Visiting Puerto Chiapas

Puerto Chiapas, also called Puerto Madero, is where we checked out of Mexico. Steve sailed here alone from Acapulco. The Navy boards every boat coming in and going out, often with a dog.

Most of this circulates by word of mouth among cruisers. We pulled it together, organized it, and share it free. It is not official guidance, so don’t rely on it as such.

Visiting Puerto Madero From Some Tuesday

Puerto Chiapas is also called Puerto Madero. It is where we checked out of Mexico. The town is a 20-minute taxi ride. I walked it. It is an ordinary town. The marina sits up a narrow mangrove channel.

The Navy boards every boat coming in and going out, often with a dog. Have the papers ready, and secure the pets before the boarding party comes aboard. I cancelled the boat permit at the Guatemalan border, about 90 minutes by car. The person named on the permit has to go.

SV Sea Again From Some Tuesday

Marina Chiapas was wonderful, and very helpful with clearing out. The staff were very nice. There is a nice pool, and I spent a lot of time there with Dave and Dani of SV Sea Again, and their kids. We became fast friends. Dave, the skipper, was great to collaborate with. He is a smart, experienced sailor. We put our heads together, evaluated the weather, and picked the window when it would be safe to cross. They buddy-boated with me across the Gulf of Tehuantepec. That was great, because I was sailing solo, and this is the most dangerous water in Mexico.

By 12:30 in the morning we were both underway, with a window of about 38 hours. Most boats play it safe and hug the shoreline all the way around, which makes it much longer. We had so much confidence in working together, and in the forecast, that we shot straight across, about 230 nautical miles. That was about 36 hours if we motored, and that is what we did. We judged the risk very low. We were right, and the crossing was a lot of fun. Sea Again stayed close enough to see, and we stayed on the radio. We sailed for about five hours, then the wind died and it went glassy.

More from the crossing: the wind map and the glassy morning. The arrival, with Sea Again alongside, is in E7.

Read the full story in the Captain’s Log: waiting for the window, the crossing, and Marina Chiapas.

Coming up the channel From Some Tuesday

I called the Port Captain on the way in and got no English back. About ten minutes later the marina called: we could enter, and the dredge was working. The marina sits up a narrow mangrove channel. The first slip had no 50-amp power, so I moved to a side-tie that did. Clearance had to start the day before we left. Puerto Madero is a 20-minute taxi ride, an ordinary town, and I walked it. Chiapas to Bahía del Sol.

From Some Tuesday Puerto Madero was one of my stops solo sailing south, and I met a lot of friendly people there. The walk through town is in the Captain’s Log.

Have the papers ready From Some Tuesday

At Puerto Chiapas the Mexican Navy and other authorities board every single incoming and outgoing boat, often with a dog. Have your documents ready: passports, crew list, boat papers, the Temporary Import Permit, and the despacho paperwork. Secure your pets before the boarding party, and their dog, comes aboard. Tidy the boat so lockers and cabins are easy to open.

The marina was very helpful and prepared all the paperwork. It was worth its weight in gold. Apparently the marina owner has some influence, and that matters here. Chiapas was very formal. I don’t recommend doing Mexican clearance alone.

Cancelling the permit

The marina provided a driver for the drive to the office at the Guatemalan border, about 90 minutes. That was the only place I could cancel the Temporary Import Permit there. The marina guy strongly urged me not to leave Mexico without cancelling it. The cancellation has to be done by the person the permit was issued to. The marina can drive you there. It can’t cancel it for you.

Ask the marina to arrange the driver, and build the trip into the clear-out. The international despacho is void if you don’t leave within 48 hours. Officially you can also post the papers to Banjercito or use a CIITEV drop box. At this port I did it in person. The rules are on the Temporary Import Permit page, and the despacho steps are on the clearing-in guide.