Baja Naval

[Nube]

Hello I am taking my boat to Baja Naval Ensenada for some maintenance wondering if anyone has any recent experience with them? Thank you.

 

[KnotYet]

The more often you can stop by and check the progress the better. Good luck.

 

[mvweebles]

What type of work? I know of three boats that had bottom paint work done in last 18 months or so and were happy with results. I do not know of recent experiences for more complex work. My experience there is 3 years old. I do understand their mechanic recently left but only a rumor.

Peter

 

[MYTraveler]

Hello I am taking my boat to Baja Naval Ensenada for some maintenance wondering if anyone has any recent experience with them? Thank you.

From what I have seen, Baja Naval is not appreciably less expensive for most work than the major yards in southern California. Anecdotally, the work is sometimes inferior and but the dispute resolution is more difficult. I would certainly want to inspect the work at every stage. So, with new bottom paint, for example, before any new paint goes on, you should visually confirm (wtih your eyes, not pictures, etc.) that the bottom was properly cleaned and prepared.

It would be great if you could report your experience, especially concerning pricing, quality of workmanship, scheduling and timing, and the nature and resolution of any difficulties. That would be very valuable to many of us who wish to consider that yard.

 

[mvweebles]

I have very mixed feelings on Baja Naval. I originally chose them to do the refit on Weebles but had some issues getting quotes, and some of the quotes I did get were 2x the budgetary estimates I received over several months of email pictures. But this was a extreme project so I am not too harsh in evaluating them.

There's a reason I asked OP what work he was thinking of doing.

To their great defense, their paint and fiberglass work is excellent. They paint a LOT of boats (topside, hull, and of course bottoms) and have very good facilities to do quality work. As good if not better than San Diego yards.

Mechanical work and electrical work work sub contracted out. It's hit or miss. Stainless steel welding work is also subcontracted but is pretty decent - some talented welders in Ensenada building Baja 500/1000 trophy vehicles. But only in 304 stainless.

Carpentry work is decent but not yacht-quality joiner work.

I hope this helps. Baja Naval does quality work for many things. The bulk of complaints I've heard have been related to price. Was my experience but that was a few years ago - things change. I've met several people who have used Baja Naval multiple times and been happy. Because Weebles is at a competing yard, I do meet people who are open to an alternative. But that's to be expected given the circumstances.

Peter.

 

[Mako]

I recall the subject yard was also discussed on another thread. The quote I received to fiberglass over a ply deck was ridiculous.

 

[RickyD]

I find that their bottom paint work and as Peter says, painting in general if very good. For my 55 in 2018, Driscoll in San Diego quoted over $4,000 for bottom paint, Baja Naval, $2,700. I had my sun deck panels painted for $2,800 and again Driscoll was over $4,000. Things are different since COVID. They quoted me almost $700 to replace a water pump that I supplied and was identical to the one being removed. I told them it would be expensive at $280 in the US. "Oops, we already did the job, will you give us the $280?" Then, I had them remove and rebed my forward looking windows. They subbed out the job. The windows leaked worse. They sent back my $900. So, be sure to get quotes. After COVID it seems their quotes were hit and miss. If you have a list of jobs needed, with reasonable quotes, you can get them started and then when the boat is there you can add stuff. I think some of my bad quotes were because they were not seeing the boat. The way they charge for labor and every little item they take out of the ware house does make it tough to know exactly what you paid for a particular job. Stir sticks, face mask, sand paper, protective shoe covers, tape, everything is charged. My buddy did it wrong. We took the boat down there for bottom paint and new through hulls. The pricing was less than half a local yard quote.
Then he just kept adding jobs. Well, if a worker has a list of jobs to do, he will be more efficient than if he does things one at a time. Walk to the warehouse. Take out some supplies, talk to his buddy, do some work, go back to the office, get another job, go get some supplies, talk to his buddy, etc. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[sd1209]

I had work done there 10 months ago....Took 6 weeks and I stayed on the boat the entire time (out of the water)...The main 2 jobs I had them do was teak and holly in the salon and teak decking in the cockpit and flybridge....Could not have been happier with both of those jobs.......I est I saved 25% off all the jobs vs having it done in San Diego....

I had some fiberglass work done to repair some dings, XLNT...
Had it waxed top to bottom----marginal.....
Many boats being painted during my time there. all looked good to me...If I was in the market for painting I would not hesitate....

Staying aboard was beneficial I believe.....I told them going in I had a leave date and was promised no problem..they lived up to that....Key for me was daily contact with Victor, who was my contact and the mgr for most work done that I saw.....

I was apprehensive for obvious reasons ref having work done there..Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of the major projects and I did save money....

 

[Nube]

We are taking the boat in for mostly usual stuff. Stabilizer reseal, cutlass bearings, PYI seals, bottom paint, repair a soft spot near the hawse pipe, change a busted M/E sea cock, and install A/C. It seems like most of this would be right up Naval's alley.

We have been on the books for a couple months as the work list develops, but have yet to get a quote offered up. That will definitely be a deal breaker as I have heard a couple things around the dock about work and pricing.

Seems like the deal is to have an established list, get it quoted, limit change orders as much as possible, and to be regularly in attendance at the yard.

We aren't due in until middle June, so I don't yet find myself worried, but if I don't have a quote for the work before I go in, that will change some things.

 

[Portage_Bay]

Seems like the deal is to have an established list, get it quoted, limit change orders as much as possible, and to be regularly in attendance at the yard.

That should be the path to a successful yard period. My experience in the work boat world is it can happen that way. Yards working on recreational boats don't seem to follow that path. Instead we get huge cost overruns and late schedules.

 

[IRENE]

New Customer - Baja Naval

Background - we need to schedule some routine maintenance and a few improvements before the end of the year. I engaged two yards in Puget Sound - one which I used previously for a quick “in and out”; another recommended by a trusted friend. Yard 1 was going to send me an estimate (never received), and yard 2 was thinking my punch list would take 3 weeks to complete and we would need to be off the boat (understandable policy). Three weeks of lodging in the summer will be a considerable expense, and we have WA sales tax of around 10% where these yards are located.

On to Baja Naval…

I am a details guy and I spent considerable time reading what customers had to say about Baha Naval. This research led to the decision that I needed to reach out to Baha Naval, as they are on our cruising route.

I have been communicating with Baha Naval for about 2 weeks. My initial contact was via submission of an inquiry on their website one evening after business hours. I sent a detailed punch list in the comments. The next day, I received a polite personal response. Thank you for your inquiry, we have time on the schedule for your job and we can do most of the work. Please give us a few days to work up an estimate.

About a week later, I received a detailed response, with thanks for my patience. Each item on my punch list was clearly addressed. An email exchange led to a 40 minute phone call with Diego Fernandez this last Thursday to “fine tune” what I wanted and discuss the schedule. We had some specific requests and Diego met or exceeded expectations. For example, I asked for his permission to sleep on the boat in the yard, in the earlier email. Diego said we could sleep on the boat, they could provide water and pump out service, use the marina showers and bathroom, use the lounge with WiFi. We spoke about the jobs to be completed, sourcing specific parts and materials, and bottom coatings. Diego was genuine, professional, and there was no salesmanship. I felt like I was making a friend and I relaxed. Diego told me to talk to my wife and he would be available for questions. I got out my calendar and asked him to schedule the job on the spot.

Diego offered some scheduling advice based on “big deal” local events, and we scheduled an arrival date to the marina and a haul out the following Monday. Diego explained the next steps in the process, including a deposit, assignment of a project manager, and timeline. After the call, he followed up within 15 minutes with an email containing more information that he offered during the call (surveyor contacts and local information).

Later in the day, I received an unexpected email from the Baha Naval harbormaster. The harbormaster confirmed our arrival date to the marina and provided some requirements to enter Mexico. Included were 3 attachments - an Ensenada harbor satellite photo with Baha Naval clearly marked; a marina satellite photo; and a marina map with our slip assignment marked. We have been boating for years and have NEVER received as much arrival clarity and detail from a harbormaster.

Baha Naval is executing exactly what I want to see at this stage of the process - high levels of responsiveness and attention to detail. We are confident to leave the myriad resources of Puget Sound, pass a couple dozen or more yards on our way south, and schedule with Baja Naval. Hopefully I can come back here, later in the year, and share the great results.

 

[mvweebles]

Background - we need to schedule some routine maintenance and a few improvements before the end of the year. I engaged two yards in Puget Sound - one which I used previously for a quick “in and out”; another recommended by a trusted friend. Yard 1 was going to send me an estimate (never received), and yard 2 was thinking my punch list would take 3 weeks to complete and we would need to be off the boat (understandable policy). Three weeks of lodging in the summer will be a considerable expense, and we have WA sales tax of around 10% where these yards are located.

On to Baja Naval…

I am a details guy and I spent considerable time reading what customers had to say about Baha Naval. This research led to the decision that I needed to reach out to Baha Naval, as they are on our cruising route.

I have been communicating with Baha Naval for about 2 weeks. My initial contact was via submission of an inquiry on their website one evening after business hours. I sent a detailed punch list in the comments. The next day, I received a polite personal response. Thank you for your inquiry, we have time on the schedule for your job and we can do most of the work. Please give us a few days to work up an estimate.

About a week later, I received a detailed response, with thanks for my patience. Each item on my punch list was clearly addressed. An email exchange led to a 40 minute phone call with Diego Fernandez this last Thursday to “fine tune” what I wanted and discuss the schedule. We had some specific requests and Diego met or exceeded expectations. For example, I asked for his permission to sleep on the boat in the yard, in the earlier email. Diego said we could sleep on the boat, they could provide water and pump out service, use the marina showers and bathroom, use the lounge with WiFi. We spoke about the jobs to be completed, sourcing specific parts and materials, and bottom coatings. Diego was genuine, professional, and there was no salesmanship. I felt like I was making a friend and I relaxed. Diego told me to talk to my wife and he would be available for questions. I got out my calendar and asked him to schedule the job on the spot.

Diego offered some scheduling advice based on “big deal” local events, and we scheduled an arrival date to the marina and a haul out the following Monday. Diego explained the next steps in the process, including a deposit, assignment of a project manager, and timeline. After the call, he followed up within 15 minutes with an email containing more information that he offered during the call (surveyor contacts and local information).

Later in the day, I received an unexpected email from the Baha Naval harbormaster. The harbormaster confirmed our arrival date to the marina and provided some requirements to enter Mexico. Included were 3 attachments - an Ensenada harbor satellite photo with Baha Naval clearly marked; a marina satellite photo; and a marina map with our slip assignment marked. We have been boating for years and have NEVER received as much arrival clarity and detail from a harbormaster.

Baha Naval is executing exactly what I want to see at this stage of the process - high levels of responsiveness and attention to detail. We are confident to leave the myriad resources of Puget Sound, pass a couple dozen or more yards on our way south, and schedule with Baja Naval. Hopefully I can come back here, later in the year, and share the great results.

If I remember, Harbor Master is a gal by the name of "Carmina." Very efficient and very nice. Staying aboard at Baja Naval is great - very centrally located, heads are clean and comforable. There is no WiFi except at the office. Caution - the docks at Baja Naval have a lot of surge and wake. I went through several docklines and a couple fenders while I was waiting for quotes (almost 4-months).

As stated above, I originally intended to have Weebles refit at Baja Naval. I too had extensive email and voice conversations with Diego. I don't know why, but it fell apart when I arrived. I had quotes for the major stuff such as paint and hard-top. But some stuff - electrical re-wire for example - could not be quoted which was understandable. There was also some fiberglass work to repair holes for ancient depth finder, speakers, etc.

After waiting for several months (3-1/2-months to be exact), I gave up waiting. The paint work doubled which is partially understable since there's only so much you can do from pictures. But the brand new hard-top also doubled which made no sense to me - nothing changed. Diego had no explanation for what changed on the hard top. For the paint, he said all gelcoat had to be removed, which I could not validate via Alexseal rep.

I've always wondered what happened and why I coudn't get quotes. They really seemed disinterested. I was about to head to Mazatlan when I found Niza Marine - the hack team. Ironically, I tried to reach-out to Guillermo too but didn't get a response. Oh, how close I was to getting Weebles done the first time.....

Irene, it does sound like you're on a better path than I was. But keep your guard up.

Peter

 

[sd1209]

Diego is one of the 2 owners (brothers)....He is the one I dealt with prior to my going down there....I found him to be available and upfront.....He has been doing this for quite a long time....Between Diego and Victor (who I had daily contact with daily, sometimes many time a day, and is I believe the yard manager) I felt confident when I took mine down last year....

 

[mvweebles]

Would be very helpful if folks were a bit more informative about the work scope. Many yards do just fine with bottom jobs, swapping thru-hulls, and other common work. But for skilled work (mechanical, electrical, electronics, joinerwork, etc.), can be a crap shoot. Just being satisfied/dissatisfied without having a good feel for the work is not overly useful.

Peter

 

[socalrider]

Following. Helpful thread, particularly for those of us in San Diego.

I'm facing a big decision around whether to replace or upgrade our current vessel. She'll need bottom paint next season, and if we decide to keep her we'll think seriously about removing the teak decks, fixing/extending the swim step, possible full hull/topside paint, maybe a solid flybridge top, re-bed windows, etc... none of this is tremendously complex (unless we want the swim step to function as a hull extension, which we might), so BN seems like a good candidate compared to the San Diego yards.

Or I could try to chip away at it myself, but it's a *lot* of hours...

 

[mvweebles]

Following. Helpful thread, particularly for those of us in San Diego.

I'm facing a big decision around whether to replace or upgrade our current vessel. She'll need bottom paint next season, and if we decide to keep her we'll think seriously about removing the teak decks, fixing/extending the swim step, possible full hull/topside paint, maybe a solid flybridge top, re-bed windows, etc... none of this is tremendously complex (unless we want the swim step to function as a hull extension, which we might), so BN seems like a good candidate compared to the San Diego yards.

Or I could try to chip away at it myself, but it's a *lot* of hours...

Well, La Costa's labor rate is in the $20/hr range. If your time is worth less, then by all means, do it yourself.

Rebed windows and paint of topsides is tough to quote. Hull and bottom are okay to quote. Removing the teak decks should be fairly comfortable to quote. Hard-top can run the gamut depending on what you want (lighting, ability to support a person to install solar, antenna, etc.).

My suggestion would be to take a ton of pictures and ask for quotes for the bottom hull, and to remove the teak decks and glass-over with non-skid paint. I would bid to Baja Naval and La Costa Boatworks (the folks who have worked on Weebles and done a decent job). I will tell you that Guillermo is not as responsive as Baja Naval, but his word is golden. Docks at Baja Naval suck, but at least they have docks. With La Costa, would have to stay at Cruiseport 3/4 mile away. Take a trip down and meet both Diego and Guillermo. Review the pricing. Meet the workers. La Costa and Baja Naval each have their benefits. Quality of work will be similar with both. Haul/Lay-days at La Costa are higher because they rent yard space. Labor rates at Baja Naval are higher and they seem to bid based on a slight discount off SoCal pricing whereas La Costa bids based on hours expended against $20/hr. If you need welding/Stainless Steel, Alberto at La Costa will knock-out small stuff whereas Baja Naval will contracts out everything. If you need mechanical or electrical work, be very specific with your questions - who will do it, what is their hourly rate, what is their experience with your exact work. Both Baja Naval and La Costa have basic mechanics/electricians, but if you need anything more than Circa 1995 work, it will be sub-contracted out, likely to the same people. Ask about how each charges for parts and materials.

If you need to stay on your boat, Baja Naval is a much nice place to stay. There are pluses and minuses.

Depending on how much work, La Costa will need a good 3-4 month lead time to accomodate you; Baja Naval a bit less. Both will take much longer than you think.

Of course, let me know if I can assist.

Peter

 

[socalrider]

Well, La Costa's labor rate is in the $20/hr range. If your time is worth less, then by all means, do it yourself.

Rebed windows and paint of topsides is tough to quote. Hull and bottom are okay to quote. Removing the teak decks should be fairly comfortable to quote. Hard-top can run the gamut depending on what you want (lighting, ability to support a person to install solar, antenna, etc.).

My suggestion would be to take a ton of pictures and ask for quotes for the bottom hull, and to remove the teak decks and glass-over with non-skid paint. I would bid to Baja Naval and La Costa Boatworks (the folks who have worked on Weebles and done a decent job). I will tell you that Guillermo is not as responsive as Baja Naval, but his word is golden. Docks at Baja Naval suck, but at least they have docks. With La Costa, would have to stay at Cruiseport 3/4 mile away. Take a trip down and meet both Diego and Guillermo. Review the pricing. Meet the workers. La Costa and Baja Naval each have their benefits. Quality of work will be similar with both. Haul/Lay-days at La Costa are higher because they rent yard space. Labor rates at Baja Naval are higher and they seem to bid based on a slight discount off SoCal pricing whereas La Costa bids based on hours expended against $20/hr. If you need welding/Stainless Steel, Alberto at La Costa will knock-out small stuff whereas Baja Naval will contracts out everything. If you need mechanical or electrical work, be very specific with your questions - who will do it, what is their hourly rate, what is their experience with your exact work. Both Baja Naval and La Costa have basic mechanics/electricians, but if you need anything more than Circa 1995 work, it will be sub-contracted out, likely to the same people. Ask about how each charges for parts and materials.

If you need to stay on your boat, Baja Naval is a much nice place to stay. There are pluses and minuses.

Depending on how much work, La Costa will need a good 3-4 month lead time to accomodate you; Baja Naval a bit less. Both will take much longer than you think.

Of course, let me know if I can assist.

Peter

Super useful and helpful Peter. I'm planning on taking a bunch of pics and getting the bidding process started over the next few weeks & getting the work done (if we proceed) after the summer whenever they can accomodate. I'll refer to your post as I progress. Fantastic to have you as a resource here!

 

[rtn1]

I've hauled out at Baja Naval several times over the past 20 years and have generally been happy with their work and pricing. Compared to Newport Beach the total cost for a bottom job is about 50% less and the paint quality is much better than what is available in So Cal. They have been good at keeping to a schedule and it's definitely convenient to stay on board on the hard.

The one problematic experience was that they cut and removed all the messanger lines in my mast when it was removed for painting. Peter will remember the aggravating day when he graciously helped me remove the rats nests that were due to their trying to run new lines with an electrician's fish tape.

Overall, I will go there again and it's a nice excuse to the wife for me to have a short sail down to MX for a week.

Roger - Saga 43 sloop

 

[mvweebles]

I've hauled out at Baja Naval several times over the past 20 years and have generally been happy with their work and pricing. Compared to Newport Beach the total cost for a bottom job is about 50% less and the paint quality is much better than what is available in So Cal. They have been good at keeping to a schedule and it's definitely convenient to stay on board on the hard.

The one problematic experience was that they cut and removed all the messanger lines in my mast when it was removed for painting. Peter will remember the aggravating day when he graciously helped me remove the rats nests that were due to their trying to run new lines with an electrician's fish tape.

Overall, I will go there again and it's a nice excuse to the wife for me to have a short sail down to MX for a week.

Roger - Saga 43 sloop

There is actually a really good back-story to meeting Roger. I had ordered from SDMX (San Diego Marine Exchange) a pair of Forespar flopper stopper poles - essentially 12-foot spinnaker poles. Plan was to pickup in my van when they arrived and transport to Ensenada. Hurricane Ian intervened and my wife and I made a mad dash back to Florida to presumably sweep-up the ruble (Ian veered south).

In Florida and no way to get the poles to Ensenada, I issued a 911 help-me post on TF hoping to find someone making a run from SoCal to Ensenada. In true cruiser fashion, Roger volunteered and picked-up the poles at San Diego Yacht Club. Another special thanks to SDMX who delivered the poles to SDYC for Roger to pickup.

I am still in awe of someone - a total stranger - helping me out the way he did. And he makes it sound like I did him a favor!!! - remarkable person. Thanks again Roger. Really helped me out.

Peter

 

[IRENE]

Baja Naval - Post Boatyard Period

We recently finished up a month at Baja Naval, nearly 3 weeks in the boatyard.

Some of the things we had done:

ABT TRAC exterior seals replaced
Generator exhaust moved
Air conditioning raw water manifold replaced
Main engine keel cooler removed, cleaned, installed with new seals
Hydraulic cooler cleaned
Main engine coolant hoses replaced
Sanitation hoses replaced
Bottom sanded, repainted
Propellers stripped and recoated
Through-hull service
Through-hull replacement and modification
Hull polished and waxed
Several other miscellaneous items and owner improvement fixes

We scheduled most of this work and arrived early. The haul out was done on schedule, and the hoist operator was the most conscientious operator I have seen (I have an operator’s certificate for Marine Travelift). The pace of work was fast, with up to 4 projects underway simultaneously.

The most complex jobs were the stabilizer service and moving the generator exhaust. No issues arose with the stabilizer service, and the Senior and Chief Mechanics, respectively, were very well versed in this procedure. Moving the generator exhaust was tedious due to the tight space in which to work and the curve of the hull. Experienced hands moved through the issues quickly and confidently - it was a difficult job.

We were delayed perhaps a week waiting for some unanticipated parts needs. This was not the fault of Baja Naval, and we essentially “lost” a week with Mexican Revolution Day and Thanksgiving in the USA.

The management structure at Baja Naval is more formal or organized than what I have experienced at boatyards in the USA. This initially seemed overly complex but in actuality it facilitated proper leadership and management. It was impressive to see in action.

I can not praise the working staff at Baja Naval enough. They are a very happy, professional, and conscientious bunch. They were polite, tolerant of my stage of learning Spanish, and super-friendly. The workplace climate there is amazing.

We were permitted to stay aboard in the boatyard. There is a small office with desks and WiFi overlooking the boatyard, heads/showers, and good security 24/7. They offer sewage pump-out and potable water in the yard. The location is very convenient to anything in Ensenada, and we enjoyed our time there. The yard is actually concrete and there was one employee that operated a sweeper frequently, among other cleaning duties.

The project manager keeps track of the labor and materials, and they want to be paid weekly. The invoices are very detailed and clear. My opinion is that the labor costs are lower than in the USA for the same job, and the quality of work is higher. Parts costs are comparable, for example our bottom paint was the same price as bottompaintstore.com.

One of the initial documents from Baja Naval stated the following:

“An important part of the Mission of Baja Naval is to make the experience of repairing your boat a pleasurable one…All employees that work here are aware of this and should collaborate in attaining this goal, particularly in their conduct and interaction with you.”

Baja Naval achieved their mission.

To conclude, we had a great experience, a good value, and professional service. We are very pleased we did business with Baja Naval.

Best Wishes

 

[twistedtree]

It's always great to hear about success stories, especially with service organizations. Now enjoy cruising!

 

[sunchaser]

Jeff
With your experience and background you’d be a great judge - how would you compare Baja Naval to those in the Seattle area?

 

[soin2la]

A great post Jeff; I hope you copied Baja with it.
Folks are always quick to criticize service workers, so compliments are always a pleasure to write, read and deliver.

 

[IRENE]

Jeff
With your experience and background you’d be a great judge - how would you compare Baja Naval to those in the Seattle area?

We used several major service outfits/boatyards in Puget Sound over 6 years. Our work there ranged from a 2-hour haul for maintenance items, to a davit installation, to a complete electronics refit. I was astounded that some were still in business, and a couple were wonderful. We left one “premiere” place with more silly, totally avoidable damage to the boat than we arrived with, and many empty promises. The owner thought I was ridiculous to be upset, and I told him the boat would never be at his business again. His true colors were shown. Our electronics guru (now good friend) was actually capable of much more - I would send anyone to him and you could leave a million dollars on the saloon table the day he was scheduled. So there were many varied experiences, most just a few days to a week in duration. I wish I could have always gone to the right place the first time. Friends were bouncing from yard to yard and leaving Tacoma to get work done north of Seattle.

We were at Baja Naval for 4 weeks, so I got an “advance” to speak with others in the yard and make observations a week prior to haul out. Everything matched the good reputation, I found little to be concerned with. We just passed every yard on the coast of WA, OR, and CA, so this was a relief.

Baja Naval is way ahead of the mean I experienced in Puget Sound. Certainly the best big (?) place I have patronized. Personnel and quality of work were great. Supplies were challenging, partially due to the calendar but primarily because Ensenada is not the marine supply “center of the universe” the Seattle area is. Their work ethic is unbelievable. Issues were minor and easily managed. The value was quite good.