March 8, 2010
La Amada Resort and Marina has been open in Cancun, Mexico, for nearly a year, and dockmaster Miguel A. Perez has been on board since the beginning.
The European-style luxury resort hosts yachts up to 172 feet. Guests can enjoy the residences on property, La Amada Hotel or stay on their yachts with privileges at the spa, restaurants and amenities. Yachts can get a card that offers discounts to crew at all facilities. The property has a Mediterranean feel, Perez said by phone.
"The yachts come to La Amada for the service," he said. "And we have so many amenities for the crew, including a captain's club with a pool, a meeting room with computer access and phone, and a great view."
Navigation is clear with 5m in the channel and 4m at the docks. Its Web site has waypoints for important buoys in the harbor. Marina La Amada is a protected marina and is an official port of entry with a staff that can help process immigration and customs paperwork.
There is a 100-ton travel lift on property as well as a dry dock area. All the standards are available including a pump-out, which Perez said is not as common in Mexico as in the U.S.
The resort is near the one of the world's largest coral reefs and close to the Mexican-Caribbean fisheries. Perez still loves to fish as he did when he was younger, but has trouble making time for that and spending time with his two boys, 11 and 13 years old.
Born near Cancun, 43-year-old Perez has been boating since he was 19. He worked on tourist and fishing boats and spent time on a 120-foot megayacht in Florida. One of his more memorable experiences was being on board a 65-foot aluminum boat in a lagoon during Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. The storm hit Mexico as a Category 5, killing more than 300 people in the region.
"We survived, so it was actually fun," Perez said. "We played a lot of cards."
He was previously second in command at nearby Marina Hacienda del Mar where he worked for 11 years. That marina was hit by Hurricane Roxanne in 1995 and then by Hurricane Wilma in 2005, which caused major damage to the facility.
When Perez saw La Amada under construction, he had a vision of his future.
"I saw myself working there," Perez said.
The manager hired Perez just as he hoped. And when the manager moved on, Perez was put in charge. El jefe de operaciones, as they call him in Spanish.
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