Life in La Paz

[ksanders]

Here is a look at our life in La Paz

Last night was pretty typical!

A impromptu little dock party.

Recognize anyone here???

It was a great time with great friends.

Cruisers seem to come and go with the winds and tides. We are sad when they leave, and happy when re-united.

 

[wfleenor]

Jealous here. Plan to join next year.

 

[slowgoesit]

Kevin, lift one or three for us! We're in La Cruz now. We really REALLY enjoyed our time in La Paz, and with you and Vicki! Wish you all the best. Still heading South. . . .

 

[mvweebles]

Hey Kevin - thanks for the hospitality you and Vicki offered during our stay in La Paz.

Question: What effect does lack of transient slips have on cruising in places like La Paz? Over the last couple months, we've tapped-in to cruiser networks where lack of slips has transformed once popular cruiser stopovers into traditional full-time/liveaboard marinas that are avoided by many cruisers due to lack of slip availability.

As an observation, definitely something to be said for having a smaller boat such as our Willard 36. Finding a slip is a bit easier, and the cost is much less of course. I know of a couple - both retired doctors - on a 44-foot Leopard Catamaran who would pay almost anything for a slip to no avail.

Just curious. A lot of cruising is about inland exploration. A marina is an important liaison - seems to be pretty elusive along the Pacific coast starting with La Paz and headed south.

Peter

 

[ksanders]

Kevin, lift one or three for us! We're in La Cruz now. We really REALLY enjoyed our time in La Paz, and with you and Vicki! Wish you all the best. Still heading South. . . .

Scott, you and Laura are always in our hearts and thoughts. Safe travels!

 

[ksanders]

Hey Kevin - thanks for the hospitality you and Vicki offered during our stay in La Paz.

Question: What effect does lack of transient slips have on cruising in places like La Paz? Over the last couple months, we've tapped-in to cruiser networks where lack of slips has transformed once popular cruiser stopovers into traditional full-time/liveaboard marinas that are avoided by many cruisers due to lack of slip availability.

As an observation, definitely something to be said for having a smaller boat such as our Willard 36. Finding a slip is a bit easier, and the cost is much less of course. I know of a couple - both retired doctors - on a 44-foot Leopard Catamaran who would pay almost anything for a slip to no avail.

Just curious. A lot of cruising is about inland exploration. A marina is an important liaison - seems to be pretty elusive along the Pacific coast starting with La Paz and headed south.

Peter

Peter, it's difficult for me to quantify the effect of a lack of slips because as you know I have a slip, and am not giving it up, even when we are not here, but I'll try.

When Vicky and I head north this spring, slip availability will dictate our choices of places to visit, because transient dockage is important to us. As you mentioned exploration is not on the open ocean, it is on shore, so we will choose to only stop where we can get a slip for the most part.

That means we will choose to bypass the resturants, the sights, and the shopping that a town might offer and choose other places to spend our pesos. So... The towns without transient moorage will not get the benefit of our and probably others tourist purchases.

I have no clue how to solve the problem in La Paz except more slips being built. Many of us are willing to pay the price for a long term slip, even if it is empty for part of the year simply because we do not want to risk not having a slip available when we want one. This, multiplied by others in the same situation sets in motion a scenario of 100% occupancy, and no moorage for transients.

 

[mvweebles]

....Many of us are willing to pay the price for a long term slip, even if it is empty for part of the year simply because we do not want to risk not having a slip available when we want one.

Richard Spindler, aka Grand Poobah of the Baja Ha Ha, informs that Cabo is essentially 100% occupied largely because owners of sport-fisher boats will lease for a year even though their boat may only be there for a few weeks!

Not a lot to worry about for you and Vicki when you head up to Ensenada. Only stop with a marina is Cabo and they are large enough that they can accomodate a transient slip. Cruiseport and Coral in Ensenada seem to always have room too.

Peter

 

[rslifkin]

I'm surprised marinas there haven't started doing what many do on the East Coast and Great Lakes. You can pay for a slip for the season, the year, whatever and have use of it. But they typically request that you let them know when you're not going to be there (and when you'll be back) so they can use that slip for transients while you're away, but make sure it's empty for you when you come back.

 

[heysteve]

In La Paz, I have heard that the boat work people and chandleries are seeing less business as there aren't as many boats coming in for work. It'll be interesting to see how the community adapts. Certainly, some work could be done in the anchorage but other stuff just needs to be done in a slip.

 

[mvweebles]

I'm surprised marinas there haven't started doing what many do on the East Coast and Great Lakes. You can pay for a slip for the season, the year, whatever and have use of it. But they typically request that you let them know when you're not going to be there (and when you'll be back) so they can use that slip for transients while you're away, but make sure it's empty for you when you come back.

They do, but it's difficult. As luck would have it, we are at a marina in La Cruz and want to stay another 2-nights. I just returned from the Marina Office - no problem for us to stay in our 36-footer. Muirgen's 50-foot lenth is more of an issue so they will need to move to another slip. The other PV-area marinas either didn't answer the phone or chuckled nicely. Now, there's a decent chance that if someone showed-up and asked about a slip for the night that the marina would find a place for them, but since there is no nearby anchorage, it's a bit of a crap-shoot.

La Paz is a good example and is similar to Banderas Bay in that La Paz has 3-4 marinas too; and is a long way from any other marina (Loreto to the north; Cabo to the south, both over 100 nms away). It's full, but can sometimes find a place if you just show-up. The bigger difference between La Paz and the three central PV marinas is La Paz has an anchorage .

Like I said - first-world-problem. But it definitely changing cruiser habits and, by extension, the cruiser culture that so many marinas along this coast have had for so many years. It's still great and we're having a great time, but I suspect the changes were Covid-accelerated. Cruisers have changed too - boats are bigger and have all the comforts of home regardless of sail/power. Technology has enabled folks to head-off much earlier in their seamanship development than ever before.

Peter

 

[ksanders]

I'm surprised marinas there haven't started doing what many do on the East Coast and Great Lakes. You can pay for a slip for the season, the year, whatever and have use of it. But they typically request that you let them know when you're not going to be there (and when you'll be back) so they can use that slip for transients while you're away, but make sure it's empty for you when you come back.

At Marina De La PAz if you want, you can permit the marina to sub lease your slip while you are gone.

The marina credits your account for 1/2 the rent they recieve.

Last summer our slip was rented before we even vacated it. That meant that we paid half our normal rent.

 

[Mainship Pilot]

Is there a place on the hard for boats to stay while not in the area, meaning a shipyard with spillover space to store boats? Obviously the bigger the boat, the harder this problem becomes, both in and out of the water, but for us smaller guys, is this an option? I'm thinking you can fly home for a month or two and the boat has a home, albiet dry? If so, How expensive is that? Either LaPaz or Loreto......

 

[rslifkin]

At Marina De La PAz if you want, you can permit the marina to sub lease your slip while you are gone.

The marina credits your account for 1/2 the rent they recieve.

Last summer our slip was rented before we even vacated it. That meant that we paid half our normal rent.

That sounds like a good way to do it. Although if it's optional and some people just don't want to allow use while they're gone, then that only helps so much with the slip availability issue.

 

[SteveK]

It is beginning to sound like there is an increase in cruisers than years past creating a problem that was unknown.

 

[ksanders]

Is there a place on the hard for boats to stay while not in the area, meaning a shipyard with spillover space to store boats? Obviously the bigger the boat, the harder this problem becomes, both in and out of the water, but for us smaller guys, is this an option? I'm thinking you can fly home for a month or two and the boat has a home, albiet dry? If so, How expensive is that? Either LaPaz or Loreto......

Honestly I do not know about on the hard storage.

Slip space is the most challenging thing about our area right now.

 

[Mainship Pilot]

Thanks, I'll look into it.