A TIP From the Baja Ha-Ha First Timer’s Guide
The 84 entrants who have already signed up for the Baja Ha-Ha will soon receive their entry packets with this year’s burgee and the new First Timer’s Guide to cruising Mexico. The guide is packed with tips for anyone getting ready to cruise Mexico.
One of the tips is about TIPs — Temporary Import Permits — important for anyone who has bought a used boat that may have an uncanceled TIP from a prior owner.
The First Timer’s Guide states: You can check on the Banjercito website here. Enter your hull number in the first box and leave the second box blank. The website only looks for TIPs issued after 2005 by Banjercito. If you suspect there could be an older aduana TIP, a Banjercito at a Mexican consulate will check for you. Not all Mexican consulates have Banjercito; only Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Denver and Chicago do. Or call the Banjercito across the border from Otay Mesa at +52 (664) 624-5515 and have them check.
If there is an uncanceled or expired TIP on your boat, you cannot get a new one until that one is canceled.
Some boats, such as the Catalina 42 Mk I Vela owned by David Holmes, discovered they have an uncanceled TIP in San Diego and were unable to continue south last year. Read David Holmes’ story here.
See the new First Timer’s Guide and more on Heading South here.
Be careful as we checked for ours and it didn’t show up. Before Banjercito did TIPSmit was done by customs. To get ours cancelled we had to have a note sent to Mexico City by Marina Coral in Ensenada. We were lucky it got cancelled in 48 hours or we would have had to go back to San Diego.
The 2024 First Timer’s Guide is incorrect .There is new information regarding uncanceled TIPs.
If there is an uncanceled TIP on the boat that was issued before 2005 there is no way to cancel it at this time.
If there is a newer than 2005 TIP that is expired or uncanceled the only place that can cancel it is the Banjercito in Ensenada. This can be done in person or through an agent.
Email me if you need more information
Patsy
Greetings
First, thank you all for the information. We discovered through the Baja Ha-Ha alumni list on latitude’s website that our boat went to Mexico in 2005. My reading of all the information I have found leads to the inevitable conclusion that if she has an open TIP there is no way to resolve it. How do we unequivocally find out if there is an open TIP?
Edmundo Larenas
Island Bird (Cavalier 39)
Half Moon Bay, Ca