a town where everyone speaks english. This is a town where the folks that speak english in general speak very little english. .

I layed there for about a year, at 8 am (maybe 10) there is a net on the VHF where the cruisers all speak English, local weather, things for sale, etc. it gets old after a while but if you need something it is easy to turn it on and you usually get answers to what you need.

Only problem is that it becomes like most places, one tends to stay at the marina 97% of the time. There are great places to go to the north, and not a lot of people going there.

Great restaurants, and other things, I actually sat for my HAM license there!

It is one of my favorite places on the west coast of North America. Can't imagine someone not enjoying it as it is not a tourist destination like Cabo or Puerto Vallarta. At least I hope not yet.

Enjoy!
M

 

[klee wyck]

I layed there for about a year, at 8 am (maybe 10) there is a net on the VHF where the cruisers all speak English, local weather, things for sale, etc. it gets old after a while but if you need something it is easy to turn it on and you usually get answers to what you need.

Only problem is that it becomes like most places, one tends to stay at the marina 97% of the time. There are great places to go to the north, and not a lot of people going there.

Great restaurants, and other things, I actually sat for my HAM license there!

It is one of my favorite places on the west coast of North America. Can't imagine someone not enjoying it as it is not a tourist destination like Cabo or Puerto Vallarta. At least I hope not yet.



Yes, that morning VHF broadcast still happens at 8 AM on channel 22 and is primarily sponsored by Club Cruceros. It is a bit repetitive, but useful if you need some kind of update or help. Weather, tides, swaps, services, mail service....just generally helpful.



La Paz is definitely busier and more commercial than when we first went there but is still awesome. We were also very impressed by San Carlos and would sure look forward to spending a Winter or two there, as well as the southern crossing to the mainland and all that that offers like Barra, Z-town and beyond. We are new down there and the exploration opportunities seem to abound.

 

[BandB]

Again, this will ber of zero interest for most cruisers but for the digital nomads out there it might be very important information

But critical to you and a reminder to all to check all details out. We must also have business connectivity and, in our case, that means the ability to use web cams to communicate. Even when in our office, we rarely use the conference room now, but use web conference rooms. Amazing how much easier it is to hear everything said and without interruptions.

No doubt you'll figure out the solution, but wise due diligence.

 

[mvweebles]

As a bit of an update for the digital nomads out there.

My business uses a Voxter cloud based VOIP service. This gives us office phone features like agent login, auto attendant, park, page, etc... all things a business needs.

In the USA this service works perfectly over cellular or even the KVH satellite.

Here in Mexico that is not the case. I am finding that some TCP ports must be being blocked as my phone acts strangely. I brought down my spare router specifically to iron out the issues. The UDP voice component works great but things like the buttons on my phone do not work correctly, making it impossible to use the phone for most of what I need it for.

I think the solution will be to use a VPN service on the WAN side of the router. Unfortunately the router I brought with me is a couple years old (my spare) and does not support VPN on the WAN side.

Another work around would be to go into my Voxter portal and forward my extension to my cell phone but that does not give the functionality that I need to be effective. My business routes client calls into a que so that either myself or my business partner can take the call, whoever is on duty that day or not busy if we are both "working".

Again, this will ber of zero interest for most cruisers but for the digital nomads out there it might be very important information

I know nothing of Voxter or similar. Sounds like a cloud-based PBX type service. But I can say that getting and maintaining reliable internet in Mexico has been a challenge. VPN enabled router has been difficult for me. The '5 easy steps' to enable a given VPN tunnel seem like a tight-rope act for this drunken sailor with predictable results. I gave up after a few tries and dozens wasted hours. I'll confess, likely a big chunk is operator error, but all I can say is it has been a struggle.

One thought which might ease the path is to buy a pre-configured router from a place like https://www.flashrouters.com/

I use NordVPN software on my PC, phone, and tablet. Seems to work okay be I can't spoof everything. I sometimes have to hunt for a server to allow Netflix/Hulu/Prime access. My home cable service will not even run if there is a VPN tunnel.

Good luck with marina internet anywhere, not just Mexico. There is still a lot of DSL style connectivity that is being replaced by fiber - this was the situation at our condo in Playa del Carmen. My strong hunch is the telcos in Mexico are fine with over-susbscribing their circuits. God forbid if you are near the end of the line.

I have been tethering to my cell which has worked fairly well. Issue is that there is normally a cap of 500mb on international tethering for most US plans which gets me to about lunchtime. My longterm plan is bulletproof : retire. Another option would be to get a local mobile phone (or just a SIM card if your phone has a second slot)

Finally, if you don't already have WhatsApp, get it. Yes, it's a Facebook company which carries its own considerations, but Mexico runs on WhatsApp.

Will be interested in updates to your experiences.

Peter

 

[ksanders]

But critical to you and a reminder to all to check all details out. We must also have business connectivity and, in our case, that means the ability to use web cams to communicate. Even when in our office, we rarely use the conference room now, but use web conference rooms. Amazing how much easier it is to hear everything said and without interruptions.

No doubt you'll figure out the solution, but wise due diligence.

Thanks!

One thing for sure is that I'll be discussing this with my ATT rep when I get back in the states. We have a corporate ATT account and I am pretty sure they can come up with a data plan for my router that works in Mexico.

Between that, and the boat router having VPN capability, and the fallback to use satellite for the phone I'm confident this will work.

It's just working out the bugs.

 

[ksanders]

I know nothing of Voxter or similar. Sounds like a cloud-based PBX type service. But I can say that getting and maintaining reliable internet in Mexico has been a challenge. VPN enabled router has been difficult for me. The '5 easy steps' to enable a given VPN tunnel seem like a tight-rope act for this drunken sailor with predictable results. I gave up after a few tries and dozens wasted hours. I'll confess, likely a big chunk is operator error, but all I can say is it has been a struggle.

One thought which might ease the path is to buy a pre-configured router from a place like https://www.flashrouters.com/

I use NordVPN software on my PC, phone, and tablet. Seems to work okay be I can't spoof everything. I sometimes have to hunt for a server to allow Netflix/Hulu/Prime access. My home cable service will not even run if there is a VPN tunnel.

Good luck with marina internet anywhere, not just Mexico. There is still a lot of DSL style connectivity that is being replaced by fiber - this was the situation at our condo in Playa del Carmen. My strong hunch is the telcos in Mexico are fine with over-susbscribing their circuits. God forbid if you are near the end of the line.

I have been tethering to my cell which has worked fairly well. Issue is that there is normally a cap of 500mb on international tethering for most US plans which gets me to about lunchtime. My longterm plan is bulletproof : retire. Another option would be to get a local mobile phone (or just a SIM card if your phone has a second slot)

Finally, if you don't already have WhatsApp, get it. Yes, it's a Facebook company which carries its own considerations, but Mexico runs on WhatsApp.

Will be interested in updates to your experiences.

Peter

Yes! I learned that Mexico seems to run on Whatsapp! What is interesting is why is it not as popular in America?

 

[ksanders]

This is for anyone thinking "Can I do it in my boat"

The answer is for the most part Yes you can.

I have been here for two weeks now, and have spent time at the marinas, looking over the anchorage and out on the water.

I have seen every boat here imaginable!

Pretty much every Taiwan Trawler you can think of is here and I'm pretty confident they all came here on their own bottom.

Plenty of Aft Cabin boats in the 45 foot range.
Europas of several sizes
Several Defever pilothouse look alikes
At least one Willard 36

So... If you are reading this wondering if you need a bigger, more capable boat, the answer is most likely no.

My advice to anyone reading this is to not sit in the office for more years paying for a more capable boat because you think that is what you need to go cruising.

The Sea of Cortez is Huge and you can explore it in the boat you probably already own.

 

[socalrider]

This is for anyone thinking "Can I do it in my boat"

The answer is for the most part Yes you can.

I have been here for two weeks now, and have spent time at the marinas, looking over the anchorage and out on the water.

I have seen every boat here imaginable!

Pretty much every Taiwan Trawler you can think of is here and I'm pretty confident they all came here on their own bottom.

Plenty of Aft Cabin boats in the 45 foot range.
Europas of several sizes
Several Defever pilothouse look alikes
At least one Willard 36

So... If you are reading this wondering if you need a bigger, more capable boat, the answer is most likely no.

My advice to anyone reading this is to not sit in the office for more years paying for a more capable boat because you think that is what you need to go cruising.

The Sea of Cortez is Huge and you can explore it in the boat you probably already own.

Thanks for the inspiration! When we road tripped through the PNW a few years back I remember looking around the marinas in Oregon thinking... my boat would look pretty out of place amongst these battleships!

Good to have the reminder from you that you don't need a Dashew FPB to get to the Sea of Cortez. I love it down there - maybe you've seen the wind farm we recently built just West of the town? Hoping to get the family down there on our boat but tough with the kids in school; might have to charter.

 

[mvweebles]

This is for anyone thinking "Can I do it in my boat"

The answer is for the most part Yes you can.

I have been here for two weeks now, and have spent time at the marinas, looking over the anchorage and out on the water.

I have seen every boat here imaginable!

Pretty much every Taiwan Trawler you can think of is here and I'm pretty confident they all came here on their own bottom.

Plenty of Aft Cabin boats in the 45 foot range.
Europas of several sizes
Several Defever pilothouse look alikes
At least one Willard 36

So... If you are reading this wondering if you need a bigger, more capable boat, the answer is most likely no.

My advice to anyone reading this is to not sit in the office for more years paying for a more capable boat because you think that is what you need to go cruising.

The Sea of Cortez is Huge and you can explore it in the boat you probably already own.

I'm really glad you posted this. Range can be an issue, but truth is, many boats can be safely navigated on coastal stretches with some patience. I once had dock neighbor in SF who took his 1970s era Uniflite 42 ACMY to Acapulco and back and had a blast. When I did the Baja Ha Ha in 2006 one of the other two power boats was an MMC 37 single engine Taiwan trawler. He was continuing to at least Panama.

TF in general has a discernable bias towards stoutly built boats like Nordhavn for longer passages. I take nothing away from Nordhavn but I fear many people cannot afford one and sit on the sidelines as a result. In my opinion, either by force of marketing or reputation, Nordhavn and the like broker on risk mitigation. It costs a lot of money to mitigate the last few percentages of risk which is sad since much of the same risk can be mitigated by learning enough weather forecasting to avoid Force 8 and above.

In the end, it's much easier to "dance with who brung ya" than to find a new date. Many people - sail and power - waste years and tons of money in search of the perfect boat. An example of 'great ' being the enemy of 'good.'

Peter

 

[ksanders]

I'm really glad you posted this. Range can be an issue, but truth is, many boats can be safely navigated on coastal stretches with some patience. I once had dock neighbor in SF who took his 1970s era Uniflite 42 ACMY to Acapulco and back and had a blast. When I did the Baja Ha Ha in 2006 one of the other two power boats was an MMC 37 single engine Taiwan trawler. He was continuing to at least Panama.

TF in general has a discernable bias towards stoutly built boats like Nordhavn for longer passages. I take nothing away from Nordhavn but I fear many people cannot afford one and sit on the sidelines as a result. In my opinion, either by force of marketing or reputation, Nordhavn and the like broker on risk mitigation. It costs a lot of money to mitigate the last few percentages of risk which is sad since much of the same risk can be mitigated by learning enough weather forecasting to avoid Force 8 and above.

In the end, it's much easier to "dance with who brung ya" than to find a new date. Many people - sail and power - waste years and tons of money in search of the perfect boat. An example of 'great ' being the enemy of 'good.'

Peter

Peter, that is Exactly why I made that post. The problem is that people can talk themselves out of power cruising because they face the reality that a Nordhavn class boat is just not within their reach and allow retirement at a decent age, maybe never.

I looked at a LOT of boats here in La Paz. Yes there were a few "passagemaker class" boats, but they were FAR outnumbered by the much more affordable Coastal Cruisers.

I am just leaving today and am glad I came here before bringing my boat down.

One thing I guarantee that I'll be doing is buying Air Conditioners. I already have the ducting in place, and the wiring. I just need to run a seawater hose to each one.

The reason is that on hot days, even in the winter you can run into a situation where it is in the 80's, maybe the high 80's and have zero cooling breeze. That will make a boat extremely uncomfortable until the sun goes down and things cool off.