D-Day Minus 1

D - Day Minus 1 for our departure to Mexico!
Today's challenge was to pack the back of the car with all the gear and boat bits we have collected over the summer.  Good thing that Alan has an incredible spatial knack for finding just the right item to fill a an empty spot.  

GEAR!  Can you find 2 anchors, new laminate and a sink for the galley, alternators, fuses, hoses, wet suits, stainless shackles, and a thousand other bits in this picture?

I am sure it will take us a few weeks once we arrive in Mexico to find it all again.



















We did notice as we were piling the gear in the garage that one of the car tires looked rather flat....and sure enough a trip to the tire repair shop was the first errand.














                
By the end of the day SUCCESS!  The kayaks are on the roof (and have only a few items stashed inside!) and the inside is full.  

We leave at O Dark Hundred tomorrow for Long Beach where we are picking up a Viking Life Raft.  Then we head towards Tucson.  Our goal is to cross into Mexico on Wednesday am.

We are very eager to be our way -- it is 4 months tomorrow that we retired and we are ready for the next adventure.

Loving Mexico!

All summer long we continue to prepare for our trip to Magic -- now currently on the hard in Guaymas, Mexico during hurricane season.   Boat owners can apply for a Ten Year Import permit from the government -- this allows the boat to stay for an extended period of time in Mexico and offers some advantages on bringing in parts and gear.

In 2001 we also obtained a similar permit for Silhouette.  At that time, the paperwork dance was a bit tedious -- not hard in any way, just a slog.  Here was the process:
1.  Go to Aduna (customs) in Old Town Mazatlan to pick up the forms.  1 round trip bus ride.
2.  Back to the boat to find all the numbers & fill out the forms.
3.  Return to Aduna the next day -- the customs director was not available.  2nd round trip bus ride.
4.  Return AGAIN the following day -- the customs director instructed a junior agent to help us.  3rd round trip bus ride.
5.  Alan and the agent leave for the boat -- via bus trip number 4 -- taxis were "too expensive".
6.  Dinghy to the boat to check the numbers on the engine and registration paper work matched the completed Aduna forms.
7.  Then return to Aduna to get the import papers signed by the director.  Bus trip number 5.
8.  Alan walked to the bank to pay for the permit -- approximately $12.00 USD.
9.  Alan then took the receipt back to Aduna to pick up the final signed papers.  Back to the boat on bus trip number 6.

WHEW.  Three days, 6 bus rides and finally permit in hand.

FAST FORWARD to 2010.  We have bought Magic and with the bill of sale in hand, we apply for Coast Guard Documentation.  This takes about 6 weeks; can't be done on line; and oh joy -- gets to be done every year.  Maybe the Coast Guard could take a lesson from this new Mexican process.

1.  With the CG documentation papers in hand, go on-line, and find the form for the Ten Year Import Permit.
2.  Fill it out and hit submit button.
3.  48 hours later, DHL delivers the permit to our door!
4.  Sign the permit; scan the signed permit, passport, and documentation papers.
5.  Email this back to Aduna.

DONE!!

The funniest part of the story -- DHL is notorious among cruisers as the shipping company to avoid using in Mexico.  Everything gets lost somewhere.  So here comes our permit via DHL.

I guess times are changing.

At this point we are totally done with the paper work:  bill of sale, Coast Guard documentation, 10 year import permit, insurance on Magic, and car insurance for our trip.