Alternative to Panama Canal (WSJ)

Mexico is building a railroad across the 200 mile isthmus of Tehuantepec as an alternative to the Panama Canal. The Canal is over 1200 nms south so the time and distance savings for a cruising boat wanting to traverse coastal is significant, especially since it cuts off a big chunk of the Caribbean Sea run north from the Canal.

WSJ video - unfortunately behind a paywall. BTW - can often find a WSJ digital subscription for $1/week which, in my opinion, is the best value in journalism.


It's years away but something to keep an eye out for. There is already passenger train service on a very limited basis.

Fingers crossed something works out for boats.....

Peter

I hope it works out, I have no desire to do the Panama Canal, but crossing Mexico via rail if I wanted to go east to west coast Mexico might be more appealing.

Huh, that would be a significant development. Like Canada's Big Chute Railway 200 miles long. I know as they have chronic water level problems in the Panama Canal that could take a lot of the pressure off for container ships and smaller vessels (like recreational). Although when you read this it looks unlikely it'll carry recreational boats: Passenger operations begin on Isthmus of Tehuantepec railway

Could you load a 60ft long boat onto a flat car, or is the limitation 40ft?

Mako said:

Could you load a 60ft long boat onto a flat car, or is the limitation 40ft?

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I don't know. This isn't the first rodeo for rail transit - the WSJ video describes there was a railway along this route before the Panama Canal opened in 1906. If my recollection of Panama Canal history isn't too foggy, there were five routes considered for the Canal construction - one of which being this route.

Looks like intermodal containers are limited at 8'6" so that wouldn't work for most boats. But I can tell you I saw some pretty large boats get hauled in Ensenada and driven to the Sea of Cortez (and vice-versa). GIven Mexican ingenuity, I could easily see boats to 60-feet being hauled on the highway. But that's all speculation. All I can tell you is I am not looking forward to running up the Caribbean with Weebles and would be all over an overland option if it existed

An interesting sidebar. Mexico's tourist development agency - Fonatour - has traditionally identified tourist development opportunities. It was Fonatour who developed much of the areas around Ixtapa, Loreto, Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Cancun. Not just marinas, but the condo and golf developments too. Since the 1980s, Fonatour has dabbled with an idea "Escalara Nautica." Or Nautical Staircase. They had an idea that if they built facilities along Baja, the gringos would come. One of the ideas was to get boats from Ensenada to the SoC. It had on and off suport over the years. Fonatour controlled marinas were recently collapsed into the Mexican Navy.

Could be years. Or never. Or could be next year. Mexico is unpredictable sometimes.

Peter

The thought of crossing the P Canal sounds all romantic and adventurous, but in reality it would be wonderful to skip it. Have you thought about having the Willard trucked across the peninsula? Your length is fine by American standards and I bet the width is just "Wide Load"

Mako said:

The thought of crossing the P Canal sounds all romantic and adventurous, but in reality it would be wonderful to skip it. Have you thought about having the Willard trucked across the peninsula? Your length is fine by American standards and I bet the width is just "Wide Load"

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I've thought about it - did a few quick google searches a few months ago but didn't find anything. I may have to revisit. Weebles is stored in a boatyard less than 100-miles from Salina Cruz, the Pacific terminus of the cross-isthmus corridor. Would be pretty simple.

Thanks for the nudge-

Peter

Using the Panama Canal is no big deal. They group smaller vessels in one lift. You may have to wait at the next lock for the slow boats in your group. I've never seen them put yachts in with freighters, but maybe with small freighters.
The low water is mainly caused by the new locks that handle the largest ships. There have been droughts in the past, but it wasn't as critical. They are working on a new dam to feed Gatun Lake.
The story I read said Mexico also wants to build a canal in addition to the railroad. I don't think unloading a ship on one side and reloading another on the opposite side will make economic sense. For some large ships it would be faster to go around Cape Horn.

Lepke said:

Using the Panama Canal is no big deal. They group smaller vessels in one lift. You may have to wait at the next lock for the slow boats in your group. I've never seen them put yachts in with freighters, but maybe with small freighters.
The low water is mainly caused by the new locks that handle the largest ships. There have been droughts in the past, but it wasn't as critical. They are working on a new dam to feed Gatun Lake.
The story I read said Mexico also wants to build a canal in addition to the railroad. I don't think unloading a ship on one side and reloading another on the opposite side will make economic sense. For some large ships it would be faster to go around Cape Horn.

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I took a N57 through the Panama Canal in 2004. On the Pacific side, I locked through with a car carrier ship. Somewhere I have a picture of me at the helm beneath the giant bow of the ship. Wasn't much of a bucket list item then, though my wife would like to go through of course.

For me, overland at T-pec not only shaves 2500 miles, but heading up the Caribbean is a difficult run, especially in a small boat. There is weather, seas, and some piracy concerns, all of which are bypassed by splashing in Veracruz. That said, we would leapfrog some places we're really looking forward to. Flor de Cana rum distillery in Nicaragua being high on my list. We also look forward to spending some time in Panama City. We've also been toying with heading east out of the Canal to the Cartegenia area.

Peter

The railway is a cool idea and would result in some big container / crane docks being built also. But there is far more dough in moving containers than there is for rec boats.

We are not even on the list.

mvweebles said:

I've thought about it - did a few quick google searches a few months ago but didn't find anything. I may have to revisit. Weebles is stored in a boatyard less than 100-miles from Salina Cruz, the Pacific terminus of the cross-isthmus corridor. Would be pretty simple.

Thanks for the nudge-

Peter

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When I was considering "Aloha" in LaPas, I was trying to get it trucked from Mazatlan or one of the other east coast of the Sea of Cortez ports, to Brownsville, TX. Or just below below Brownsville in Mexico. It seemed so logical and there are major roads between the coasts. Nothing but crickets.

Ted

don't hold your breath this will never happen just like many other Mexican dream projects. usually these appealing ideas are meant to attract foreign investment. one of the projects i followed closely in the past was the Baja Escalera Nautica. aside for mega informational Compian not much happened.

Without hesitation I would trade my boat for one that could be transported.

Lepke said:

Using the Panama Canal is no big deal. They group smaller vessels in one lift. You may have to wait at the next lock for the slow boats in your group. I've never seen them put yachts in with freighters, but maybe with small freighters.
The low water is mainly caused by the new locks that handle the largest ships. There have been droughts in the past, but it wasn't as critical. They are working on a new dam to feed Gatun Lake.
The story I read said Mexico also wants to build a canal in addition to the railroad. I don't think unloading a ship on one side and reloading another on the opposite side will make economic sense. For some large ships it would be faster to go around Cape Horn.

Click to expand...

When we transited the Panama Canal, West to East, on 19 March of this year on our trip from PNW to Florida. We were locked though going up with the FJ Star, a 655' bulk carrier, and locked down on the Caribbean side with the Vasco de Gama, a 719' Cruise Ship. According to the Canal schedule for the day, we were the only pleasure craft to transit the Canal that day due to a shortage of Canal Advisors. The next smallest boat/ship to transit that day was 264' long, but she was going Westbound.

Note: Just FYI, vessels 65' and under are required to have Canal Advisors on board. Commercial Vessels, and vessels larger than 65' require Canal PILOTS. Muirgen, including bow pulpit, anchor, and swim step with our dinghy on davits measures a tad under 62'. WHEW! Big jump in price if you are over 65' LOA!