Mexican shipyards

Discussion in 'Boatbuilding' started by Leonwaves, Jul 27, 2020.

  1. Yobarnacle
    Joined: Nov 2011
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    Location: Mexico, Florida

    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

    fly to Del Carmen, take a bus west. and you will see the fishing villages as you pass through them, Dos Bocas is an industrial port, but small and poor, but has comercial docks, tugs, heavy lift cranes.. More fishing villages west and further west is Coatzacoalcos,, another small industrial port.. Go no further unless you want the airport at Vera Cruz, the next port and a large, expensive city.
    bueno suerte, senor

    250 grand is 5 million pesos and bit more. -/+23 pesos to a dollar. You can buy your own fishing village for that. You can hire unskilled labor for 200 pesos a day, skilled craftsmen for 500 pesos a day.
    A nice apartment, couple bedrooms, kitchen, bath, salon, rents for 2000 pesos a month. A little less than a hundred bucks. restaurant meals about 60 pesos

    I use to run in and out of these ports, but been retired for several years. Currently, I live in the mountains in central Mexico with my Mexican wife.

    If it doesn't offend you, get a fisherman's daughter for a girlfiend, and the entire waterfront comunity will be related in some way to her and her family. A welcome ticket to many resources.

    otra vez, bueno suerte, senor
    Cuidate, you do not want to appear rich, gold jewelry, ect. Tempting target. Desperate people do desperate things.

    Final advice, don't change funds into pesos. Leave funds in US or other safe bank. Use ATM cards to withdraw pesos from ATM machines. You will get the exact correct current international exchange rate. Have several cards if you need to withdraw more in one day than the limit on that card. Don't forget to initiate cards for international use.
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2020
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  2. brendan gardam
    Joined: Feb 2020
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    Location: east gippsland australia

    brendan gardam Senior Member

    sounds like paradise.
     
  3. Mirones
    Joined: Jul 2020
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    Location: Germany

    Mirones Junior Member

    an Alternativ would be coming to the Baltic area there are a couple Kfk's Kriegsfischkutter(Warfishingtrawlers) for sale.[​IMG] 25m Hull Length there are a couple doing highsea fishing tours but buisness is not to well so they are allways for sale in winter for around 15.000€ - 25.000€ selling the Iron or Aluminum Superstructure for scrap or to some Hipster as Tiny Home. they come with air cooled Magirus-Deutz Engines and 2 Generators that you could sell for some nice amount. First Schooner i sailed on had the Engine from an Ford Focus, cheaper and easier to get parts at every place than for the usal Volvo Penta stuff. there was also full Rigging for Sale on Ebay for a while from an Abandoned Resauration Project, cant remember if the Masts where included too but spareset of main sails and rigging was included for 7.000€ wich would be an bargin. Some note worthy convertions are Tress Hombress and Avatar, later one had Wooden Hull replaced with Con-Ten Steel.[​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  4. bajansailor
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Location: Barbados

    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

    Hello Leon,
    Even for a 24 metre 'basic' schooner you will still be looking at a million (and probably a lot more) - you might find somewhere 'cheap' like Mexico to build it, but you will still need to buy all the equipment, sails, rigging, engine, electrics - and these are not available cheaply in pesos.
    A Canadian gentleman built a steel schooner here on the beach - she is about 30 metres long on deck, she took him 15 years to build, he launched her 5 years ago, he was doing it all on a shoestring but she still cost him about US$ 3 million to build - he had to seek funding and sponsorship from various agencies.
    Schooner Ruth | Barbados' Sailing Ambassador http://www.schoonerruth.com/
    Here is a video of her launch -

    You admit to not knowing much, if anything, about wooden boat building - you will be 'taken for a ride' by everyone you employ and your money will disappear very quickly.
    If you really want to learn more about wooden shipbuilding, sign up as a volunteer with the Ceiba crew in Costa Rica for a while - I doubt that you would get paid anything, and you would probably have to contribute toward the cost of food and accommodation, but you will learn a lot very quickly about what is involved in building a wooden vessel of this size.
    And this should be enough to convince you that building your own 24 metre large sailing vessel on a tight budget is going to be very difficult, if not impossible.
     
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  5. Rumars
    Joined: Mar 2013
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    Rumars Senior Member

    Hello Leon, here my thoughts on the subject.

    Can you build or refurbish a big wooden boat for cheap in Central America or the Caribbean? Yes you can, and for less money than you think. Will the resulting product have any value? No, the finished boat will sell for less than it cost you to build it. There are very few exceptions from this fact. Fishing boats and race boats for example.

    Can you build a big yacht cheaply? No, the only thing you can do is build it cheaper than in the USA. Wich does not help you at all, because the customers willing to spend yacht money will not choose you, they choose the reputable yard next door. There are very few people willing to risk a large amount of money with someone without any pedigree. You can of course build a pedigree, but you don't have the money for it.

    You are now probably asking yourself : What is the difference between a boat and a yacht? A boat is something that is buildt to use standards, without finish work. Lumber goes from the chainsaw directly to beeing a boat part. If the apprentice needs practice he gets to do a few passes with the plane, otherwise only the joints get attention and only as much as needed, everything else is raw. Interiors and systems are basic and buildt with the least labour intensive techniques possible.
    A yacht is the exact opposite, everything has to be perfect down to the invisible details of structural joinery, the finish has to be exquisite and matching the chosen materials and style, the systems have to be up to date and matching the customers desire, etc.
    To illustrate the difference, a team of 8 people might spend more then a month fairing a yacht hull, while the same size boat would be done by 2 people in a week.
    So you are now probably asking yourself: Is there no middle ground? Something that is good but not perfect? Unfortunately no, not in the sizes you speak of. Smaller yachts you can cut corners on fit and finish to satisfy a cheapskate customer because he seldom knows better anyway. But big boats are so expensive to run that it's either a customer that does not care at all or one that is used to perfection.

    What I find strange is that I have to tell you all this. Your boatbuilder friend should already know it all, it's not a secret.
     
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  6. Leonwaves
    Joined: Jul 2020
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    Location: Mexico

    Leonwaves Junior Member

    Can you enlighten me a bit more about this boats and in what part of the baltic sea they are generally selling
     
  7. Yobarnacle
    Joined: Nov 2011
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    Location: Mexico, Florida

    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

    Mexican food is delicious. I like it. Always liked spicy food. One drawback. it's ALWAYS Mexican food, breakfast, lunch, and supper.
    Uni-culture.
    The USA is cosmopolitan, a myriad cultures and cuisines.
    In Mexico, I cook EXOTIC dishes, like spaghetti with meatballs or sausage and kraut for myself.
    I have to create the kielbasa and saure kraut from scratch. I make a kielbasa (marjoram,garlic, black pepper) flavored meat loaf. Kraut takes weeks to ferment.
    For a southern breakfast of eggs and grits and sausage gravy, I buy whole hominy corn, and run in through a blender to make grits. The sausage, is ground pork I season myself with sage and black pepper prior to making gravy with it. Eggs are readily available.

    Chinese food, Comida China buffets, are very popular in Mexico. But even the Comida China is Mexican flavors. :rolleyes:
    I bring my own "Five Fragrant Spice" powder and sesame oil, to somewhat restore a Chinese flavor and odor to the Comida China. Take a whiff of an open bottle of sesame oil. Chinese restaurant smell?
    Why, sesame oil is not used in Chinese cooking in Mexico, yet pureed sesame, Ajonjoli, is a common ingredient in many Mexican dishes, is a mystery to me.

    Immigrants to the USA brought their unique cuisine with them.

    I bring ALL these different cuisines I enjoy, with me to Mexico.
    Crawfish Ettoufee? Anyone? In Mexico, crawfish are called langostina. and available. The ettoufee sauce is just knowing how to make it, ingredients are common.

    Adapting to a foreign culture isn't necessarily going native. Do the weird alien stuff you miss, for yourself. I miss conversation in English, so I talk to myself, as example.
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2020
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  8. Yobarnacle
    Joined: Nov 2011
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    Location: Mexico, Florida

    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

    [​IMG]

    A map showing Ciudad Del Carmen to the far right, Coatzacoalcos to left side, and Dos Bocas centered.
     
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  9. gonzo
    Joined: Aug 2002
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    gonzo Senior Member

    You won't be able to make a hull and deck for that money, let alone the interior, rigging, electrical, machinery, etc. Even considering lower wages, it will be at least 12 millions. A wooden boat will cost several times more than a steel or aluminum build.
     
  10. Yobarnacle
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    Location: Mexico, Florida

    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

    Absolutely agree, Gonzo.
    Commercial wooden ships changed to steel construction for a number of excellent reasons.
    Except for historical restoration or recreating a period ambience "FLAVOR", building a new wooden ship has no valid rational.
    After construction, maintenance would be an ever increasing expense.
     
  11. Leonwaves
    Joined: Jul 2020
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    Location: Mexico

    Leonwaves Junior Member

    Thank you gonzo, as im new to this world im starting to feel that metal may be a good option at.least for the outside part, is quite romantic to think about schooner made completely out of wood but it seems like is out of my budget. I still get the feeling for what Yobarnacle is saying that it might be achievable at a lower cost in the gulf so ill start looking into it. I got a trip planned to this area next november so we will se how it goes. Also there seems to be disagreement wether is cheaper to make them from scratch or to upcycle them. Do you think that upcycling a metal boat would be potentially cheaper?
     
  12. Leonwaves
    Joined: Jul 2020
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    Location: Mexico

    Leonwaves Junior Member

    It seems like you know a lot about food. I personally love mexican food and I found that there is a lot of variety and good quality meats there. I dont really have a problem with mexican food although it gets a bit tiring after a while living there. I spend four months there recently and it was a relief whe i got a kitchen and i was able to cook italian food and other things.that i didnt eat for months. What part of mexico you live now?
     
  13. Yobarnacle
    Joined: Nov 2011
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    Location: Mexico, Florida

    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

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  14. Leonwaves
    Joined: Jul 2020
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    Location: Mexico

    Leonwaves Junior Member

    Any other websites someone can recomend gathering information about thsi subject will be appreciated.
     

  15. Yobarnacle
    Joined: Nov 2011
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    Location: Mexico, Florida

    Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

    You grew a bit bored with Mexican food after only four months? My wife and I have been married, living with my Mexican wife, for nearly 17 years. Not in the least bored with her, that is impossible to be, because she has multiple personality syndrome. I'm married to five women sharing one body.and every morning is an adventure as to whom I wake up next to. The steady diet of Mexican food, I already explained, i vary at my whim, by cooking myself. Life is good!
     
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