Cruising to Mexico, East Coast

[Rick Webb]

Sitting around the table at the club we go to talking about where to sail next. We've all sailed to the Keys and even the Bahamas is sort of old hat. We got to talking about heading the other way along to coast of Texas and Mexico maybe over to Cancun.

Anyone made that trip? The only person I've read about sailing to Vera Cruz is Winfield Scott. None of us have sailed any further west Than New Orleans so this would be something new.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

I've done a delivery to Progreso and Isla Mujeres, in Yucatan, and Puerto Moreles in Quitana Roo. Isla will try to nick you for entry, Progresso had agents come to boat, who refused ANYTHING.. Very happy we cleared in there. Tourist clearance fees collected at bank. ONLY charge we had

Progreso was a quite interesting spot, as was Isla Stayed at el Milagro Marina, which had loaner bikes

From Puerto Moreles, rented car and drove to Tulum- Mayan ruins interesting day

In Isla, and Puerto Moreles, if you snorkel the reefs you MUST wear a PFD so you can't dive down and touch the formations,, which saves them from hundreds of fingers a week

 

[kloudie1]

First long trip was to Isla Mujeres back in 1989.. Jumped off from New Orleans.. a fine trip ! I sailed as crew on a buddy's Tartan 37.. another one ; flew to Veracruz back in '96 to help bring back a friend's Sabre 38 after they'd won their class in the race going down.. Both trips were very enjoyable.. Just make sure you have some "expediting" dollars to help get everything through customs.. Read and heed the paperwork ya need and get it done early.. Most likely you will be stopped and boarded by the Coasties when ya head back this way. If you or someone on board can speak Spanish, that helps a lot. There are some interesting places like Tampico and Tuxpan that you can explore.. We rented a taxi for a day and visited the old ruins of El Tajin.. Interesting coastal islands like Lobos that ya may be able to explore.. they sometimes grant permission..
That said, I wouldn't go there now until some of the political mess kinda blows over.. Veracruz is a hotbed of drug cartel activity so it would make me nervous.. but I really did enjoy the town..

 

[Benny17441]

April 27 to May 5, 2017 Regatta del Sol al Sol from St. Petersburg, FL to Isla Mujeres.

 

[Rick Webb]

A couple of guys have done the races to Isla Majors. We were thinking more of a coastal cruise down that way. Going straight across the scenery does not change much between the first and last couple of hours.

 

[kloudie1]

Not a lot to see between New Orleans and Galveston/Clear Lake TX. Corpus Christi is nice.. Brownsville is pretty desolate but interesting in a "Spring Break" kinda way.. Senior Frog's .. .. Kart racing after the crew has had a rum or two..? Pretty sparse from there to Tampico.. We encountered a lot of mostly unmarked long gill nets set east-to-west about a mile or two offshore between Port Isabel and LA Pesca, the first 140 miles of north east Mexico.
We had fun looking around Tuxpan and Veracruz..