THE BAD NEWS, AND THE GOOD NEWS,
ABOUT THE FUTURE OF CRUISING IN MEXICO
The bad, at least as perceived as such by some, is that so many Americans and Canadians are now cruising Mexico and that between November and April, it's sometimes, if not often, impossible to get a slip. During the Christmas and New Year's holidays, for example, there were a couple of slips available in Mazatlan, but nowhere else on the entire Pacific Coast of Mexico. Nada. Zip. Nothing.
And even in early March, the 356-berth Riviera Nayarit Marina in La Cruz had a waiting list of 30 boats. Not that any other marina had more than a couple of open berths if any. Marina de La Paz had a couple of slips that were open for a day or two.
The lack of slips has some future Mexico cruisers freaking out. There are two reasons they shouldn't.
The first is that you don't need a slip to be able to cruise. Take the example of cruising the Caribbean. In more than 35 years of my having various boats from 30 to 71 feet in the Caribbean, I've only had a berth for a total of about 30 nights. And I don't believe I've used one in the last 15 years. It's not that we couldn't get a berth; we didn't want one.
Or take the example of the Med, where we once read that during the summer there are one-third more boats in the water than there are slips. When my Ocean 71 Big O did a summer in the Med 30 years ago, she was only in a slip for a handful of days. Mostly in Monaco because it was so cool and it was only $56 a night back then. Not having a slip wasn't a problem, and these days, a slip in the Med or the Adriatic will cost you a fortune.
The beauty of Mexico is that there are an incredible number of great places to anchor out, from the Pacific Coast of Baja to the Sea of Cortez, to mainland Mexico. And there are countless great places you can anchor not even listed in the cruising guides. 
While Marina de La Paz may be packed there is room to anchor just off it.
Or perhaps better still, at the fabulous nearby islands.
There are many fine anchorages next to marinas or just off cities. Think Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, San Carlos, La Cruz, Barra, Zihua, and Acapulco. It's an embarrassment of berthing riches. And in the case of Tenacatita Bay, with major cruiser anchor-out communities in 'the middle of nowhere'.
The second bit of good news is that it's much easier to live on the hook these days than it's ever been.
Boats are bigger. You rarely see modern-day Pardeys cruising the world on 24-footers, or the average size cruising boat being a cramped 32 feet. The average boat in recent Ha-Ha's had been 44 feet. Then there are the catamarans, which are almost like having your own country.
And today's more efficient boat systems provide far more comfort and independence. Thanks to solar panels, few don't have enough electricity these days, particularly if backed up by the double redundancy of a diesel engine and a Honda portable generator. And lithium batteries are proving to be a game-changer for those who can afford them.
It's a rare boat today that doesn't have a good refrigeration/freezer system. And few things tickle me more than the fact that I make my beloved ice cubes using the power of the sun. Many boats now have watermakers, and an increasing number are decadent enough to have air conditioning.
For many, the welcome elephant in the anchored-out world is Starlink. For less than $100 a month in Mexico, you can be completely connected to the world. It connects you to your family for nothing and offers all the entertainment options of being back in San Jose or wherever you are from. We know cruising kids who have weekly Zoom meetings with fellow students at their schools back home.
Work from the boat while in Mexico? Many people are doing it, as they can make big-time U.S. wages while living in a pleasant but low-budget Mexico. Arbitrage anyone?
We've heard a couple of people say, "We're going to put off cruising in Mexico for a couple of years until it gets less crowded." With all due respect, we think they are misreading the tea leaves.
With living and/or working on a boat in Mexico being so much easier and better than before, and with the cost of living so much less expensive than in the States, what's not to like? Did we mention a less stressful life and low-cost medical and dental care?
So no matter if the U.S. economy getting better or worse, we think the trend of more cruising boats in Mexico is going to continue to increase, certainly not decrease.
But it's also true that many cruisers need a berth at some time. This is particularly true during the holidays when many cruisers want to fly home to be with family. The solution? Make your reservations early. Today is not too early.
As for 'commuter cruisers', it's doubly important that you make your plans and reservations early.
It's smart to embrace the future because you have no choice.
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