Mexico, Puerto Chiapas: Feedback from Cruisers

This new marina is highly recommended by several cruisers, plus hints and tips on applying for a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) when clearing into Mexico here. See also more recent comments posted by cruisers themselves at the bottom of the page.

Published 8 years ago, updated 5 years ago

Posted June 2013

Last year we attended the El Salvador Rally and thought we would leave our catamaran at Bahia del Sol.  But after watching the debris in the estuary and the conditions of the docks we didn’t feel comfortable so we made the decision to return to Marina Chiapas, Mexico.  We left Stray Cat for summer and were very pleased with our decision.  The management is more than accommodating, the security is tight, it is a hurricane hole, has no surge and they will open your boat up for air once a week, clean the bottom monthly and do just about anything else you ask.  And the price is right $200 a month plus a $1 per foot for bottom cleaning.  The marina is only two years old and has nice cement docks, hot water showers, potable water and easy access to town for provisioning.

This past cruising season we went down as far as Panama and made the decision to again return to Mariana Chiapas.  We highly recommend this marina.

Carol & Guy Dean

s/v Stray Cat

Posted 30th April 2013

So I reviewed subjects on clearing into Mexico from the South and our experience has been a breeze.

Before we left Costa Rica we filled out the online TIP form. We had an unfortunate trip up (motor broke down, becalmed 14 days to sail 250 miles etc.).

Two miles out of Puerto Madero Chiapas, we radioed Marina Chiapas and they came out in their panga. We sailed in past the breakwaters and they tied up and motored us into a slip. The Port Captain, Customs, and Health inspection came to the boat. The drug dog sniffed around, then the port captain filled his paperwork and the customs already had our online form printed off. After I signed a few things we were done.

The next morning Enrique drove us to the airport (10 minutes away) where we cleared immigration.

The quarantine officials didn’t ask for any paperwork for our dog, and we politely tied him away from the boat so their dog could work. Now everyone is happy in Mexico.

Chiapas Marina is a 16 peso ride on a collective to Tapachula. There they have a Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Auto Zone, Sam’s Club…….  And it is a $20 cab ride back.

Warning they have no boat parts or accessories.

A lot of people here have decided to leave their boat here for the season because the service has been so great. When they get their travel lift (soon I think) they have a really nice paved yard to work in.

I would totally recommend clearing into Mexico here.

Dave Wyness – SY Cypraea

www.youmeandthed.blogspot.com

(Editor’s Note: If you want to apply for your Temporary Import Permit (TIP) prior to your arrival in Mexico you must have either a US or Canadian address. If you don’t, then you will have to apply for your TIP at your first port of arrival in Mexico. Most Customs officials are not aware of these limitations and ignorant of how to deal with TIP applications on arrival, including the officials at this port. Read more below.

Posted January 2013

Introduction:

Trevor Lusty from Ireland is travelling North on the Pacific West coast of Mexico hoping to cruise The Sea of Cortez March, April and May 2013. On departure from El Salvador, his port of entry choice for entering Mexico was the new Marina Chiapas at Puerto Madero – the first port when coming from the South. Marina Chiapas is perfectly situated for yachts to wait for good weather to cross the infamous Gulf of Tehuantepac, where you need a two to the three-day window to safely transit. Whilst this is a port of entry, the Customs office here had absolutely no idea how to deal with his application for a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) on arrival.

Read about his experience below…

11 January 2013

We are currently stuck in Puerto Madero Mexico since Monday and unable to have the boat cleared in and a Temporary Import Permit issued by the local customs due to no one understanding the changes in the laws from October 2012.

14 January 2013

Position still the same. We are nowhere a week and have made four applications. Two personally and two with an agent, all have been refused.

Simply when the rules changed in October 2012 (with the launch of the new website to make TIP applications prior to arrival in Mexico) the Mexicans didn’t think to see past North America. Their website where you can apply for the TIP in advance will not accept any passport numbers other than Canadian, USA and Mexican – even if you use an address from within any of those countries – the Mexican Customs didn’t know this. In fact, they know little. They have not been trained in the new laws.

In our case, we have every scrap of paper relating to our boat but they are all notarised copies signed by two different solicitors firms, as is our certificate of registry. We also have current photographs of the boat clearly showing the carving number and the HIN number stamped into the hull. None of this is acceptable because they are not the original documents, which are safely deposited in our solicitor’s vault and there they will stay!

The difficulty for the Mexican Customs arises because all North American boats have a new registration document issued every twelve months by the US Coast Guard and ultimately Homeland Security. The document comes in an A4 format normally two pages and is easy to read and follow the relevant numbers etc. and of course it is original. The people that you are dealing with here in Pacific Mexico are based inland and understandably have no idea what a sailing boat even looks like. They are frontier agents, simple people, clearing cars and trucks from Guatemala.

Today, Monday we are waiting to hear back from the agent who is trying again for the fifth time, although without an internal contact in customs I fail to see what will now change. The marina manager continues to assure us that no one will ever ask for this temporary import form! His face went blank when I asked him how we would explain that to customs at an international Mexican airport if we were trying to re-enter the country, had we been stupid enough to leave the boat here in the first place.

The customs gave us three days grace from last Friday to see what they would do, that ends today so I guess by tomorrow we either are cleared in or on our way back to Costa Rica where we still have an active permit.

16 January 2013

  • We had success this morning when The Customs intervened from Mexico City yesterday and issued instructions that we were to be allowed entry. This came about after our clearance agent decided to import our boat as a tuna fishing vessel which raised the question why would someone want to fish from a yacht? The answer of course being they don’t, they want to sail on their yacht but you won’t let them import it, however, the law allows them to import a vessel for fishing. Below are the important bullet points that may help other sailors.
  • Puerto Chiapas Marina opened in April 2012. At the time of writing (Jan 2013) one hundred and sixty boats have transited through the marina. The facilities are excellent and the staff lead by manager Enrique Laclette are very friendly and very customer focused. The marina provides transportation free of charge to clear papers with the Port Authorities and Customs.
  • The customs clearance for sailing boats and acquiring a ten-year Temporary Import  Permit is a new experience for the marina and the local authorities. The nearest facility to accomplish this is a thirty-minute drive inland from the marina to the vehicle frontier crossing point at Viva Mexico, where you will be taken to a toll booth at the side of a very busy and noisy road with no facilities to conduct a conversation. It is advisable to have your documents prepared and organised before you arrive. There is no point going here unless you can speak Spanish to a reasonable level.
  • The toll booth is occupied by two members of Banjercito,  which is the appointed bank by customs to deal with issuing import permits and receiving payment. Banjercito will accept credit cards and US dollars, not Mexican Pesos.
  • In theory, you are required to bring both originals and copies of your passport, the boat’s registration document, your immigration form (FMM) and a detailed list of the serial numbers of the main engine, generator and all navigational and leisure electrical equipment installed in your vessel.  Copies must be A4 sized paper preferably with a white border to allow for official stamping. You will also be required to fill two more forms with the same information provided by the bank.
  • In reality, you may be requested to provide sight of the original bill of sale to you from the previous owner. The emphasis is that you can confirm your identity and that you are in fact the owner of the boat, in other words, be as well prepared as you possibly can. You will be dealing with people with no nautical knowledge.
  • We also brought current photographs of our hull identification number and our official registration number engraved into the boat, which proved to be helpful in establishing ownership and the fact that the vessel existed.
  • As of January 2013, it is proposed by Banjercito that they will accept your application and then forward your papers to Mexico City for approval, and if successful the local toll booth at Viva Mexico will issue a Temporary Import Permit the following day.
  • The Mexican Government invite you to start your application online, unfortunately, their website is not available to vessels registered outside USA, Canada or Mexico. It should be possible to make the application at your local Mexican Consulate.

We spent eight days at Marina Chiapas and made three applications at Viva Mexico which were rejected simply because the staff had no idea what to do. A further four applications were made on our behalf by Grupo Aduanero Intertrade www.intertradeaa.com.mx local clearing agents. Without their intervention, we would never have been able to have the import permit granted. Their fee was a very reasonable $90.

We were charged a total of $74 by Banjercito for the ten-year Temporary Permit.

Noonsite is currently trying to source a list of ports on the West Coast that can deal in a straightforward manner with inward clearance for European cruisers. Any cruisers with experience of this please do get in touch.[email protected]

Update April 2013: If you have already applied for a TIP online in advance, then you will have no problems clearing into Mexico here.

Other South Mexican Port – further notes from Trevor Lusty

According to American sailors, Huatulco is a very difficult port to clear from when heading South. It requires a lot of running around various offices to get papers. In general, though most, if not all, of these boats, is seeking an International Zarpe from the Port Authority and already have the ten-year permit issued from further North.

It seems that the only port on the entire Pacific coast of Mexico that knows how to issue the ten-year TIP is Cruise port in Ensanada. The general opinion is that they seem to be the experts as they get the most practice. I have spoken to an Australian registered boat that cleared in there last year and had the permit issued in minutes, against copies of Australian registration papers.

The real issue is to find a port that has a customs office, otherwise, you are dealing with staff from Banjercito who really don’t have a clue about how to deal with a boat that has a declared value of hundreds of thousands of dollars(when a boat here is a fishing panga). Even the head of customs at the local airport here had no idea what to do or where to refer us.

You can either take the chance here (in Puerto Madero), in the hope that there is now a system of sorts, or go straight up to Ensanada which is two thousand miles away and then miss the Mexican coast. I think it will resolve in time hopefully as more boats arrive here from the South.

All cruisers report being stopped at least four times and boarded twice from The Sea of Cortez to here, the Navy’s interest focused on correct crew papers and drugs. It is unclear if the Navy had an interest in the import permit.

Editor’s Note

Cruisers have reported that obtaining a TIP at the following West Coast ports is pretty straightforward: Huatulco, Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, La Paz & Ensendada.

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  1. March 14, 2019 at 7:01 AM
    Data Entry1 says:

    Marina Chiapas is operational after the earthquake and damage from the surge which followed. The travel lift will be back in service in the next week or so. Docks are still being repaired but most are functional. Electrical & water service is fine (water is portable and not bad tasting).

    Marina staff took us through the process of checking in, giving us a ride to Immigration, Aduana, and the Port Captain’ office. This was after the Navy and the narcotics dog inspected the boat at the marina. Very easy process. Tapachula (with Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc) is only a 25 peso collectivo ride away and makes provisioning straightforward.

    I made a mistake with our TIP. We were travelling from the south (Panama, Costa Rica) and I attempted to complete the TIP online. What happens is that the TIP is then sent to your US address. When we went to the Guatemalan border, they were unable to help us and insisted that we acquire that original. So we had DHL ship it down from Washington state.

    The better option would have been to not do anything in advance and just apply for it once you arrive in Mexico. It’s a 1000 peso ride to CD Hidalgo where the Banjercito office is. I suspect the process would have been easy, had I not tried to get ahead of things. Looking forward to exploring nearby Puerto Madero and Playa Linda.

  2. March 14, 2019 at 6:59 AM
    Data Entry1 says:

    There are a 60-ton travel lift and excellent storage facilities for sailboats on the hard or in the water here, making this the ideal place to store your sailboat during the rainy season. Several boats up to 55 ft were hauled out while we were here.
    Staff are knowledgeable and helpful and the facilities (showers, restaurant) are top notch, some of the best along the entire Pacific coast of Mexico.

    ALL boats are searched with a dog upon arrival AND departure, so plan ahead for paperwork one day and departure the next day.
    Excellent side trips inland are available and provisioning is easy with a Walmart in town. Rental cars available from the airport, but book online for the best rate.
    S/V Sirena

  3. March 14, 2019 at 6:58 AM
    Data Entry1 says:

    We have very good experiences with Marina Chiapas and definitely recommend it.

    Last year (March 2015) we arrived from Galapagos. They helped us organising the TIP and took care so we prepared the right paperwork. We went with a beautiful countryside taxi ride to the border with Guatemala. For sure you are responsible yourself to have the right papers, but we noticed with another yacht that even if that is not the case, they are very supportive (but they can not always solve your problems, of course).
    For checking in and out of the marina they also contact the right people to check the boat and papers (zarpe).

    We left our yacht on the hard with them for almost a year and they took good care of it. Indicate clearly what and how often you want them to take care for (like battery checks and the opening of windows).
    When we returned in February 2016 they did a good job on priming and antifouling for a decent price. They also have a mechanic that can be hired for jobs.

    The marina is well maintained, relaxed and has a good restaurant BAOS and a little shop on the premises. As the showers are great, we do not need a swimming pool ;-). Laundry can be organised.

    In Tapachula is a Home Depot, but no real chandlery, so spare parts for SY are hard to find.

  4. March 14, 2019 at 6:56 AM
    Data Entry1 says:

    We checked out of Mx in Chiapas. We found the staff to be awesome and super helpful – the process took some time but it went smooth. They gave us rides everywhere that was needed and made all calls. The fuel dock is pretty easy but we did get some questionably dark fuel and ran thru many fuel filters on the next leg.

  5. March 14, 2019 at 6:54 AM
    Data Entry1 says:

    I sailed south in 2010. Chiapas marina was not completed as yet so I continued south as part of the El Salvador rally. I enjoyed my stay there that summer along with a number of other cruisers. An excellent tour guide made the cruisers stay even more enjoyable. In 2013 I again stopped in Bahia del Sol, El Salvador was disappointed when I found that I was the only cruiser who remained with their boat.

    The untimely death of an excellent man and cruising guide meant that I found myself even more isolated. Bill and Jean, organizers of the annual Salvador rally have moved onto the island and made every effort to make my stay as enjoyable as possible. Leaving there in November, I stopped at Chiapas Marina and found that everything positive that has been written was confirmed by me. I have now become an attractive alternative to Bahia del Sol. The staff and Harbour Master are very helpful, the marina is excellent and provisioning is only a 30-minute ride into town. However, there is room for improvement.

    It is one of the best haul-out facilities in southern Mexico but insurance does not allow cruisers to remain on their boat. A room to rent on the grounds would be helpful. The water in the marina can be dirty an oily from a nearby coffee factory. The marina is making a concentrated effort, working with the government, to clean up the waterway.

    Also a swimming pool and attached bar with available snacks would make the marina even more attractive and finally an active tour guide backed by the marina would make this place a must stop and stay location for cruisers going north and south.
    Dennis Gade
    s/v Dolce Vita

  6. March 14, 2019 at 6:34 AM
    Data Entry1 says:

    We checked into Mexico at Puerto Chiapas on November 7, 2013. I had applied for a TIP, online, while we were still in Panama and it was mailed to our postal service in Florida before we arrived in PC. I downloaded a scan of the TIP and printed it out but nobody involved in Check in the process showed any interest in whether or not we had a TIP.

    Check in was painless and quick and the Marina provided free transport to immigration at the airport for that part of the process. Navy guys showed up at our boat and completed paperwork but did not have drug-sniffing dogs or do an inspection of their own.

    John Lewis
    s/v Active Transport

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