Weebles Refit - what happened today.

No idea if this will be interesting, but thought I'd keep a log of day-to-day activities in the closing 6-months or so of my refit. Most days are pretty boring - I will be in Ensenada for another 2-weeks.

Today:
Organized some parts in my storage locker. I have a fairly large storage locker ("Bodega") where I keep spares and parts that will eventually be returned to the boat. I organized my electrical toolbag today. Pending are spare screws, toolbags for plumbing, mechanical, painting, etc.

Programmed the two solar MPPT controllers. They seem to be working fine. I have four 200W panels on my hardtop separated into two: starboard and port. I had to reset one of the controllers which is sort of a pain as it requires all power be removed. Seemed easy until I removed the two pairs of leads (one to the battery, one to the panels) and realized they were both hot. Caution.....

Orlando, the head mechanical guy, was working on the saloon A/C. I had ductwork constructed by Juan (carpenter/fiberglass) but the Webasto 16 Btu A/C needs installation. This requires 5" diameter insulated ductwork which is unusual. I ended up buying a 25-foot coil from Suremarine in the Seattle area but asked that they only ship the 2-feet I actually need. The rest I have no use for. Happens a lot on a project like this.

The Cutless Bearing has been pulled so I will need to pickup a replacement. I am on a first-name basis with the good people at San Diego Marine Exchange (SDMX) 80-miles north. I make the run every week or so. Pain in the ass.

Our dinghy is in. Meaning it has arrived at a freight terminal at Otay Mesa, a commercial area several miles east of San Diego. I need to get it from there to Ensenada, over the Border and Mexican customs. I have no idea how this will work out. Not even sure it will fit in my RV/Camper van. No idea about a lot of things. But I guess we'll figure it out next week. Scary.

Dinner at Wendlandt Brewpub which is a 20-min walk from our apartment. Ensenada is Mexico's top brew-pub region, and Wendlandt won top honors for the IPA a couple years ago. Really good beer. And their ceviche is fantastic. I had three beers, my other half had two. Two Ceviche tostadas and Mac & Cheese in the company of two adorable barmaids who have become friends. $510 pesos ($26 USD, plus tip). We stopped for ice cream on the way home ($43 pesos, $2.25 USD, for a cone).

I gave notice today at my work that I am done in 2-weeks. They want me to stay for a while longer for a couple small projects which I am happy to do, but there is now an expiration date stamped on my ass that clearly has a mid-2022 date. I like my work, I like the people I work with. Miraculously, they seem to like me and want me to stay. But its time to move on.

I'll try to inclide some pictures along the way. No offense taken if you find this boring. And no offense if anyone wants to take pot-shots. Just know it's a decent life here if you're into a bit of grit. Street tacos are amazing.

More as I feel the reason to write.

Peter

"I'll try to inclide some pictures along the way. No offense taken if you find this boring. And no offense if anyone wants to take pot-shots"

To the contrary. Keep it coming. That we have no useful comment doesn't mean it isn't read with interest.

For me, a daily diary beats reading the rants and off-topic scribblings that too often get posted here. Think of your posts as a travel adventure…fixing boats in exotic places kind of theme ;-)

This is what dezincification of bronze looks like. This castellated bronze prop locking nut had a visible crack. The nut was able to be broken easily by hand.

The problem is the weakness is very well hidden. Bronze is an alloy of several metals, commonly copper, zinc, nickel, etc. The least "noble" metal will deteriorate first meaning the metal is weakening from the inside if left unprotected.

Why wasn't this protected? Self inflicted wound I'm embarrassed to say. A while back, my shaft brush broke and I just didn't get around to repairing it so the shaft was left unprotected. My prop has some minor damage but I'm not too worried. I have a spare and I will probably use that instead. I decided to replace the shaft anyway as it's not very expensive - about $700 - and while the shaft is fine, the threads for the nuts does have some damage. Easy enough to do right now. I'll add about 3/4" to the shaft length to allow for a donut-zinc instead of relying on a shaft brush.

Decent article from Steve D on cathodic protection.

https://stevedmarineconsulting.com/bonding-systems-and-corrosion-prevention/

Peter

Two pics attached.

One shows wasted threads on prop shaft due to corrosion. Second is installing AIS antenna on flybridge. If you look closely, there is a technician inside the enclosure behind the helm.

The black "paint" is some sort of primer. This will be repainted as last step.

love your posts in general. thank you for your contribution.

as i understand it you are doing this for someone else. didn't know that.

that must be a crazy expensive venture for the owner.

you are certainly the right man for the job. my boat will be in Ensenada next year. Ill give you a call

Don’t leave it black like the primer. I would paint it white inside so that if you are working in there the light will reflect and light it up better.

ofer said:

love your posts in general. thank you for your contribution.



as i understand it you are doing this for someone else. didn't know that.



that must be a crazy expensive venture for the owner.



you are certainly the right man for the job. my boat will be in Ensenada next year. Ill give you a call

Click to expand...

I am the owner. And it's a stupid expense. I cannot justify it except to say I decided that I can do one frivolous thing every decade or two and not imperil my retirement. We've had this boat for almost 25 years. And we'd now like to cruise her. I have some ideas on what works best for us and I'm thrilled to be doing it. And thirlled to have someone else do the work. A treat as it's always been me doing the actual work.

Burn rate on the small team doing the work is around $200 USD per day. So labor is affordable, though they lack some of the tools that would make them efficient. Keeping up with parts is a challenge. I'm about to run our for hose-NPT adapters. A couple weeks ago finding 5/16" JIC to 3/8" NPT was a huge challenge (thank goodness for Parker store).

Peter

Comodave said:

Don’t leave it black like the primer. I would paint it white inside so that if you are working in there the light will reflect and light it up better.

Click to expand...

I'll be curious to see how this all works out. The boat was painted a year ago and will need significant touchup before it's done. The 32-ish sailboat next to me was just painted and looks very nice. You can see Weebles on right, just out of picture. They are in the process of buffing for final right now, reinstalling winches, etc.

Peter

WARNING for boat-centric readers. Today, Sunday, is more about logistics and living in Ensenada than Weebles.

Mexico generally works a half-day on Saturday, so Sunday is a pretty big family day. For example, in anything resembling decent weather, the beaches are packed with large groups of extended family and friends. Not so much “party” but “fiesta.” Now, these are not your dream-beaches of Cancun – the water is cold and rough, but kids still build sandcastles and chase waves in/out of the surf. Definitely has a good vibe to it. (Pictures of Playa La Mison below).

This stretch of Pacific Coast is just entering a summer cycle of weather. In the morning, the marine layer is thick and slowly retreats offshore, though by next month, it may not entirely disappear meaning obscured sunshine all day long. Weather forecasters call it “coastal fog.” In Southern California it’s called June Gloom. Definitely not a Chamber of Commerce highlight. Forecast high temperature today for Ensenada is 68-degrees (F) with a low of 57F. Pretty cool weather – Mediterranean. I have been here since March 5th and it has rained exactly once, and that was barely a smattering.

For my wife and I, today is parts-run day. I order a lot of stuff from Defender, Hodges, and Amazon, and it all comes to a UPS Store post-office box just over the border in San Ysidro CA, which is about 75-miles from Ensenada. The first 74-miles is easy and scenic (see attached pic). The last 1-mile can easily be a 2-hour wait for US CPB inspection (pic of traffic below - on right are the "SENTRI" lanes - the fast-pass which we use and isn't always fast). San Diego is about 20-miles north of San Ysidro so if we only make a parts-run to our PO box, preference is the Autobus del ABC. It's about $11USD per person, each way. We've never taken the San Diego Trolley so may do that today too (picture at the Tijuana bus station below).

Parts’ Run has dwindled to a few difficult to source items. Last week a long-ago back-ordered roll of ½” fuel line from Defender showed-up. Had I remembered it was on back-order I would have cancelled it as I sourced the hose elsewhere. But it will get used somewhere – I have a Reverso oil-change pump (gear pump) and am adding a 3-port manifold to easily change all oils. I figure if it’s easy, it will get done. Truth is, I have an inner ‘lazy’ core.

I have a love-hate relationship with details. I’m good with them when someone else has to track them. Not so much when I’m the quartermaster. What that means for today is I’m not exactly sure what has arrived at the PO Box. I know there are a pair of thermostats for the custom fridge and separate freezer; and I know there are a pair of handlebars for my bike. Also arrived are ladder-rack brackets for my van to pick-up the dinghy later this week. But beyond that, it will be Christmas Morning.

Peter

Peter, your Ensenada posts evoke some good memories of my own 6 month long
haul out at Baja Naval around 20 years ago.
My 'drop-off' crew and I took the ABC bus to the border and the trolley into San
Diego to connect with the Amtrak Surfrider back to L.A.
I was able to commute to B. N. every other weekend and spent those Saturday
nights on the boat. As you might guess, it was a far cry from on-site supervision.
That experience was certainly educational and I would do it differently today.
Twenty-plus years later there likely are few of the same people still at Baja Naval,
so no criticism of the current staff is meant.

Keep the stories coming!

Peter--

Will be down at Baja Naval June 5th for a month or so....New cockpit/flybridge deck, new flooring in saloon.....misc other issues addressed.....

Sounds like I will miss you this time....Good luck ....

Steve...San Diego

Great narrative and photos, Peter!


Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley

It's been a slow week. Parts at PO box were mostly personal items. I really like the ebike I purchased a couple months ago but wanted slightly more upright handlebars and a suspension seatpost. It's really fantastic transportation but way to heavy to use on a boat in my opinion. There are better options for small, lightweight ebikes that are a severe compromise for weight and large tires, but small and light enough for a cruising boat.

But not a lot of progress on Weebles this week. Most of the work left is carpentry, then final paint touchup. Carpenter was pulled to do a rush-job for the Port Captains boat. And I go to San Diego tomorrow to pickup a new prop shaft and the AB RIB I ordered from Defender.

Fallow weeks are difficult and really show the cultural differences of Americans vs Mexicans. As a whole, most Americans are fairly aggressive a out getting things done - "squeaky wheel gets the grease." Unfortunately, that doesn't work well in Mexico. A good chunk of my career was spent advising Wall Street investment banks and financial institutions, so I'm perfectly comfortable in the sharp-elbowed world. There is a saying in Mexico "as you give, you will receive." I have found there are subtle ways to express concerns that are more effective here. I also try to take the long view - a day or two is meaningless these days. Week or two is a much different matter. And I worry a out burn-out. Workers getting tired of working on the same boat all the time.

Burn-out is a common term, but I find it meaningless. Does it mean boredom? Monotony? What I worry most about is disenfranchisement - where people were not vested in the work, not vested in me, not vested in the sense of pride of completion. I've managed small project teams for the last 20 years and rarely had direct hire/fire responsibilities so have had to find "soft" ways to motivate them. I really want people to be part of a vision - something they tell their family about.

On the down-side, this leads to sometimes being taken advantage of. I normally give people the benefit of the doubt (which was indeed a major factor in why my relationship with Niza failed). But in the end, I'm not a micro-manager because I simply do not believe that's the path to getting the best outcome. And sometimes I've had "bad hiring decisions" that I should have caught earlier. Not bad enough to toss baby out with bathwater and revert to wild arm-waving about lack of progress today.

Tomorrow is a really, really big day for us mainly due to uncertainty. The AB Dinghy was shipped to a freight terminal and I have no idea if it will fit in the back of my van - I'd say chances are less than 50:50 (van has a camper conversion). The dinghy is 128 lbs and not sure how my wife and I will maneuver it so am hoping a fistful of $10-$20 bills will smooth the way. Then, not sure what happens at the Mexican border. The dinghy (and new outboard) will of course not be registered but will be titled in my name so theoretically it should be a non-issue. But it will be brand new so may pique some enhanced interest. Might be a case of some more $20-bills. Who knows. I have contingency plans but not are great. Mostly, I'll have to hope for the best and just absorb whatever body blows come my way.

Peter

Peter ,
For what it’s worth, my AB AL fit in my van with room to spare. However I do have a cargo van. Ford E250.

Rob

Datenight said:

Peter ,

For what it’s worth, my AB AL fit in my van with room to spare. However I do have a cargo van. Ford E250.



Rob

Click to expand...

Thanks Rob. My van - an E150 -has a camper conversion, sort of like the old VW Westfalia. So there is some cabinetry. I am picking up a cheap ladder rack as backup just in case it won't fit. Good news the freight terminal is just a couple miles from border crossing at Otay Mesa - CHP might have more concerns about roof mounted Dinghy than Mexico will.

But thanks. Fingers crossed.

Peter

I'm out of town tomorrow but in the future if you need a hand heaving heavy stuff or anything else shoot me a pm - I'm near downtown San Diego & work from home, so am often available to lend a hand.

Also happy to hold parts in my garage if you need a US shipping address!

Looks like beautiful work following the rule if done right it’s one and done. We just finished our refit except removing carpet and replacing with synthetic. In spite of it being in the shed with a list generated from survey all winter it still took 3 weeks additional to get out of there. I kept finding things. You have a great advantage. First you’re there. Second you have the skills and experience to know what’s needed to be done and able to do most of it. Third when that’s not the case you have inexpensive labor and can supervise to make sure it’s done correctly.
No this isn’t a dumb move. It’s genius. Get exactly the boat you want for short money.

Thanks for the words of encouragement Hippocampus. "Genius" is hyperbole but I appreciate the sentiment.

I just returned from a quick stop - not everything gets done correctly and today was a case-in-point. I forgot my phone/camera which is too bad as I wish I could share a picture. For the A/C in the main saloon, I had originally considered the condensate gizmo rather than a separate thru-hull (recall I started a thread on this topic a couple weeks ago). Based on feedback from the TF Bigger Brain, I abandoned that idea and decided to go traditional. When I got to the boat today, they had installed the thru-hull inline with some other thru-hulls for shower-discharge, etc. Problem is that placed the thru-hull above the level of the A/C drain pan!

In years past, punching a hole in the wrong place would really piss me off. Seriously, pretty amateurish mistake. But now, seeing how good these guys are with fiberglass (and how inexpensive labor is), my reaction is pretty relaxed "No es correcto - mas abajo por favor." (It is not correct, lower please). Before someone asks, yes, I will pay to correct the mistake. In my experience, better to give people the latitude to make a mistake (even encourage it) as it's cheaper/faster than instillling so much caution into their actions that they freeze.

I probably have the details wrong on this, but bear with me: When Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinkley, he was rushed to Walter Reed - he was in rough shape. I think it was James Baker who was Chief of Staff at the time and he figures out pretty quickly that Reagan isn't getting great emergency care because the attending doctors were too timid - they were scared to make a mistake with POTUS.

Peter

mvweebles said:

Fallow weeks are difficult and really show the cultural differences of Americans vs Mexicans. As a whole, most Americans are fairly aggressive a out getting things done - "squeaky wheel gets the grease." Unfortunately, that doesn't work well in Mexico. A good chunk of my career was spent advising Wall Street investment banks and financial institutions, so I'm perfectly comfortable in the sharp-elbowed world. There is a saying in Mexico "as you give, you will receive." I have found there are subtle ways to express concerns that are more effective here. I also try to take the long view - a day or two is meaningless these days. Week or two is a much different matter. And I worry a out burn-out. Workers getting tired of working on the same boat all the time.

Burn-out is a common term, but I find it meaningless. Does it mean boredom? Monotony? What I worry most about is disenfranchisement - where people were not vested in the work, not vested in me, not vested in the sense of pride of completion. I've managed small project teams for the last 20 years and rarely had direct hire/fire responsibilities so have had to find "soft" ways to motivate them. I really want people to be part of a vision - something they tell their family about.

On the down-side, this leads to sometimes being taken advantage of. I normally give people the benefit of the doubt (which was indeed a major factor in why my relationship with Niza failed). But in the end, I'm not a micro-manager because I simply do not believe that's the path to getting the best outcome. And sometimes I've had "bad hiring decisions" that I should have caught earlier. Not bad enough to toss baby out with bathwater and revert to wild arm-waving about lack of progress today.

Peter

Click to expand...

Some interesting concepts. You don't have to go to Mexico to encounter the cultural differences. They exist in the US, although less than they once did. As a manager, I spoke "Southern." Indirect often. Thinks like saying to a direct report, "It would be very nice if you could have this to me by Wednesday. Do you think that would be possible?" and then on Wednesday morning asking "How is the report coming?" Even writing software doesn't like that style. I had a great conversation with a New Yorker over how many wasted words that entailed. Over the years I learned something very important too and that was that those talking faster and more direct weren't necessarily mean or rude, just had different speech patterns. However, for those who don't know, the harsher style just won't work and the aggressive US style won't work in Mexico. Similarly, you have to adapt to other areas of the world.

As to managing those who required constant supervision and harshness, I'm capable, but miserable doing so. I had to always move them over time to someone else.

Now, detailed schedules and time lines and monitoring I will do. In manufacturing, they're key, and late is unacceptable to me although seems quite acceptable to many. However, I don't micro-manage, but I have others in roles and they know the expectations.

You do hit on a key, the hiring decision. Hire right and you won't have to fire. That carries over to your most recent yard situation.

As to dealing with late yards, builders, etc. I very definitely could not do so as well as you. Therefore, it's imperative on me to select carefully and to have some sort of on site management, but of which were impossible for you due to Covid 19. I admire those like Twisted Tree and others who love Nordhavn. I'd have extreme difficullty with their lack of hitting schedules. As a manager, important to know who you're managing, but also to recognize yourself. When I hired, I use to have those who had long worked for me also interview and would tell them to warn the candidate about me, give the good and the bad so the person can really understand.

Oh and I've seen burnout. Work 60-70 hours a week in a negative environment and it happens. The way many employees are treated in the US, it's common and it's not just work burnout but personal life implosion as well.

I like a quiet boat. No speech but command, acknowledgement or on rare occasion question, and response. Was trained this way as you can’t listen if you’re talking. Most of my teachers were ex USN, or other disciplines where this was common practice. Find folks have trouble multitasking, especially men. Of course it’s a free for all if no evolution is being done. In my work it was the same during a procedure, code or other critical activity. Chit chat in between but command/response during key phases.
This mode clearly doesn’t work in general life. So what to do? Nor will some people accept this mode of communication. For years now inspite of my wife being an RN she wants to keep a running dialogue while on the headsets. She becomes more talkative at time more attention need be applied by the other. Believe the dialogue lowers her stress but it distracts me. Slowly we’ve reached a compromise. She’s decreased her vocalizations but more importantly her volume so she can continue to hear me. She also will be briefly totally silent when requested. Given she has much better social skills then me she is the interface with the yards, dockmasters fellow cruisers and helps monitor my output.

Peter, great job working with the culture and quirks of the environment. Often the best path is not the straightest. It is hard for many goal-oriented people to accept, but pushing to do it your way and on your schedule will very often result in greater delays and sometimes complete mutiny. The fastest and best route to your desired result is to accept that some delays and mistakes are just part of the process.

One of the most important line items in a renovation budget is a “contingency” category for unforeseen changes and fixes. it used to bother me to spend money to redo or correct something that should have already been done. I eventually accepted that doing a few things twice is part of the process on larger projects if you want the best result.

I think your project makes perfect sense. You have a great boat and its been with you for years. Well worth the time and money to get it how you want it. You can happily cruise it for the rest of time if you want. No better way to spend money, in my book.

I managed folks for thirty years. The most under my care was around 10, 000. Of course, you don’t really manage 10k. You manage the managers, who manage other managers. Clear direction (very hard to do the further you are from the actual work), consistent positive (and sometimes negative) feed back, and managing results versus plans are all part of it. It can be difficult and tedious sometimes, for both the manager and the managed. I think you have done really well considering the circumstances. The partner who was the engine of the first enterprise left, which wasn’t something you could anticipate. In addition, the other partner was ineffective, but you couldn’t really monitor. You made a good decision to move, and the re-fit goes on.

Cultural differences are real. We lived all over the country. Your comment about New York made me laugh. I ran into the same, when we were in New Jersey. Started by being the polite Southerner, then within a month figured out they appreciate the elbows out and sharp, short direction, and off we went. Hard workers up there.

My last stint was managing global security for one of the biggest logistics firms in the world. Was in Indonesia on a site visit looking at airport security. The process looked great, but it was obvious the gang was going through the motions. I had their Security Manager salt the process, and they passed a real security threat. When we talked about what happened, their focus was on the “process” with no real understanding of why they were doing what they were doing. I had to be gentle with them When I began to explain what was wrong, I thought one of them would have a heart attack they were so ashamed. Contrast that with Germany, where you had to absolutely convince them through demonstration and argument to change the process, but should have had to, because they were extremely good with what they did. Different approaches everywhere.

I really like your approach. I bet you were incredibly effective in your jobs. I also am really enjoying the re-fit and the insights you are providing us. Thanks for keeping us apprised.

Okay folks, this one is a bit long. Hopefully will be an interesting read for your morning coffee..

Picking up the dinghy. Well, more ‘lessons learned’ than I can shake a stick at. Microcosm of cross-border importation, working where you are remote, being flexible, and when all else goes wrong, resolving issues with a poultice of cash. Money may not buy you happiness, but it can definitely be an “Easy Button” of convenience. But most importantly, you gotta remember you’re in a foreign country and they have their own rules.

Short story: Dinghy fit in the van. But…..we had all sorts of issues with getting it across the border. As I write, we are in Ensenada with the RIB and an icy cold beer in-hand, but that’s after a 36-hour journey to go 75-miles north, and 75-miles south.

Background: getting RIBs right now is pretty difficult. Outboards too, but less of an issue than RIBs, especially quality RIBS, especially in the 300-320 size range (3.0-3.2 meter, around 10-11 feet long). So when I scored an AB at Defender, I jumped on it. It was more than I wanted to spend, shipping was ridiculous, but what I didn’t want to happen is to be without a dinghy when I needed one. The opportunity costs would be enormous.

First, let me say how this should work if you read the Internet. Because we have a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for Weebles, adding/replacing equipment should be simple – no IVA tax required (IVA is 19% of the value, so non-trivial). Second Internet [partial] fallacy is that if you bring a boat in that’s under 14-feet, you don’t need a TIP. That's apparently true if it's a paddleboard, but not true for something with an OB motor. But if you do, it should be registered (California requires all motorized vessels regardless of size be registered). Final fallacy is that everyone reads the same online rules and will abide by them.

So….here’s how it did work. There are two Tijuana border crossings. San Ysidro which is just south of San Diego; and Otay Mesa which is about 10-miles east and is the commercial truck crossing. Because we picked up the RIB near Otay Mesa, we went there first. Thinking the RIB was under 14-feet, we blithely go through the regular lanes and get flagged for inspection which we were expecting – RV/van with dark windows. And we’re really candid about having a RIB and outboard in the back (sort of hard to miss). Well…..because it’s never been registered, the inspector is not going to let it through, especially the outboard. More than that, he’s pissed that because we tried to just drive through, we didn’t self-declare. It never occurred to us, be effectively we were attempting to smuggle the RIB/outboard. Let’s be clear: smuggling is a serious offense anywhere (as it should be). Long story short, we get held-up for a couple of hours as punishment, then get sent back to the US. I come to find we got off light – they often confiscate the goods. Lesson learned: respect immigration laws. Lord knows we want Mexicans to respect ours.

So here’s the situation at about 5PM local time yesterday: We left ENsenada at 4AM to head north and we’re pretty tired at this point. We’re stuck with a dinghy in the back of our camper van. We are not from San Diego and don't have a lot of options. We decide to regroup in the morning for a fresh assault. And we get a hotel room and semi-enjoy a thoroughly mediocre meal at Stone Brewery.

This morning……using the business-office at the hotel, we print out all sorts of official looking documents (USCG documentation, TIP, Bill of Sale with reduced valuation (sorry), letter from yard saying old dink/OB were destroyed), we renew our entrance dance, this time into San Ysidro. They politely tell us they would have to charge us full import tax of about $500 even though it should be $0 as we are effectively replacing the dinghy already on the TIP. But we need a customs broker to do that, so best plan is to go back to Otay Mesa which is a bit nerve wracking since our experience the day before sort of sucked.

Fine, we head back to Otay Mesa. This time, respectfully go through the declarations line instead of the smuggler-if-you’re-caught line. We learn that yes, we could attach to Weebles’ TIP, but that will take a broker to sort the paperwork and be approved by the Mexican Government. Ain’t happening on a Saturday morning. Here's the poultice-of-cash part: we ended up spending about 4-hours with a semi-broker and paid about $600 in total. All for a transaction that should have been $0. But here we are in Ensenada. All good, just a bit less flush with cash.

What we learned:

1. If you are bring odd stuff into Mexico that a typical Mexican wouldn’t necessarily own, expect rigor. A LOT of it.
2. In hindsight, instead of dinking around with Mexican customs Friday afternoon, we should have found a California DMV and registered it. I hate the entanglement with California, but I already paid sales tax. Probably would have been the path of least resistance.
3. Cruising means being away from support. Being stuck with a van and a dinghy in the back in San Diego left few options. Plan B was to get a larger storage unit to store both RIB and OB in, then come back next week, load it up and go to California DMV. But with just my wife and I, lifting it in/out was far from assured. Plus getting it back in the van would be even harder. Plus the cost of the storage. Plus more time.
4. Dealing with govt agencies is a war of attrition. Ultimately, we could have prevailed and paid nothing. But we simply did not have the time and armament to endue the seige and buracracy of a governmental agency (this is true for any country, but especially true for developing countries with manual processes).

Could we have bribed our way through? I sure thought of it, but I got the feeling from the military guys hanging around that it was not cool (AMLO, the president, has taken steps to limit). I spent some quality time with the border guys and was quickly on a friendly basis with them (well, except for one total jerk). They never opened the door, nor did I. But again, the internet is rife with stories of "just slip a $50-bill in with the paperwork." I see bribery as a criminal thing and, if rejected, would open me to more harsh treatment. I'll leave that to others, but for me in my situation, was not an option.

In the end, tossing money at it was the best option for us. I do not fault the Mexicans, but do fault inability to know the ground rules. It sucks. But yet another hurdle is behind us, albeit our savings account has yet another dent in it.

Peter

PICTURES:

1. Will it fit in back of van? RIB on forklift. Packaging was stripped away
2. Yep, fit just fine.
3. Customs broker I managed to hire that was required to collect tax which I should not have had to pay (NOTE - it all works out as I had not paid tax on many items I brought into Mexico)
4. Walk of Shame. Getting turned-back at the border is not easy. We were one of a dozen vehicles that were denied entry. They take your passport, then escort you out, stopping traffic waiting to cross into Mexico. You ushered into the line at the US waiting to cross into the US. When you get through, they return your passport. Ahem - we did this twice (Friday at Otay Mesa when we were 'smugglers," and this morning at San Ysidro when they sent us back to Otay Mesa). It sucked.
5. San Diego Marine Exchange. Some may think this is an archive of what an old-school chandlery looks like. Nope, this was snapped yesterday morning - my first stop before the Mexican cha-cha started.

In the end, you gotta be careful about entering a country. And you cannot rely on anything you read on the Internet (if you could, I'd still have $600 in my account). Anyone who has cruised for any amount of time outside the US Canada likely has similar stories.

Another story.
Was slipped in Roadtown BVI but had recurring visitors (mostly live lumber not sailors) coming from the States. They would fly into USVI and I’d sail over and anchor. Dinghy in and pick them up. Got tired of C&I every time So on the BVI side paid to “import” the boat. Still have to clear people on entry but save fees on the boat. Would mention wife was still working so I was by myself. Given these were friends or family I’d occasionally buy stuff but have it shipped to them to carry with them to the boat. Especially delicate expensive stuff like motherboards, electronics and electrical switches and such. I’m always a yacht in transit so thought this was a non issue. Stuff bought in the US brought to US protectorate then sailed to another country for installation on a US flagged vessel. Turns out I’ve heard multiple opinions about this. Some say it should be declared when I reenter BVI. Others say no. Never asked customs as didn’t want to arouse their interest. Just stopped doing it. Had a shipping agent so stopped asking people to carry stuff for me.

Hippocampus said:

Turns out I’ve heard multiple opinions about this. Some say it should be declared when I reenter BVI. Others say no. Never asked customs as didn’t want to arouse their interest. Just stopped doing it. Had a shipping agent so stopped asking people to carry stuff for me.

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I can certainly see both arguments. Long ago, very early in my career, I stopped the carrying of items in and shipped everything instead. My experience in carrying things in where we operated in free zones was often it depended on the agent. The exception was Jamaica and I love Jamaica and love doing business there, but. The but is employees were carrying computers and similar. They would arrive fairly late at night. The customs agent would quote them an amount. They'd explain it was going to a free zone. Agent would say that the person who could sign off on that wouldn't be there until morning. First time I was aware customs said $200, but our employee pled poverty and was asked how much he had with him. Ended up paying $80.

Of course, I got the laugh as he put the $80 on his expense report. I questioned him on it and told him that was illegal bribery and we couldn't reimburse that. Of course, I did reimburse him, but that was the last of carrying stuff in.

Today is making room in my storage closet in Ensenada ("Bodega" in Spanish, or warehouse).

A year and a half ago when I started the process of firing Niza Marine, I got a larger Bodega - it's 10x10 and $100/mo. Mario was just awful at organizing stuff which held up work and ended up costing quite a bit in replacements because they would just get new stuff if the couldn't find what I'd send (usually inferior quality). When I finally got to Ensenada in November 2020, Mario's guys had moved all my gear from several smaller bodegas to this central one. Somewhere I have a picture, but it was a giant pile of stuff in the middle of the floor.

There's a Costco in Ensenada so I bought four sets of heavy duty shelves and a bunch of storage bins to store stuff. It took a couple days of organizing but got it looking fairly close to a parts-room. Frankly, this should have been done Day 1, not a year into the project. When Guillermo's guys got started, everything was labeled for them. What's left is some spare parts, tools, and personal stuff. Very little left that hasn't been installed.

Now, I need a place to store the dinghy I picked up the other day. So I've moved all the odds and ends to the left side and will donate the empty shelves to Guillermo - dinghy will now be stowed inside for a couple months until boat is finished.

For anyone contemplating a large project, I cannot stress how badly I underestimated the need for parts inventory and tracking. I'm my opinion, there is simply no way around it - the costs of not doing it are very high.

Peter

mvweebles said:

Today is making room in my storage closet in Ensenada ("Bodega" in Spanish, or warehouse).

A year and a half ago when I started the process of firing Niza Marine, I got a larger Bodega - it's 10x10 and $100/mo. Mario was just awful at organizing stuff which held up work and ended up costing quite a bit in replacements because they would just get new stuff if the couldn't find what I'd send (usually inferior quality). When I finally got to Ensenada in November 2020, Mario's guys had moved all my gear from several smaller bodegas to this central one. Somewhere I have a picture, but it was a giant pile of stuff in the middle of the floor.

There's a Costco in Ensenada so I bought four sets of heavy duty shelves and a bunch of storage bins to store stuff. It took a couple days of organizing but got it looking fairly close to a parts-room. Frankly, this should have been done Day 1, not a year into the project. When Guillermo's guys got started, everything was labeled for them. What's left is some spare parts, tools, and personal stuff. Very little left that hasn't been installed.

Now, I need a place to store the dinghy I picked up the other day. So I've moved all the odds and ends to the left side and will donate the empty shelves to Guillermo - dinghy will now be stowed inside for a couple months until boat is finished.

For anyone contemplating a large project, I cannot stress how badly I underestimated the need for parts inventory and tracking. I'm my opinion, there is simply no way around it - the costs of not doing it are very high.

Peter View attachment 129111

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wow..squared away storage locker... Worth every penny you payed for it...