Marina Chiapas
We stayed at 14 41.92 N 92 23.51 W
Marina Slip
Fairly easy approach although you may not want to do it at night. The last part of the approach doesn’t have the channel lit very well and one of the final markers was missing. Either way, just stay in the middle and you will be fine.
Arrival
As you arrive you must arrange an inspection by the Navy. You can do it through the marina or through the Port Captain. It’s best to check on the process before you arrive as it may change.
The Navy inspection involves 6 or 8 people. Machine guns. Drug sniffing dog. The full deal. They will board your boat within 30 minutes of your arrival ( they will also inspect you once again immediately before you leave). There is no cost, it’s just part of the deal to combat smuggling along the Guatemala border.
As you arrive you must arrange an inspection by the Navy. You can do it through the marina or through the Port Captain. It’s best to check on the process before you arrive as it may change.
The Navy inspection involves 6 or 8 people. Machine guns. Drug sniffing dog. The full deal. They will board your boat within 30 minutes of your arrival ( they will also inspect you once again immediately before you leave). There is no cost, it’s just part of the deal to combat smuggling along the Guatemala border.
The Marina
The Marina is nice and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. The bathrooms are clean and spacious but there is no key needed to access them. This includes the ladies room and ladies showers. There docks have a gated entrance but it does not lock either. Everything is open access to anyone that wants to walk in and have a look around. Internet isn’t great but its available and its included. We filled our tanks with the water from the docks. We ran it though a particle and a charcoal filter and we also added a small amount of bleach just in case. Power and water are not metered you just pay a flat fee.
The Marina is nice and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. The bathrooms are clean and spacious but there is no key needed to access them. This includes the ladies room and ladies showers. There docks have a gated entrance but it does not lock either. Everything is open access to anyone that wants to walk in and have a look around. Internet isn’t great but its available and its included. We filled our tanks with the water from the docks. We ran it though a particle and a charcoal filter and we also added a small amount of bleach just in case. Power and water are not metered you just pay a flat fee.
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While the marina is nice there is very little here within walking distance. There is a small small store that rivals a tiny gas station store in the United States. Not a 7/11. There is a restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch and that is about it. There is nothing else here.
Tapachula however is 30-45 minutes away. You can take a Colectivo or call a taxi. There is a Sam’s Club, Chedraui and Home Depot so it is possible to re-stock some supplies here if needed.
Haul out
You can haul out here if you need to. Nice new travel lift and the yard is paved and fairly roomy. Unfortunately as mentioned before there is nothing else here. There are no supplies, no chandlery, no tradesmen and no workers to hire. Anyone you need you have to arrange through the marina office and so ita difficult negotiate your own price directly with them. Any supplies will need to be brought in or sourced yourself.
Tapachula however is 30-45 minutes away. You can take a Colectivo or call a taxi. There is a Sam’s Club, Chedraui and Home Depot so it is possible to re-stock some supplies here if needed.
Haul out
You can haul out here if you need to. Nice new travel lift and the yard is paved and fairly roomy. Unfortunately as mentioned before there is nothing else here. There are no supplies, no chandlery, no tradesmen and no workers to hire. Anyone you need you have to arrange through the marina office and so ita difficult negotiate your own price directly with them. Any supplies will need to be brought in or sourced yourself.
Departure
We were headed south and needed an International check out and Zarpe. This process starts by notifying the marina the day before you plan to leave so they can have things ready for you. Rolf told me to come in at 10am so he could prepare my paperwork.
I went into the office at 9:45am and Rolf was ready to assist me. We reviewed my plan and he prepared the new Zarpe and the copies that would go to each office I needed to visit. We also settled my marina bill. My total cost for 9 days was $460. ($0.80USD/ft per day plus fees and taxes). Once that was paid up my file and paperwork was passed over to Memo to shuttle me around to the various offices. We went to 4 different places. Customs (no fee), The Port Authority to pay a $100MXN fee. Immigration (no fee but you passports and entry paperwork for everyone checking out). The Port Captain ($435MXN fee which Memo paid and we re-imbursed). You also schedule your exit inspection from the Navy here. It can be anytime 24hours/day. There is no charge. We scheduled ours for 3pm that afternoon. (2 hours later). It should be noted that you are required to leave within 15 minutes after your inspection. You are not allowed to linger so be sure all is ready before the Navy arrives.
The first three offices were really quick but we lost over an hour at the Port Captains office. Even so we were back at the boat by 1pm. We did our final departure prep for the boat and waited for our inspection. After the inspection we said our goodbye’s and were off for El Salvador!! J
Checking out
We emailed the organizers of the El Salvador Rally at [email protected] to find out tides for our expected arrival day. With our route and waypoints it would be 236 miles and anywhere from 40 to 48 hours depending on currents. It's worth checking weather too. The wind can pick up and sometimes a day or two may mean the difference between a calm or lumpy crossing of the bar.
Services
Fuel - Yes commercial fuel dock or jerry can from local gas station
Cell Service - Yes
Wifi - Yes
Dingy Landing - N/A
Garbage - Yes
Potable Water - Yes or You can buy bottled water here
Showers - Yes. Facilities are actually pretty nice.
Laundry - Yes via the wife of one of the marina workers. Expensive.
General Store - yes -small more like a gas station store.
Water Taxi - N/A
We were headed south and needed an International check out and Zarpe. This process starts by notifying the marina the day before you plan to leave so they can have things ready for you. Rolf told me to come in at 10am so he could prepare my paperwork.
I went into the office at 9:45am and Rolf was ready to assist me. We reviewed my plan and he prepared the new Zarpe and the copies that would go to each office I needed to visit. We also settled my marina bill. My total cost for 9 days was $460. ($0.80USD/ft per day plus fees and taxes). Once that was paid up my file and paperwork was passed over to Memo to shuttle me around to the various offices. We went to 4 different places. Customs (no fee), The Port Authority to pay a $100MXN fee. Immigration (no fee but you passports and entry paperwork for everyone checking out). The Port Captain ($435MXN fee which Memo paid and we re-imbursed). You also schedule your exit inspection from the Navy here. It can be anytime 24hours/day. There is no charge. We scheduled ours for 3pm that afternoon. (2 hours later). It should be noted that you are required to leave within 15 minutes after your inspection. You are not allowed to linger so be sure all is ready before the Navy arrives.
The first three offices were really quick but we lost over an hour at the Port Captains office. Even so we were back at the boat by 1pm. We did our final departure prep for the boat and waited for our inspection. After the inspection we said our goodbye’s and were off for El Salvador!! J
Checking out
We emailed the organizers of the El Salvador Rally at [email protected] to find out tides for our expected arrival day. With our route and waypoints it would be 236 miles and anywhere from 40 to 48 hours depending on currents. It's worth checking weather too. The wind can pick up and sometimes a day or two may mean the difference between a calm or lumpy crossing of the bar.
Services
Fuel - Yes commercial fuel dock or jerry can from local gas station
Cell Service - Yes
Wifi - Yes
Dingy Landing - N/A
Garbage - Yes
Potable Water - Yes or You can buy bottled water here
Showers - Yes. Facilities are actually pretty nice.
Laundry - Yes via the wife of one of the marina workers. Expensive.
General Store - yes -small more like a gas station store.
Water Taxi - N/A
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A quick 360 of the Marina. Quick Timelapse driving back to the marina. There really isn't much around.... Timelapse of our exit from the marina. |
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Download our Google Earth KAP files for use in OpenCPN. | ||
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Download our gpx track to approach this area
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