After seeing the condos going up and the galf course on Sandy Beach I now have to believe that anything is possible. A strong economy and 25 years of talking got the former done. With scuba gear it shouldn't take much more time.
In the June issue of Join Us magazine, the mayor talked about one of his goals (I believe he said by 2013) is to have Penasco as a Home Port for cruise ships, which would make Penasco the first home port in Mexico. Join Us said they were looking at 3 different sites for the dock- they didn't identify where the sites were- I would guess Sandy Beach, the port, and possibly Mirador. I've seen them ferry people onto shore in Cozumel and Samana in the Dominican Republic, but maybe because it would be the home port, they couldn't ferry everyone onto the cruise ship (?). I'm not a cruise ship person so possibly someone with more experience could answer that.
I don't think any cruise line tethers to a home port. I'm very curious about a home port in Puerto Penasco because the major cruise lines have cancelled so many Mexico cruises out of L.A. and San Diego. They couldn't fill the ships because the media has made Mexico to be so dangerous. Are they trying to drum up business from the people of Mexico?
I don't think any cruise line tethers to a home port. I'm very curious about a home port in Puerto Penasco because the major cruise lines have cancelled so many Mexico cruises out of L.A. and San Diego. They couldn't fill the ships because the media has made Mexico to be so dangerous. Are they trying to drum up business from the pople of Mexico?[/eQUOTE]
Not only Mexico, but from the millions of other foreigners who cant travel to the U.S. or dont want to travel to the U.S. because of tough visa restrictions, but would like to see the Sea Of Cortez. With the international airport it would be a really good thing for RP. Im sure between Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, they will keep the boats packed. I heard in a couple months there was going to be a big announcement about RP, that was going to affect property values, maybe this will be the announcement. Do we have any cabin boys out there?
With the huge amounts of food, luggage, drinks. etc to on-load and all the stuff to off-load. A home port ship would have to have a dock. It would be next to impossible to use tenders to do all of that.
With the huge amounts of food, luggage, drinks. etc to on-load and all the stuff to off-load. A home port ship would have to have a dock. It would be next to impossible to use tenders to do all of that.
Indeed, indeed. And unless they build some docks, or dredge the current harbor (so, is this where they finally kick the shrimp boats out for good?), those ships will only be able to enter and leave port at high tide. I'd guess some of them would bottom out and sit on the harbor bottom at low tide. It's by no means a deep-water port! But, money greases all the squeaky wheels. I guess we'll see.
I read somewhere I will try to find it that with the cruise ships pulling out the stops between California and Mexico the Mexican Govt bought 3 cruise ships or were in talks to buy 3 I will keep searching
Indeed, indeed. And unless they build some docks, or dredge the current harbor (so, is this where they finally kick the shrimp boats out for good?), those ships will only be able to enter and leave port at high tide. I'd guess some of them would bottom out and sit on the harbor bottom at low tide. It's by no means a deep-water port! But, money greases all the squeaky wheels. I guess we'll see.
Stuart, I know this is almost science fiction for RP but couldnt they build a loch system that would keep the marina at a constant water level? Im not even suggesting that this would happen in RP Im just curious to see if this is possible or is even being used elsewhere in the world. Im sure RP isnt the only place on Earth where big ships need to pull into shallow water, what other methods are used world wide? I must say, i know this isnt directly related but that huge mall at the harbor is starting to look pretty nice and with the face lift to the malecon and a proposed rumor I heard that the Mexican gov just awarded RP a bunch of money to repave all the streets in town, things are turning a little for RP and if or when they can start getting people to come back I wouldnt say its not completely out of the question but lets face it this is still RP. Like someone else said it only took 25 years to get the condos, this shouldnt take that long, lawl....
Bechtel Corporation has taken over the development of the new home port in RP. They have a survey crew here now surveying where the port will be and points for dredging to the port. It will be a home port for a major cruise line, with embarkation and debarkation making the use of the new International Airport. Construction will begin as soon as the surveying is completed. Big things coming.
Peñasco Mayor Zepeda Munro confirmed there have been important strides in seeing that Puerto Peñasco become a home port for cruise ships, expressing his confidence that necessary infrastructure will be built. He added expectations are that this work will begin prior to the end of the present municipal administration.
The Mayor stressed that during a recent international meeting, the most important global shipping companies determined this port as a strategic point given its proximity to the U.S., and given studies that demonstrate cruise goers travel by land in order to make it to their cruise ports.
Therefore, he stated, cruise ship companies have a good vision of Peñasco, not to mention it would be very good for this city to become a home port, an objective they have been working on for some time.
The Mayor stated the idea is that the departure point for cruise ships would begin construction during his administration, regardless that this would continue under the next administration no matter what party that may be.
The Mayor furthered in order for this project to become a reality, construction of an adequate dock for cruise ships needs to be done which they hope to achieve in the short term.
He indicated a definite location for the cruise ship dock has not been determined, though there are two or three options. The best alternative will be selected from among these. The Mayor reiterated that this project is something that does not yet exist in Mexico and is quite ambitious, with a broad vision that will help consolidate Puerto Peñasco as a tourist destination.
Check out the dock built in Costa Maya. The whole place is built around the Dock with the exception of it's original "small fishing village" I've been there and IMHO it would work in RP. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Maya
I heard that one plan was to anchor a platform, using drilling rig technology, then service that with an overhead cable tram set up. The tram would carry containers to ferry supplies and well as passenger modules. Much cheaper to build than a pier.
That bridge would have to be a mile long at least to get into deep enough water, or am I an idiot? That water there looks deeper closer to shore than in RP...
Gary that thing would have to be 3 times as long at least out by the mayan don't you think?
I don't know how deep the water was at the dock in Costa Maya but when I was watching them tie up, the bow and stern thrusters were kicking up a lot of mud (sand). I also don't know how much draft a small ship would need.
I don't know how deep the water was at the dock in Costa Maya but when I was watching them tie up, the bow and stern thrusters were kicking up a lot of mud (sand). I also don't know how much draft a small ship would need.
When we get the winds from the South blowing at 20 plus miles per hour it would be quite the walk on the pier
Gary that thing would have to be 3 times as long at least out by the mayan don't you think?
Miles and miles and miles, Jerry. You can practically walk from La Pinta all the way to San Jorge island at low tide. It's no more than a foot or so deep on sand flats that rise and fall nearly the whole way out there. Years ago, I took a panga out of San Jorge beach. What a nightmare --- they had to tow it out over a mile to even get to water deep enough to float it off the trailer and they got it stuck in small channels in the sand three times while towing it out there. This started at 7:00 am. We didn't even get in the panga to go fishing until nearly noon!! Never again...
I don't know how deep the water was at the dock in Costa Maya but when I was watching them tie up, the bow and stern thrusters were kicking up a lot of mud (sand). I also don't know how much draft a small ship would need.
A typical Carnival type cruise ship drafts 8 meters (about 26 ft). I'm sure the smaller cruise ships are less, but that's about average for most cruise ships. Even at high tide, the harbor in Penasco (or the channel into it) is nowhere near that deep. Maybe 19 ft. in a couple places from what I've seen on my sounder.
Regardless of whether they build a pier or a tram, they're going to have to do some serious dredging to get the ships close enough to shore for onboarding/offboarding and supply operations most anywhere along the coast in Penasco.
La Pinta has a nice channel in it; that's why. San Jorge is your basic sand flats. Hey, maybe they'll just dredge a channel into La Pinta. Who cares about a few enviro whack jobs screaming that it's an estuary... money solves all problems!!!
A typical Carnival type cruise ship drafts 8 meters (about 26 ft). I'm sure the smaller cruise ships are less, but that's about average for most cruise ships. Even at high tide, the harbor in Penasco (or the channel into it) is nowhere near that deep. Maybe 19 ft. in a couple places from what I've seen on my sounder.
Regardless of whether they build a pier or a tram, they're going to have to do some serious dredging to get the ships close enough to shore for onboarding/offboarding and supply operations most anywhere along the coast.
Isn't the area past the Reef RV Park before you get to Pelican Point pretty deep?
It does deepen up at the northern end of Sandy Beach, yes. I used to troll Rapalas from there around the point over to Cholla and back, but that area is also pretty rocky with some large boulders and rock outcroppings strategically placed here and there. Maybe that's what they were surveying. You'd have to think that would be a prime location so that all the condo dwellers could have the added ambiance of watching the cruise ships park in their front yard.
By the way, I haven't been by it in awhile, so I don't know, but has the big pit they dug for the new marina filled back in with sand yet? Only a matter of time and sand actually moves pretty quick!
:rofl:
It does deepen up at the northern end of Sandy Beach, yes. I used to troll Rapalas from there around the point over to Cholla and back, but that area is also pretty rocky with some large boulders and rock outcroppings strategically placed here and there. Maybe that's what they were surveying. You'd have to think that would be a prime location so that all the condo dwellers could have the added ambiance of watching the cruise ships park in their front yard.
By the way, I haven't been by it in awhile, so I don't know, but has the big pit they dug for the new marina filled back in with sand yet? Only a matter of time and sand actually moves pretty quick!
:rofl:
The hole is still there, but I'm sure with the winds and blowing sand, it's filled in somewhat. I recall that the plan was to dig a channel thru there to go to Cholla Bay....
I'm sure the condo owners would love to see the Reef RV park area get used for a terminal area, shops, etc
Yeah....just build out from the Point Restaurant pier.....:rofl:
Can you see the traffic jam when several hundered (thousand??) people offloaded onto the Malecon??? It's impossible to get thru there on a Sat. evening now!
Yeah....just build out from the Point Restaurant pier.....:rofl:
Can you see the traffic jam when several hundered (thousand??) people offloaded onto the Malecon??? It's impossible to get thru there on a Sat. evening now!
RP JOE, I havent argued with you in a while so I thought this would be a good opportunity to jump in. I wasnt aware that these ships hold as many as 100,000 or as you put it "hundreds of thousands"? Haha I mean jesus talk about an optimistic assumption. I thought these cruise ships only hold like 5,000 passengers max? So in joes opinion theres going to be 20 cruise liners and 1/5 of Phoenix in attendance on any given weekend in the Malecon? LAWL Little overzealous there Joey
RP JOE, I havent argued with you in a while so I thought this would be a good opportunity to jump in. I wasnt aware that these ships hold as many as 100,000 or as you put it "hundreds of thousands"? Haha I mean jesus talk about an optimistic assumption. I thought these cruise ships only hold like 5,000 passengers max? So in joes opinion theres going to be 20 cruise liners and 1/5 of Phoenix in attendance on any given weekend in the Malecon? LAWL Little overzealous there Joey
No argument Mexico Joe.....what I was trying to say was hundreds ....or thousands......as in 3-5 thousand that some of those monster cruise ships hold. My use of () for "formatting" was not the best....OK?
I remember being in St. Thomas years ago when the cruise ships hit town (Charlotte Amalie)......they all seemed to stop on the same days....you couldn't drive or even walk around town....and this was before the monster cruise ships. Can't see just one cruise ship offloading in the Old Port/Malecon area!
Key sentence to this article, which explains a lot about how that giant mall in the port started construction a few years ago while every other project in Penasco was taking a shit:
"Before welcoming its first cruise ship, Guaymas built a two-story cruise terminal with a restaurant and 30 shops. The city did its part with a makeover of the waterfront, downtown, the road that connects the port with the city, and of the businesses along the way."
If you'd been to Guaymas 10 to 15 years ago, the idea that it'd be a destination for rich cruise ship tourists would have been laughable.
I wonder what activities Penasco would have: Pinacate, CEDO might need to be built up, but possibly because it would be the home port, there wouldn't need to be activities.
I heard that one plan was to anchor a platform, using drilling rig technology, then service that with an overhead cable tram set up. The tram would carry containers to ferry supplies and well as passenger modules. Much cheaper to build than a pier.
That sounds like a great idea to me Roberto. Maybe they could rent them out for small party's, or fishing from when not in use for ferrering the ferries.
RP JOE, I was just messing with you. I know what you mean and I agree! Its already a borderline disaster right now on an off weekend Saturday night. My truck has almost been hit twice now parked in front of Boo Bar. The New Malecon looks great but for logistics its going to be an absolute nightmare when RP starts getting busier as the SITUATION improves over the next X amount of years... They honestly need traffic cops down there right now...
Yeah, Mexico Joe, I was barely getting through on a dead Monday this week and these waiters on the left side STILL were trying to flag me in to park on the left, parallel to their business. INSANE! They need to repaint those lines at a harder angle and lose some spots on those facing the ocean...Or something. It was way tighter than I'd ever felt before the construction started, even with people running after me with shrimp & menus to the right, plus the parked cars in front of businesses to the right.
While sitting at the BooBar, we were watching in amazement at how some of the delivery trucks were squeezing through down there. It's a nightmare if you ask me....much worse than before.
Thinking as a male cruise customer (stuck on the under Air Conditioned, floating crappy casino that doesn't payoff,bored out of my mind and considering random murder to make the cruise interesting) I think Rocky Point needs a theme park to make my shore time memorable.
My idea:Desperado World http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112851/ with the Dusk Till Dawn Road House addon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFqTsmRosjg&feature=related might be the highlight of my time served as a "Boat Person"
The Desperado themed town would have Cheech Marin's bar,The Tarasco Bar is(a sleazy bar with what the Bartender calls "Bad beer and bad service".,) A book store/coffee shop based on Selma Hayek's character Carolina.the owner of "Caolina's Book Cafe" ,Mariachi musicians with machine guns in guitar cases having shootouts with narcos on the hour between musical numbers....yep might be fun
Jerry...you are one sick puppy....love the idea, as long as the tour includes the upstairs apartment of the bookstore!!! Will it include cartel rooftop shootouts???
Jerry...you are one sick puppy....love the idea, as long as the tour includes the upstairs apartment of the bookstore!!! Will it include cartel rooftop shootouts???
We are at the reef for a couple of weeks and on Tuesday 6/22 a survey crew came thru and shot and staked from the reef to almost the condos. On wed two car loads of suits showed up ( mex and gringo ) walked the beach, did alot of pointing !!! I told susan we are going to get a letter telling us to move our Love Shack because somethings going on !!!!!! Well thats my take so there !
Someone who was leaving Miramar last Saturday (right by the Mayan guard house by Luna Blanca) said there were about 20-30 men waiting to get into the Mayan. He couldn't figure out who they were as they weren't dressed like the normal workers. Possibly the same group checking out the Mayan for a cruise ship potential.
I was sitting on the beach near the Reef today and a huge Carnival Cruise Ship went past about 3 miles out to sea. It was heading north.
I saw you there. That was a really big Doobie you had !! I got a dry and I was 100 yards away. No wonder you were seeing Cruise Ships. I dont mind Crusie Ships, it's the spiders and snakes that bother me.
The hole is still there, but I'm sure with the winds and blowing sand, it's filled in somewhat. I recall that the plan was to dig a channel thru there to go to Cholla Bay....
That's where Russ said their going to put in the race track.
wow...thanks. We have been looking at mexican rivieria cruises and have not seen this stop...all they seem to go to is cabo & mazatlan...wanted ixtapa and can't find that either..
If you want Ixtapa, you'll be disappointed with Guaymas. Trust me on this. I absolutely love San Carlos, but it ain't Ixtapa by a long shot. Kind of like wanting to go to Oaxaca and settling for Guadalupe, AZ.
If you want Ixtapa, you'll be disappointed with Guaymas. Trust me on this. I absolutely love San Carlos, but it ain't Ixtapa by a long shot. Kind of like wanting to go to Oaxaca and settling for Guadalupe, AZ.
:puff:
I couldn't agree more. Ixtapa/Zhuatanejo is my second favorite port after Roatan. We have been to just about every Mexican port of call there is. All of our cruises were out of San Diego or Los Angeles. I think we did Ixtapa on Royal Caribbean. The Cabo/Matzatlan/Puerto Vallarta are boring compared to Ixtapa. We have also traveled to San Carlos and Guaymas by car. I liked San Carlos, but Guaymas is just a big city without the Mexican Riviera feel. We have also done a Western Caribbean which is where we went to Belize and Roatan. (both Mexican ports) That was my favorite cruise. I think the cruise lines have discontinued many Mexican cruises so the poster may have trouble finding these exotic ports of call. BTW, we cruise a lot, but I don't think we ever spent more than $600 pp for our inside cabin. We love Mexico so we go cheap and often.
