Search This Blog

Friday, January 20, 2012

Marina Guaymas or Gabriel's

Boat yards are dirty...
dusty...
expensive...
they can be dangerous...
and living aboard in a boat yard is just plainly - a pain.
(Our 16 year old, Tim, remarked that living on a boat in a boat yard was as close as he had ever been to feeling like he was living a in Third World country.)

Dan and Jim: we enjoyed Dan's last evening in Guaymas aboard Rocinante. Dan knows
better than to try and leave at low tide - based on experience.
You can't use the head because you can't pump it out. That means multiple trips to the bathroom - up and down a tall aluminum ladder. And in the middle of the night? Well,let's just say that I have a new title - Chamber Maid.

The shower heads in the public bathrooms usually 'drizzle' - and sometimes even hot water.

Dishes can be done in a sink behind the bathroom. That's why most people on the hard eat out. But not for a family of 4 on a budget. We got so sick and tired of hauling dishes back and forth that we rigged up a bucket and spout in the through-hull, so now we just empty the dirty dish water daily and wash our dishes on board with city water.

Low tide in Guaymas at dusk. The travel lift has lowered Rocinante ,but Dan will wait
until the morning before he tries to leave - when he can see and when the tide is higher.
Thankfully, Jim and I got our tetanus shots last year. Yesterday, I stepped on a rusty screw on my way to the bathroom and it went through my shoe and into my foot. My reflexes are pretty good, so I was only pierced partially.

For all my complaining, however, Marina Guaymas is the cheapest boat yard we've run across in Mexico. The staff is super. You can do your own work, which is a huge plus and not many boat yards allow that anymore. They own their travel lift. And although Marina Guaymas isn't in the middle of town like Marina Singlar, the buses run regularly and cost only 5.5 pesos per person.

The tides here in Guaymas are extreme. It is important to know when they are low and when they are high. Luckily, the bottom is muckily - so if you do happen to run aground, no biggie. Just wait for the high tide to float you off.

Rocinante with her rail in the water. Oops!
As of 2012, the cost to haul is $150 each way, so $300 for in and out. That is for any size boat. For our 41' Tartan, it costs $120 per month to store here. If you are living aboard, there is a $5 per day charge. It is $50 to have your hull pressure washed.

5 comments:

  1. Keep posting your work yard experiences please. We were planing on hauling in Marina Seca for the convience but Guaymas is enough cheaper to sway us. Hope the work goes well!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm still looking forward to my first time. Going aground that is.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello
    I am Gabriel Larios, owner and Manager of "Marina Guaymas"
    Let me just get clear in a couple aspects
    -In the photo with your boat, you are certainly out of the channel...... thats wath happen when people dont know too much about sailboats, marinas and of course they are not too smart. Plus we just dredge and we have it 10 feet with high tide, our channel is incredible with any kind of tide
    -Is really difficult to get sick in bathrooms, that could happen to eat something in town, gastrointestinal diseases it is a real problem in Guaymas, but for sure are not because of my restrooms... you have to be more specific with your problems and try to dont post first thing come to your mind when you are having a bad day. Unhappy people will be really difficult to become a good customer, I feel sad for you
    -We are working really hard in the dry storage to give a better service, and year by year we still improving. I am sure we are not doing so wrong beacause 3 years ago we haved just 50 boats... this season we got it 145 boats.. I am sure we are doing something good :-)
    Anyone please feel free to contact anyone of my customers I have several email of sailboaters (in fact hundreds) wih the ones you can confirm his good experience in our dry storage
    marinasecaguaymas@yahoo.com

    I really feel bad with this commentaries but is part of the business, is impossible to get happy every single customer, but for sure we always try it
    Gabriel Larios
    Manager "MARINA GUAYMAS"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dearest Gabriel...

    I just received your comment to our post about your fabulous boat yard...

    you misunderstood my intention completely. We are not unhappy with you at all. I am so sorry if it came off like we were. It is American sarcasm and humor. That is our friend Dan on 'Rocinante' that is stuck in your channel and we are making fun of him!! No your fault in any way.

    Our family have sent so many customers to your boat yard - we recommend you and your staff over anyone else. We had a wonderful experience.

    Please read another post I added about your fabulous services:
    http://hotspur41.blogspot.mx/2012/01/rude-rude-rude.html

    I also wrote this about you:
    "For all my complaining, however, Marina Guaymas is the cheapest boat yard we've run across in Mexico. The staff is super. You can do your own work, which is a huge plus and not many boat yards allow that anymore. They own their travel lift. And although Marina Guaymas isn't in the middle of town like Marina Singlar, the buses run regularly and cost only 5.5 pesos per person."

    Please - I am so sorry if you misunderstood. We think you are wonderful and living on the hard in a boat yard anywhere is very difficult. I was making fun of that aspect - not putting your facilities down in any way.

    It breaks my heart to think that you think we are putting you down. We are not. In fact it is the other way.

    Kindest regards, Meri

    ReplyDelete
  5. We are grateful for your dedication about this helpful post.thanks for explain this post with taking your important time.

    ReplyDelete