by Capt. Bill Simpson

A Family
Tradition
by Capt. Bill Simpson
W
hen Mary and Mac Shroyer sailed away from the
U.S. and down the Baja peninsula, they had no
idea what the future had in store for them. Being true
adventurers, they headed out to sea even though Mary
was pregnant with their first baby.
It was 1963 when the two former school teachers
found themselves sailing into Bahia La Paz onboard a
Pivar trimaran that they had built, having sailed nearly
2000 miles in the process.
Having experienced some of the beauty of the
Sea of Cortez and the birth of their first son, Neil, in
Mazatlan during their stay in Mexico, the Shroyer's
realized the potential for a family-run charter business
in La Paz. With that new vision they returned to the
U.S. to work while simultaneously building a 50-foot
trimaran named Morning Bird. In 1967, Mary, Mac
and tiny Neil sailed back to La Paz and began a new
adventure in foreign enterprise.
Fast forward to 2011... It's been 48 years since the
Shroyer family first sailed to the shores of Baja and
La Paz. I could easily fill the pages of a book with
the detailed accounts of the happenings between 1967
and 2011. Briefly, the charter business didn't pan out
as planned due to possible issues with legalities in
Mexico. It was then that Mac's talent for boat building
40 Latitudes & Attitudes
pg 40-43 Family Tradition.indd 2
truly blossomed and they went into the boat building
business, ultimately developing the innovative panga
and building over 3,000 of them in addition to other
boats, including various sport fishing boats for the
local resorts.
In 1983, all that came crashing down with the
Mexican economy and the devastating devaluation of
the peso. The Shroyers found themselves again starting
from scratch. As fate would have it, the small dock they
had built and used for their boat building business was
always in demand by boaters that wanted something
more than being anchored or moored off the beach at El
Mogote in La Paz. A new business emerged and grew
from this humble beginning. Along the way there were
many other challenges including a major hurricane now
and again, which tested the Shroyer's resolve.
The simple fact is that they have accomplished
something truly amazing; they have withstood the test
of time and have emerged as one of the most, if not the
most successful marina operations in the Sea of Cortez.
Nonetheless, the Shroyers give credit to Teri and Ed
Grossman who they say are the true pioneers in the
marina business in Mexico, having started a marina
in San Carlos farther up in the Sea of Cortez. Mac
is quick to point out that Teri Grossman did a lot of
w w w.seaf ar i ng.c om
8/17/11 11:12 AM
work in getting the legal basis for
marina operations vetted with the
Mexican government, making the
way easier for the Shroyers.
Today, with over 120 slips
of all sizes, Marina de La Paz
is one of the largest marina
operations in Mexico. And
where many marinas here have
seasonally adjusted occupancies
ranging from 40 to 70 percent,
Marina de La Paz seems to
have most if not all of its slips
full every time I visit. But how?
What's their secret?
When you meet any of
the Shroyers you quickly
experience the essence of
their success. First, they are
simply wonderful people and
they lead from the top down
by example. The Shroyers regularly will go to great
extents to make cruising sailors and other visiting
boaters feel comfortable and at home at their marina
and have carefully developed a business culture that
adheres to this key principal. These days, with Mary
and Mac being semi-retired, they travel together
often and enjoy visiting family and friends in the
U.S. and elsewhere. Their oldest son, Neil Shroyer,
has assumed the mantle of General Manager for the
marina. Neil says, "It's important to empathize with
the clients and their needs."
Even though Neil is a Mexican National by way
of his birth and early education in Mexico, he went
to college in the U.S. and has a business degree from
Humbolt State University in
California. Neil's combined
business experience and fluency
in both English and Spanish,
makes him a valuable asset
to the marina and everyone
around him. And Neil's resume
doesn't stop there. From 1999
until 2002 he was the head of
APO (Administracion Portuaria
Intergral), which is the Mexican
government organization that
oversees all the port operations of
the state. As Neil explained, "It
was a big responsibility that dealt
with everything from working
with large cargo and cruise line
companies and their ships to
marketing and public relations
for tourism, down to maintaining
navigational aids and overseeing
dozens of employees."
w w w. s e af ar i n g.co m
pg 40-43 Family Tradition.indd 3
These days, Neil no longer heads APO and that is by
choice. Sitting at his desk, which is like a military-style
command and control station with large screen monitors
and computers arrayed, he displayed a spreadsheet
which listed a full page of projects just for that day,
saying he no longer had the time to consider anything
beyond focusing on the family's business. Like his
parents, Neil is kind and readily shares his time even
though he is incredibly busy.
Secondly, unlike many other marinas in Mexico,
Marina de La Paz is surrounded by businesses that
are supportive to the cruising community, and this
is not by chance. As I learned, the Shroyers have a
unique understanding of the value of community and
have used this understanding to attract businesses
Latitudes & Attitudes 41
8/18/11 8:52 AM
synergistic to cruising and tourism to locate on the
Marina de La Paz premises by utilizing business
practices that encourage business. And the Shroyers
make it easy and profitable for these on-site businesses
by keeping it
simple; their
business tenants
only pay a lease for
their locations on
the marina premises
and no more.
Mac says, "I hope
they make lots of
money. I really don't
care how much they
make." He is sincere
and unlike many
other business in
Mexico that charge
percentage rents
and commissions,
etc., thus reducing
total revenue, the
Shroyer's method
encourages more business, must to the benefit of the
local Mexican community, which exists at and around
the marina and beyond. This in turns provides many
jobs for local Mexican citizens.
42 Latitudes & Attitudes
pg 40-43 Family Tradition.indd 4
Even by U.S. standards, there are few marinas that
have so many amenities on location or even anywhere
nearby. Oh sure, there are marina-hotels with pools and
such, but they clearly are out of touch with the most
important needs
of most cruisers.
On the Marina de
La Paz grounds
boaters will find
many essential
services: a selfserve coin laundry
as well as laundry
services, legal
and immigration
services for cruisers
through Eco
Naviera, the Dock
Café restaurant
(great food!), La
Paz Yachts (a
full-service yacht
broker), a mechanic,
Carey Dive Center
(diving equipment and charters), a small deli, large
receptacles for garbage as well as for used oil and filters,
fuel (gasoline and diesel) and pure water (from the
marina's new desalination plant).
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8/17/11 11:13 AM
And last but not least is the Club
Cruceros Yacht Club, which is able to
maintain a host of services and events
for its 450+ members as a result of the
sponsorship by the Shroyers for the
club's facilities which houses a lending
library of books, DVDs, an outdoor
meeting and lounge area and a large
enclosed meeting/activities room on
the premises. Across the lane from
the entrance to Marina de La Paz is
a marine chandlery called Sea Mar
that carries most anything a yacht
might need.
Today, with the establishment of
the Temporary Import Permit (TIP)
for boats, cruisers can keep their
boats in Mexico for 10 years and this
has allowed even more boats to make
Marina de La Paz their home base
in Mexico. Additionally, through the
extended visas available (FMM and
FM3), cruisers can stay longer than
before, allowing extended cruising
and vacation schedules.
Marina de La Paz is a secure and
safe place year round for boaters
and there are many activities for
young and old alike. And everyone
gets into the act. You'll find Mary
Shroyer playing cards at the Dock
Café weekly. But it's not all cards for
Mary; she's very active in helping
children in and around La Paz, many
of whom have no shoes or clothes or
have so little to eat they would pass
out at school. As the Vice Presidenta
of FANLAP (www.lapazninos.org)
Mary donates a good deal of her
time organizing to help improve the
quality of life for those children in
great need of help.
A stay at Marina de La Paz is
certainly a great way to begin any
trip into the Sea of Cortez. There
is a wealth of knowledge available
through the Shroyers and their staff,
the marina-based businesses and the
many long-time cruisers that have
made this special marina their home
base. The implementation of smart
business practices combined with a
family tradition of considering the
needs of others has clearly led to
the success that is enjoyed by the
Shroyer family and Marina de La
Paz today.
w w w. s e af ar i n g.co m
pg 40-43 Family Tradition.indd 5
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Latitudes & Attitudes 43
8/23/11 10:53 AM