La Paz was the premier boating destination in the Sea of Cortez when Cabo San Lucas was just a bunch of fish camps on the beach with a tuna factory at the head of the anchorage. Today La Paz offers yachties and cruisers the combination of the broadest range of week and weekend adventure destinations along with the widest range of marine support services. With destinations along the west coast of the Sea of Cortez and dozens of island anchorages to be explored Is what make La Paz such a cruiser's jewel.

Coming this fall wil be one of the biggest changes in marine services offered in La Paz, and for that matter on the west coast of Mexico. Work is in the final stages of the installation of a 200 ton yacht lift and the pier. The 200 ton travel lift will be able to accommodate the growing number of pleasure yachts that have discovered the Sea of Cortez. Abel Bercovich tells me they expect to haul the first boat with the new facilities before December. The new travel lift is massive and can be seen towering over the boatyard adjacent to the Pemex facility as you enter the Ensenada de La Paz.

The ensenada de La Paz (La Paz Harbor) has hosted hundreds of boats at a time in the anchorage and today hundreds more are moored at the marinas. Slips from 25' to 200'+ are available in a number of marinas from 'rustic' to 'state of the art marinas'. A number of chandleries, fishing supply, and diver's supply stores have grown to meet the needs along with an increasing availability of diesel labs and parts. One of the marine service companies that has been at the core of the business for decades is Bercovich Boat Yard. Located at the entrance to the La Paz harbor the boatyard is operated by the Bercovich family.

A number of chandleries, fishing supply, and diver's supply stores have grown to meet the needs along with an increasing availability of diesel labs and parts. I have called Abel 'friend' for more than a decade and had many opportunities to use the boatyard services over the years in La Paz. I have seen the evolution of the services offered by the yard and the equipment used to service the clients. Despite the fact that the giant haul trailer, good for monohulls to 45', has gone from hand crank jack stands to remotely operated hydraulic lifts, Abel is still in the water, aligning each boat safely on the lift. Abel gets to take a swim every time a Catamaran or vessel to 160 tons comes in or out of the water on one of the two the marine railways as well. Boatyard Services A complete variety of marine services are on hand in the yard from the machine shop to carpentry. Bercovich Boat Works has been servicing recreational craft since La Paz became a cruising destination. But for much longer the yard has served the needs of the commercial fleet as well, hauling the likes of the giant shrimpers out for their annual servicing. Bercovich Boat Works also produces top quality topside repairs and painting.

A 125' pleasure yacht was completely repainted on a marine railway. I followed the progress of the work closely, as my vessel was in the yard at the same time. It took some time to complete, but when done you could comb your hair in the new navy blue paint down to the waterline. The paintwork to a 33' sailboat was just as impressive in a deep forest green, the darker the color the more difficult the paintwork becomes. The boat yard offers complete wooden boat repair as well as significant fiberglass and steel structural additions and repairs. Dry Storage of Boats & Yachts In the past there was really but one way to store your boat in La Paz out of season – on the hard. Bercovich Boat Works has been the favorite of cruisers for decades. The secure lot, solid terra firma underneath and responsible yard management are what make this yard so popular. Storing your boat on the hard has proven more secure than leaving it in a marina and anchoring your vessel in La Paz without an assigned local manager is no longer allowed.

With very reasonable rates, dry storage is not only more secure but a fraction of the cost of leaving it in a marina of equal security. The best repairs to the hull are made when the hull can be completely dried for a period of weeks. There is no better time to task the yard with these types of repairs while your boat sits in storage for months. When you return your vessel will be ready for bottom paint with top quality fiberglass repairs completed. The yard gets filled to capacity by May every year so it is advisable to contact the yard well in advance for dry storage reservations. Power and Sail Boats For Sale Some folks store their boats on the hard with all the good intentions of returning the following fall to continue their adventures in the Sea of Cortez. But as the saying goes, "Even the best-laid plans..."

The boatyard currently has a number of boats for sale by the owner available for purchase in the yard. These boats include 27' foot gas-powered sports boats to 87' wooden schooners in a variety of states of maintenance. When an exceptional boat value passes through, the Bercovich brothers have purchased some of these boats to refit and others for personal use. There are currently a half dozen or so of these boats, owned by the yard, that has been refit and are now available for purchase. All of these vessels have been mechanically made fit and are available for immediate purchase and launch from the yard. Finally, there are the distressed boats that one finds in every yard. There are just a handful of these boats available, where the yard has taken possession of the vessel. Anxious to clear the space in the yard these boats are priced to move to a person looking for a real 'fixer-upper'. Bare-Boat Rentals in the Sea of Cortez (click here)

Looking to take a sailing vacation on the Sea of Cortez but don't want to pay $10,000 a week for a sailing charter? This season Bercovich is introducing a new bareboat rental plan. With boats from 28' to 42' available you can rent a sailboat with safety equipment and dingy for a fraction of the cost of other complete charters in La Paz. These are used vessels, such as the Catalina 30' which make an excellent vessel for exploring the Sea of Cortez. These are clean, well-maintained boats where you do the provisioning for your adventure and provide the items beyond the basic needs. This program is recommended for experienced sailors and cruisers who know a bit about boating and wish to explore the Sea of Cortez without all the fluff and fanfare of the high priced charter companies. Bercovich Boat Works invites you to drop them an email for a price quote or dry storage reservation. Whether motoring or sailing on wood, steel or fiberglass the guys at Bercovich Boat Works look forward to helping you make your vessel better.