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For Summers Well Spent
by Capt. John E. Rains
Inviting to all kinds of boaters and accommodating to all kinds of boats, San Carlos is the perfect summering-over spot
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Here, the pristine Sonora Desert meets the coastline. The village lines the shores of Bahia San Carlos, which is a narrow, two-lobed bay tightly enclosed by steep hills. Two peaks, collectively called Tetas de Cabra, create San Carlos’ distinctive landmark.
The tranquil resort village of Marina San Carlos is located on the mainland side of the Sea of Cortez, a passage about 75 nautical miles east from Santa Rosalia, 15 nautical miles northwest of the fishing harbor at Guaymas or 300 miles due south of Tucson, Arizona.
Because Bahia San Carlos is the only true “hurricane hole” in this vicinity, it offers a relatively safe place for boaters to spend the long, hot summer. Marina San Carlos, a full-service, 331-slip marina, fills the entire inner lobe of Bahia San Carlos, making it a safe port in a storm. The outer harbor runs fairly north-south and 20 moorings occupy the north end, with plenty of room for at least 50 more boats to anchor. (If a storm were to approach, be aware that the very south end of the outer bay can be exposed to southeast swell that often twists in through the bay’s 1/4-mile-wide entrance.)
Three miles north of Bahia San Carlos is the smaller Marina Real, another inland yacht basin. Marina Real is fine in fair weather, but during a tropical storm, it’s not as sheltered as Marina San Carlos.
During the summer, there are many answers to what you can do with your boat. You can remain on board in the comfort of a marina slip, with a pool and hotel services on site. If and when you fly out of Mexico, you can leave your boat in a slip and let the marina keep an eye on your boat until you come back. If you choose to stay, you can anchor out and scoot into a marina slip if a storm threatens. If you own a trailerable boat, why not spend your days fishing and diving, and spend your nights at the boater-friendly Hotel las Glorias or other hotels or campgrounds. If you own a boat that measures up to 60 feet or 60 tons, you can have it hauled out and kept in the huge dry-storage facility until you need it, or you can haul it to the boat yard where you or the marina staff can perform repairs and maintenance. For boats up to 45 feet or 30 tons, the marina’s flat-bed service can haul your boat across the border, up to Interstate 8 at Tucson. Or vice versa.
Cama Baja in Baja California
Ed and Teresa Grossman, owners of Marina San Carlos, also own and operate a long-distance hauling service.
A never-retired U.S. businessman, Ed Grossman designed and built a gizmo called the “cama baja,” a low-bed trailer specially adapted for launching and retrieving deep-draft vessels. Looking like a giant lobster lying on its back, Grossman’s “cama baja” has six individually operated hydraulic arms that position even odd-shaped hulls correctly on the trailer for the ride -- either to the marina’s dry storage yard or to an adjacent work yard, located a mile down the highway, or up to the United States. The air-suspension bed of the trailer cushions the hull. The road is a four-lane divided highway, much of it interstate quality.
This summer, more than 300 boats are summering over in the marina’s dry storage and boat yard. Another 100 are being “trucked” back to the United States from San Carlos, so boaters can avoid having to fight the headwinds on the outside of Baja California. Besides California and Arizona, the license plates and homeports most prevalent in the dry storage areas are from Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
Retired FBI agent Jack Burns recently took over as dockmaster at Marina San Carlos (phone 011-52-622-61230; fax 60565), and he’s also an avid boater. Burns oversees the marina’s newly renovated slips, its grooved launch ramp and 10 ton crane and trailer parking, which are all located on the north side of the marina, and the marina’s fuel dock. The 80-foot-long fuel dock is located hard to starboard just after you enter the inner basin, and there’s between 5 and 6 feet of water alongside at max low tide. Tides range 4 feet here.
The main channel through the marina has 7 1/2 feet of water at low tide. The marina office is located among the shops and cafes that line the northeast end of the inner basin. San Carlos Yacht Club is fairly new and informal, and a clubhouse is under construction just west of the launch ramp. Half the members are boat owners who frequent the marina, and half are folks who have retired at San Carlos and usually keep their boats alongside their homes in the village.
The swimming pool and patio of the Plaza las Glorias Resort Hotel overlook the marina’s eastern end. All the rooms are suites with kitchenettes, and eight rooms have private Jacuzzis with views of the marina. The hotel offers free security parking for trailerboaters’ tow vehicles and rigs, as well as laundry facilities and baby-sitting. All marina guests receive discounts on rooms, meals, drinks, golf and tennis. Boaters who flew in to Guaymas airport used to enjoy a pickup service offered by the hotel, but the little strip at San Carlos closed recently.
Hotel guests have access to the private beach nearby, which used to be the Shangri-La RV Park. Plaza las Glorias is owned by Situr Marinas, which up until recently was a partner in Marina San Carlos with the Grossmans. Veronica Archer is the reservations manager for the Plaza las Glorias Resort Hotel (011-52-622-61021).
Marina Real to the north has 250 slips for boats 25 to 48 feet, and up to 120 boats could summer-over there, but it’s more susceptible to north and west weather. Their fuel dock (hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily) lies to port after you clear their jetty-lined entrance channel. A launch ramp and unfenced parking is located in the back of the yacht basin. To inquire about Marina Real, phone or fax Dockmaster Isabel Ecscobar (011-52-622-70110).
Fishing and diving are the main offshore events around San Carlos. Cabrilla and a local white fish called “salmon” can be caught here year-round, but starting in May, marlin, sail and dorado were caught within 20 miles. Yellowfin tuna are here throughout hurricane season and late fall; winter catches include yellow tails and schools of sierra mackerel.
If the catch isn’t good on any particular day, boaters say they feast on seafood and famous Sonora beef at restaurants Picolo’s, Blackie’s and El Bronco -- all within the village of San Carlos.
Turismo to Issue Mexico Boating/Traveling Guide
To help keep Mexico’s nautical tourism booming and to simplify bringing boats into the country by sea or otherwise, Mexico’s secretary of tourism is developing a booklet entitled, “Guide to Traveling in Mexico with Your Boat,” which outlines important rules and procedures in English.
“[The booklet] should be disseminated soon to the U.S. and Canadian boating media, all the ports of entry and the marinas in Mexico,” said Teresa Grossman, president of the Association of Mexican Marinas. “The guide explains exactly what to do in various situations involving boats, towing vehicles, trailers, RVs and spare parts.”
Mexico’s “20-year import permit” pertains to all recreational boats that remain in Mexico longer than six months, from long-range cruising boats to fishing boats to trailerboats. The “Solicitud de Autorizacion Temporal de Embarcaciones,” or Application for Temporary Import Authorization, is available for towed boats at the border Aduana office and at marinas for boats arriving by sea. You must specify how long you expect your boat to stay, which can be up to 20 years. To show ownership, present a copy of any of the following: bill of sale, title, certificate of registration (or U.S. Coast Guard document).
If your trailered boat is going to remain for a year, its trailer must stay, too, and must be listed on the back of the application. However, for a tow vehicle, there’s a separate permit, called “Solicitud de Autorizacion Temporal de Vehiculos,” which can be obtained at the border. This allows you to come and go in your vehicle, even if your boat and trailer remain in Mexico.
Once this application is approved by the Aduana at your port of entry, it becomes your temporary import permit (TIP).
The booklet also lists helpful hints explaining what to do in unforeseen but common situations. It reads: “If you have a boat, trailer, motorcycle, RV or vehicle other than the towing vehicle, make sure that they are listed on the back of the temporary import permit form.” If you imported your boat and trailer on a car permit, then you must change them over to the 20-year permit, and the steps are outlined in the book. It also says “None of the above paperwork requires a customs declaration or the services of a customs broker or attorney.”
Requirements from the immigration and port captain offices are also listed in the booklet.
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This article first appeared in the September 1, 1998 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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