We're almost done checking into Mexico. We got into Huatulco, or Bahia Santa Cruz yesterday after a twenty mile motor. Again, either there was no wind or it was from the wrong direction to help us get here. As we neared Huatulco, I got on the VHF and placed a call to Marina Chahue to see about a slip. Strangely, there was no response. On we pushed even though the charts we had said it was impossible for us to get in as(according to our charts) it gets down to just 1 foot deep! We pressed on with Tracy getting all the dock lines and fenders ready since we had no idea how we would be tying up at the dock. As we motored up the narrow rock lined channel(three feet under the keel), we saw the marina ahead of us and it looked quite crowded with boats. Suddenly we saw Police running down the dock and waving to us to go around the end of the dock and then they pointed out a slip. It was inside the marina and we had to go in a NARROW channel between two fingers of the marina to get to it and then slide into a space already crowded with a decent sized power boat! Oh, this was going to be FUN!!! I headed in as slow as I could and yet still maintaining forward momentum as the Police/Marina security put themselves so they could take our lines. I stayed as far out from the slip till I could make the turn to the right and head in. Now Zephyr has what's called "starboard prop walk". That means that when I put the transmission into reverse, it pulls the starboard/right stern side of the boat to the right. In this case, away from where we needed to slide into. This was going to be fun!! At least the winds were not blowing making it even harder. As I made the turn to the right and headed for the slip, Tracy threw out the forward dock lines to one of the men and then I turned the wheel hard to starboard and gunned the engine in forward gear. With the rudder hard to starboard, it pushed the stern to the port side nicely and with one of the dock men already having the forward lines, we slid right into the slip with other dock men taking the other lines. We were in as I put us in reverse to stop Zephyr!! The really strange thing is that the docks are so narrow that we have to use the cleats on the dock that are made for the boat beside us while he is using the cleats for our slip. Getting on and off our finger of the dock, we have to climb over a half dozen lines that tie up our boat as well as the boat in the next slip. It's like spider webs crisscrossing the marinas dock. I'd hate to do it drunk!
The security/dockmen directed us up the the office but Tracy had to stay on board. She wasn't allowed to come "ashore"! I was the "Captain" and while she maybe one of the owners, well, that's just not good enough and she had to stay there while I went up and started getting us checked into the marina and getting started with Immigration/Customs. The office manager(speaks some English)sent a message to I think the Port Captain and he showed up about 20 minutes later. The office manager made copies of lots of our paperwork so she would have them ready for the Port Captain once he arrived.
When the Port Captain showed up, he sat down at his computer and sent out information emails to the other officials in their offices. To the Health Department, Agriculture Department, Customs and Immigration offices. All had to come and see us. Meanwhile, I returned to the boat and filled Tracy in on what was happening. Since we were not checked in, I couldn't check in to the marina. As it was, we are in just about the last slip they had available. As we finished lunch, down came the first two officials--Health and Agriculture. The Health Department rep is a doctor and she wanted to look at ALL our meds mainly to see if they were expired. She had a real problem with expired drugs(even Aspirin). She looked at our Med Kit box, specifically the Aspirin and sea sickness meds--all we expired and she advised is to get rid of them as they could cause a health problem if taken. This girl has no idea about getting drugs(of just about any kind)as you travel the world. We just walk into any Pharmacy and tell them what we want. No prescription is needed as we are "Cruisers" and have no doctors. Once done with out Med Kit, she looked at the medicine cabinet in the forward head and again shook her head at some of the meds we had there--again expired. We promised to try and get them replaced. She filled out her forms as the "Agriculture" official toured the boat asking about cheese, meats, etc to see what we had on board. No meat is allowed into the country unless it's from Mexico or was inspected in the US and came in as imports. We really have little and it's buried in the bottoms of our freezers(some from Singapore). I did show him lots of cans and jars of food we keep in the cabinets in the main salon and he was happy. He also looked(at a distance) at our two cats. Blue was having nothing to do with either of them and stayed in the stern stateroom with buggy eyes and I'm sure sweating like crazy. She doesn't like strangers on board "HER" boat. Next came Customs. He came on and stayed the shortest period of time, quickly filling out his forms and leaving, all the while trying to get the cats hair off his pants and shirt. He brushed and brushed and then went to the dock faucet to wet his hand and get more off. I guess he just doesn't like kitties. We still waited for Immigration. Since it was after 1300 and they close at 1300, we knew there was no chance they would be by but when I went up to the office to see about it(1400), they were closed--It's siesta time here in Mexico. She wasn't due back till at least 1600 and she finally showed up about 1620. We were right in that Immigration wasn't coming but they wanted us to come to them today(Wednesday) and get the forms filled out. We were to be there before 0900. Being prompt Americans, we left here for the 20 minute or so walk to the Immigration office only to find they don't even open till 0900 so we sat and waited. Just after 0900, they showed up and more forms got filled out and put in computer or had their pictures taken by phones. Once the forms were filled out, we were told where we had to go and pay our fees for coming into Mexico from a foreign country. It was a bank, about a 40 minute walk away. It took some time but we found the bank and waited in line again(45 minutes) before I could pay the $533peso fees that were due for each of us(just over $27US). The clerk gave us receipts and off we went headed back towards Immigration. Unfortunately, as we walked to the bank, we passed a huge grocery store that was just begging us to come in and see what they had. OK, Immigration was just going to have to wait. In we went and once in, we knew we were back in Mexico as we recognized familiar brand and old favorites from when we were here back in 2011. We picked up some Herndez Salsa Casera, some Limon cookies, a jug of Coke and some Campbells Chili Poblano soup, all favorites we wanted to indulge in again. We lugged them back to Immigration with Tracy staying away from the offices as we weren't sure how they would have liked us shopping for food before we were actually checked into the country.
Once back in the Immigration office, the paperwork was finished and I was out of there, meeting up with Tracy at the nearby hotel/plaza. We hiked the short distance back to the marina and had a wonderful lunch of the Chili Poblano soup with quesedilla have the Herndez Salsa and cheese in them. Now we have to wait till 1600 when the office opens back up again so we can actually get checked into the marina. We have to get our propane tank refilled and we want to find some cooking classes that are popular here in Huatulco.