About "La Ceiba Shipyard "

The attached write-up on the La Ceiba Shipyard will appear in the forthcoming edition of the “Western Caribbean Cruising Guidebook” written by Steve Padlidis, who has previously published numerous guidebooks to the Bahamas and Easter Caribbean. The description reflects the six-year development of the shipyard from the ground up.

La Ceiba Shipyard is the finest boatyard in the Northwest Caribbean bar none; with a complete group of marine services available the yard is professionally managed and very welcoming to transient vessels. Although the yard is not a marina in the proper sense of the word, they do have side-tie dockage available and are more than happy to have transient vessels stay for a while as long as the docks are not needed for their yard customers (La Ceiba Shipyard monitor VHF Ch. 69, their phone number is 504-3370-6442, 504-441-9426 and their email address is laceibashipyard@gmail.com). The slips have full electric, water (the marina also sells 5 gallon jugs of purified water, the water at the docks is potable but it has a high iron content and may leave a residue on your boat) and you ‘all find showers ashore' there is no fuel dock, but the yard can bring fuel to your boat, just tell them how many gallons you require.

The yard has a 120-ton Travel lift (they can haul a multihull with a beam of up to 25' 4”) and offers storage on the hard for cruisers who wish to leave their boat in a safe place.

The yard can carry out all phases of marine repairs including sandblasting, hull repair (wood, glass, and metal), hull and deck painting, diesel and outboard repairs (La Ceiba Shipyard is now a Westerbeke dealer), rigging and sail repairs, electronics services (Caribbean Marine Electronics is located in the premises), carpentry, hydraulics and refrigeration, prop and shaft repairs, and they also allow do-it-yourselfers or paid crew to work on their own vessels. The La Ceiba Shipyard has been designated as a Marine Duty Free Zone, Zona Libre, and all parts imported via the yard are received free of all duties and taxes for foreign flag vessels..

If you intend to have something shipped in for your vessel, check with the office first and let them walk you through the paperwork, if the paperwork is not completed correctly, and if the items shipped are not addressed in the proper manner, you might find yourself paying a hefty duty and tax.

The Marina also has a well-stocked chandlery on site so they might have what you need on hand. If you need to order an item, they can quote current West Marine prices an have the items shipped in from the U. S.A. orders in by Wednesday are usually at the yard by the following Friday.

There is 24-hour security on site, usually there are three armed guards patrolling the 14-acre site day and night, you'll feel very, very safe here.

The Shipyard also can arrange to have your laundry done and your propane tanks filled. If this is not enough for you let me tell you what they offer you for FREE.

Free Internet, WiFi Free phone calls to the U.S. and internet access is only available during office hours, unless you have wi-fi laptop and then you can be on line 24/7 no charge. Monday through Friday from 0700-1700, and Fridays from 0700-1600, the office is closed on the weekends, and free transportation to town at 0900 and at 1400 (also during the week, not on the weekends), I know of no other marina or boatyard anywhere that is as accommodating to the cruiser.

Since its opening in August, 2002, the  La Ceiba Shipyard  And Marina has become the foremost marine center in Central America. Centrally located on the Honduras North Caribbean Coast, The SHIPYARD free  zone offers both duty and tax free services and products to  foreign flag yachts and commercial vessels of all types.

 The Free Zone status, granted by the Honduran Government to promote yachting tourism and marine industrial growth, permits the  SHIPYARD  to import all items for marine use without duty or tax. Locally purchased items and services are also exempt from sales taxes.

Featuring a Marine Travel lift capable of lifting vessels to 120 metric tons, the SHIPYARD is situated in La Ceiba's Puerto Muelle de Cabotaje deep water port, just 700 meters from the Caribbean. This superb hurricane hole facility  encompasses some 14 acres of yard space and has an overall length of three football fields. More than 500 feet of the service dock is presently available with another 500 feet under construction. The  fueling jetty can accommodate two 100 foot boats at one time or several smaller vessels.