Article# 1 - Viva Vallarta! The blue ribbon for the best yacht facilities on the West Coast between Vancouver, British Columbia and Acapulco has to be awarded to Puerto Vallarta. Marina Vallarta has all the amenities: 351 modern slips with electricity and water, security from weather and thefts, restaurants a few yards from the slips, a laundry, a nearby first-rate shipyard where you can work on your own boat, nearby fuel, friendly people all around and on-the-ball management who keep everything working and clean. What a far cry all this is from the first time I sailed my boat to Puerto Vallarta in 1956. The only anchorage then was offshore in the ever-rolling, open bay. Anyone who wanted to go ashore had to be ferried through four foot surf in a heavy log canoe. Getting ashore was easy compared to coming out through the waves. In those days, there was lots of adventure -- but no comfort. Am I getting lazy? My memories of a log canoe rolling over in the surf make the luxuries of a marina where you can step ashore and stay dry seem almost like heaven. Other boaters must agree -- 260 of the slips were occupied at the time of my trip last February. Is there ,/anything== wrong with the place? Maybe. I found one boater who noted that the surrounding high-rise condominiums kept cooling breezes from blowing across the decks of the boats in the marina. During the hot, humid summers here that could indeed be a drawback. Monthly slip rates run about $10 per foot, and a 20 year lease can be negotiated. Pleasureboats up to 140 feet in length with 11 foot draft can use this marina. Boats here range from active racers and sportfishers to floating condos. For additional information about Marina Vallarta, contact Karl Raggio, Harbormaster, P.O. Box 350 B, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico; (01152) 322-10275 or (01152) 322-10722; fax (01152) 322-10141. A comparatively new law makes marina development in Mexico possible and many owners from the United States and Canada are now permanently berthing their boats in Mexico. Under current Mexican law, foreign-owned boats may be left there for many years when properly placed in bond at an approved marina. Previously, foreign boats had to leave Mexico after each six months' stay. Then, they could return and be in Mexico legally for another six months. The constant coming and going was a nuisance. The new law does away with that problem. For those contemplating leaving a boat in Mexico, I strongly recommend using the services of a knowledgeable agent to arrange the paperwork. In Puerto Vallarta, Juan and Lorenza Arias, along with their son Juan Pablo, have served visiting boaters for 24 years. For additional information regarding yacht clearance papers, and the need to coordinate ships' papers with tourist visas write: Juan Arias, Edificio Terminal Maritima, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico; phone (01152) 322-43555; fax 322-43585. Pete and June Marsh, aboard ,/La Cienega==, have been cruising to Puerto Vallarta for the past 20 years. They have witnessed remarkable changes here. They updated me with a potpourri of information of interest to boaters: Yes, the huge manta rays out in Bahia de las Banderas still jump and turn flips in the air. Fishing is still good around Punta Mita. Almost all boating needs, except specialized parts, are available in Puerto Vallarta, the Marshes said. Haulouts for boats of all sizes are possible at the modern, well-equipped Opequimar boat yard. Fuel and water are readily available. Groceries, including American brands (for a price), are on the shelves of the local supermarkets, such as Comercio Mexicano and Gigante. Bring plenty of United States stamps when you come, they advised. It is better to send letters back with friends who are flying home and can mail them in the United States. This system works well for the congenial community of liveaboards here. The Marshes say too many boaters come to Puerto Vallarta without detailed charts. It's possible to get charts copied here, but it's better to have them aboard when you need them most: when you first arrive. Don't rely entirely on Global Navigation System (GPS) receivers. Keep your dead reckoning skills honed at all times and contact Marina Vallarta on VHF Channel 16, as needed. The marina at Nuevo Vallarta, just across Rio Ameca, is smaller than Marina Vallarta and the amenities are fewer. Slip rates are about $6 per foot, per month -- 50 percent lower during summer. "Cruising people living aboard here provide excellent security," Pete and June Marsh said, pointing to where ,/La Cienega== ties up for about six months each year. Three-story-high condominiums look down on the slips. Nuevo Vallarta is actually in the state of Nayarit, north of Puerto Vallarta, which is in Jalisco. This creates an interesting situation. The Port Captain for Nuevo Vallarta is headquartered in San Blas, more than 60 sea-miles to the north, while the Port Captain for Puerto Vallarta is only a couple of easy highway miles south. But the Port Captain in San Blas claims jurisdiction at Nuevo Vallarta. So, where should you go to process your clearance papers? Personally, I'd head straight to yacht agent Juan Arias at the Terminal Maritima, and for a few dollars, get papers I know are properly worded and stamped. Pete and June Marsh expect boating in this region to continue to increase. "The state of Nayarit has just discovered it has miles of excellent beaches and has started to develop them for tourism and boating," they said. In addition to the world-famous night life in this resort town with cobblestone streets, what does Puerto Vallarta -- about 1,000 miles south of San Diego on the Pacific -- offer boaters? Well, 20-mile-long Bahia de las Banderas (also called Banderas Bay) features romantic cruising along its mountainous tropical, thickly grown southern shore. However, the anchorages along the flat, comparatively barren northern side are usually better sheltered and safer in prevailing winter winds. Going either north or south along the coast from Bahia de las Banderas will lead you to additional intriguing anchorages. But don't try to snuggle into the perfect gem of a coral-ringed anchorage at Isla Cleofa, located 70 miles offshore from Puerto Vallarta. The cluster of islands there, the Tres Marias, house a prison colony. You could find the scenery truly arresting. I stayed there -- voluntarily and legally -- 33 years ago. Today, boats must stay clear of the prison. No visitors are allowed.Fishing can be exciting just a few miles outside of Bahia de las Banderas. Many species frequent these waters, where Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez currents mingle. Bottomfish lurk around the Tres Marietas islands. Marlin, sailfish and dorado are found offshore. You don't have to be an expert angler to do battle with a marlin here. A first-time fisherman with a good guide can do very well. Tag and release sportfishing is encouraged. For trailered boats, the Puerto Vallarta region is ideal. True, it may seem a long haul down the highway from the border, but once here, launching and hauling out are easily done at the Opequimar shipyard. There is also another ramp nearby at Marina Vallarta. As for Nuevo Vallarta, Pete Marsh describes the facility there as "a place to launch a boat." He refuses to glorify it by calling it a ramp. Cartop boats can be used around Bahia de las Banderas, if the skipper keeps a careful eye on the weather. The bay, which is 20 miles long and 20 miles wide, can get very bumpy on a windy day. Plenty of condos and hotels are available for trailerboaters who wish to stay ashore. But whether you're a trailerboater or a long-range cruiser, Puerto Vallarta has something to offer just about everyone. After one visit, you too will say, "Viva Vallarta!"