mkyles2408
Newbie
We are planning to cruise from Mobile AL following the ICW to Texas and into Mexico. We are looking for fellow cruisers that have spent time in Mexico and what are some good Marinas and what about Customs?
Isla Mujeres is really the only game
BandB - this is a good write up. I've seen this topic come up a couple times on forums. This is the first decent response I've seen. I assumed there was little besides work boats to service whatever oil rigs may be in GoM.Notes made in 2015 so may be outdated. From Brownsville to Cancun. As you follow the coast, Active Captain has very little information, simply because few do it. However, there are boats all along the way, so obviously there is fuel as well. I’m listing just the obvious ports with marinas and there may be more. In some places the marina is just a commercial terminal. In others just a couple of docks. Also note that the mileage is based on running considerably offshore so the overall mileage if one doesn’t stop at all these places is much less than the total of all the legs.
Tampico
a.Heavy Shipping, Many docks
b.265 nm from South Padre. There are a couple of inlets between that could be entered. Arranging your customs entry would be the most complicated matter. I know there’s an entry point in Altamira which is near Tampico and think they would probably come to the boat there. There is also one in Veracruz
Veracruz, Club de Yates de Veracruz
a.Even a yacht club here.
b.220 nm from Tampico
Alvarado
a.There is a big lagoon with a freight terminal.
b.40 nm from Veracruz
Coatzacoalcos
a.Built up along water
b.100 nm from Alvarado
Cd del Carmen, La Marina de Chino Pochote, DP Marine Service, Exincomer, Lugolfo, Marina Bucanero
a.There are several different inlets to Cd del Carmen. This would be one of the better stops.
b.176 nm from Coatzacolcos
Puerto de Seybaplaya
a.Small dock but actually a real town here close to the dock.
b.There are docks next at Champoton, about 50 nm.
c.100 nm. from Cd del Carmen
Puerto Campiche
a.This iaretwo docks, one is a straight finger and the other accommodates over 60 boats.
b.Also there is another dock about two miles west in Lerma.
c.20 nm from Puerto de Seybaplaya
Puerto de Arribo,
a.Commercial dock on the gulf.
b.5 nm from Puerto Campiche
Celestun
a.I can’t identify a marina here but there are lots of boats that must get fuel from somewhere. There is a captain of the port, part of the Secretary of Transportation’s function and I’d try to find out more through them if I was going to need fuel. Many of these places I’ve mentioned have port captains.
b.107 nm from Puerto Arribo
Progreso, Mexico, Marina Paraiso
a.There are quite a few “shore excursions” in Progreso, primarily to Mayan Ruins
c.90 nm from Celestun
Isla Mujeres, Marina Puerto Isla Mujeres
a.There are four marinas lined up and I don’t think really one is better than the others. For us Isla Mujeres was a place to just enjoy one day exploring, but not more.
c. 240 nm from Progreso
We appreciate all the responses and these helped us to decide Mexico is not a option.