- or, tips for bringing equipment and parts from the US to your boat in Mexico.
Tip #1: Individual results may vary.
Tip #2: Plan well in advance. In our case, when we entered Mexico in October, 2007, and paid the modest fee for a bilingual employee of Hotel Coral Marina in Ensenada to help us with the Immigration and Customs paperwork. Thanks to Pedro we got some of the best advice we have received so far for international travel by boat. Pedro encouraged us to include on Mexico's 10-year Temporary Importation Permit for our sailboat, a list of any expensive and/or large items that might eventually need to be repaired or replaced; the idea being that if we eventually had to make repairs or upgrades and could not find the parts in Mexico, we would be in a better position to justify to Mexican Customs why we'd be shipping boat parts in to Mexico from the US (or elsewhere), and thus be more likely to import them parts duty-free. Sweet.
So, we listed items on the TIP like, "autopilot," "radio," "radar," "GPS," "dinghy and dinghy motor," - you get the idea. Pedro as well as other cruisers told us that whenever we traveled away from the boat back to the US, to take a copy of the TIP and the equipment list we'd attached to it, so that if on our return Mexican Customs asked for proof that we were a "vessel in transit" needing repairs to existing equipment, we could show them we'd listed that equipment when we'd first checked in to Mexico. So, list your gear when you have the first opportunity, i.e., when you enter the country, and keep a copy of your TIP when you leave Mexico with the intent to return with stuff.
Another item of early planning we took care of almost inadvertently: the tourist visas for each of our little selves. Many folks are fine with the 6-month temporary tourist visas that are issued when you enter Mexico with your boat. (I emphasize that Mexico is cool with your BOAT staying in the country for 10 years, but your sorry self gets 6 months. Humbling.) GB and I discussed the matter and because we planned to be sailing & away from officialdom when our tourist visas expired in March, 2008, when we needed to renew our tourist visas (and we were); and because we expected to spend more than one year in Mexico with more than one trip back to the US, it was cost effective to take our tourist visas to the next level. So, in December, 2007, when we were still in Mazatlan and still had 3 months to go on our tourist visas, we gathered up the necessary paperwork and the fee to apply for (and recieve - yay!) an FM-3 tourist visa.*
We learned on our first trip back to the US over 9 months after our entry into Mexico, that the extra documentation suporting the FM-3 makes travel a bit...smoother. Leaving Mazatlan we had to make an extra stop at the airport's Immigration office, but upon our return we paid no extra tourist fee and had to fill out no forms. Immigration just took back the exit papers they'd given us when we'd left, and we got waved on through. Nice.
Tip #3: Costs for checked baggage on an airline might be cheaper than shipping costs or the costs involved in bringing the parts to Mexico by car. Carefully strategize the weight and volume of the boat parts you bring back from the US. For us newbies, we ordered what I would now say was too much for two humans to comfortably bring back in one trip - but it worked great for us anyway. We flew by plane round trip, nonstop, from Mazatlan to Phoenix. We paid dearly for the nonstop, round-trip flight but we chose to do so because we knew we would be returning with a metric assload (oh, about 300lb.) of checked baggage and did not want to risk any lost luggage, if you get my drift (yes, TSA and US Airways, I'm looking at YOU). We ended up having to check 5 bags and boxes of luggage, 2 of which weighed over 50lb. but less than 70lb. None were oversize (by US Airways's standards on our day of travel). For the 5 pieces of luggage, given the TSA and airline rules as existed for our July 23 flight, we paid US $250 over and above the price of our plane tickets. And yes; our carry-on bags (the maximum 2 items each) were packed to the max as well. We had to pay 6 bucks for luggage carts in the US to schlep all our stuff to the airline counter (and even our carry-on to the gate, at the suggestion of a very nice TSA employee, bless her, who thought our bags were too heavy to carry the distance); and we tipped the Mexican porter (a real live person) US $10 to drag all our crap through Mazatlan Customs & security; AND we tipped the Mazatlan cabbie who successfully loaded all our stuff onto & into his tiny cab: plus we heavily tipped Edgar the young El Cid bellhop with the broken finger who dollied our stuff from the cab to our boat all by himself. So, yes, it was awkward bringing so much stuff back into Mexico, but for the price of less than US $300 we brought back via airplane far more than we could have for the same amount of money if we had had it shipped. Assuming it would have ever made it to Mazatlan from Mexican Post Office Central in Guadalajara, which is widely known as a total black hole of shipments never to be recovered in our lifetimes. Go ahead - ship stuff to Mexico, I dare you - and be sure to say hi to the package of prescription meds we tried to get shipped to us last March, that got irreversibly sucked in to Guadalajara Postal.
Anyway, upon arriving at Mexican Customs at the Mazatlan airport, all our luggage was X-rayed once again (presumably Mexico does not trust TSA to accurately check for firearms, explosives, or questionable agricultural substances - and I don't blame Mexico one bit). I handed over my honestly-completed Customs declaration form, stepped up to the console, and punched The Button.** I got a green light & all our gear was allowed to pass in to Mexico without further inspection.
Driving might be a better option; some cruisers drive to and from Mexico by car or RV, or know someone who does. This could be cost effective if you either own and operate the vehicle, or accompany the owner/operator - again, with a complete copy of your TIP. You can certainly get lots more stuff in an RV or a pickup, but crossing the border from the US to Mexico you must still pass through Immigration and Customs. And must press The Button. Plus, driving to your Mexican destination includes paying for lodging, food and gas - which may or may not be cost effective depending on what you're bringing back, and how much of it there is, and how far in to Mexico your destination is.
Tip #4: When you cruise Mexico, definitely take a break and return to your country of origin at least once in the first 18 months - if for no other reason than to practice leaving and returning to a foreign country early in your long term cruise. Certainly, Mexico is an easy country to get around in - the path is well trodden by people just like you, so it's easy to pick people's brains on how to handle it easily and enjoyably. And, the culture shock in your country of origin will likely be so great, you'll be happy to return to your boat and Mexico where life is in many aspects ever-so-much better!
* An FM-3 is sort of a long-term tourist visa, which basically allows you to leave and reenter Mexico as a tourist as often as you like during the 1-year visa period, in exchange for you showing Mexico that you have visible means of support that do not include working illegally in Mexico. And you have to show a local address, which for boats means you nicely ask your marina harbormaster for a letter confirming that you have a boat at their marina. Pretty straightforward.
** Mexico uses a semi-random method of inspection that reminds me of a game show: press The Button and get a green light, you win and you and all your stuff get in to Mexico without a second look. Hit The Button and get a red light, though, and you and the Mexican Customs officials lose. You have to spend the next few hours getting all your stuff inspected and having to justify why you should not be charged duty for each item; and the Mexican Customs officials have to spend all that time doing the inspection and haggling with your gringo self. Everybody gets a frowny-face.
Oh: and I say "semi-random" because, much like game shows or casinos, The Button can be adjusted. For example, recently the Mexican Customs folks got a tip that something unpleasant was going to be crossing the border, so for a day or two The Button glowed red 100% of the time. Grumpiness all around then, I can tell you.
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