Former Beach resident hooked on living and working in Mexico

By Lee Tolliver
The Virginian-Pilot
© December 31, 2009
PUERTO AVENTURAS, MEXICO

Gazing out over the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, Bob Uecker almost has to pinch himself.

It's sometimes hard to believe, he says, that fishing along the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is what his life has become.

Uecker (no, not that Bob Uecker) is a pharmacist by trade. And when the former Virginia Beach resident - he lived in Croatan while working in the corporate office of Farm Fresh - first looked at a career change, he considered buying a large automobile dealership in Florida.

But a trip to Mexico's Mayan Riviera, south of Cancun, changed all that.

Uecker, who says he had spent very little time in Mexico before, discovered that a two-decades-old charter fishing company was for sale.

He had developed a fondness for offshore fishing while living in Virginia Beach, so he pounced on the opportunity.

Now the 53-year-old Cincinnati native runs Captain Rick's Sportfishing Charters in the quaint village of Puerto Aventuras - about an hour south of Cancun.

Uecker says he kept the business' name because it had a good reputation and "there already were a ton of T-shirts, hats and business cards."

And while Rick's is a thriving business, it's nothing like the old hustle and bustle Uecker says he never misses.

"Paradise," is how he describes living and working along Mexico's eastern coast. "Best decision I've ever made in my life."

Uecker took over Captain Rick's seven years ago. He now employs 35 boat captains, mates and office staff. He emphasizes that all of his employees are "Mexican nationals." His team runs 17 boats - vessels ranging from 31-foot Bertrams to a 56-foot Ocean Yacht.

The business' specialty is sailfish, but charters catch everything from barracuda, dolphin, tuna and wahoo to a variety of reef-dwelling species such as snapper and grouper.

"Some of the best fishing in the world," Uecker said. "And definitely one of the best places in the world to fish."



Living and working in Mexico isn't that much different from what Uecker was used to, with one glaring exception.

"Everyday stress is related to owning a business," he said during a recent fishing trip. "Some days are great - good weather, fishing was good, happy customers. Then there are the other days with bad weather, rough seas, a slow bite, a boat with engine problems. Nothing different than running a fishing business at home.

"However, when the day is done, I go home, sit on my back patio and look at the beautiful blue Caribbean water as the sun goes down."

Uecker doesn't miss the drastic changes of weather he was used to in various corners of the United States.

For him, the Jimmy Buffett-ish lifestyle of shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops makes life more low key.

"Yes, I think I may last a bit longer (living down here)," he said, smiling.

Uecker acknowledges there were a few hurdles to what many perceived to be a drastic lifestyle change - culture and language differences topping the list.

"You have to learn the culture and know what the taboos are going in," Uecker said. "It's pretty carefree down here. But it's just a good idea to know how things work where you are going to live.

"And you absolutely must speak Spanish."

Aside from that, Uecker said most things are similar. He said the cost of living, if you want to maintain the same quality of life, is about the same as it is in the United States.

"And running a business is exactly the same," he said.

Uecker says part of being a smart businessman is having a sense of community.

Employing locals is part of that, but he takes it further.

Uecker is nearing completion of a baseball field in Puerto Aventuras.

He got permission to build the facility on an open field, and the complex is almost ready for action. Pick-up games quickly turned to much more, fueling Uecker's interest in turning the field into a quality baseball park. Uecker said a small league has developed along the Riviera, with small towns that dot the coast fielding teams.



Leaning against the gunwale of one of his boats, fishing rod in hand, Uecker seems quite comfortable in his new environment.

With a wife of 34 years, four children and seven grandchildren, he said life is pretty good.

He travels to the United States about once every couple of months, and spent much of the holiday season visiting family in St. Louis, Fort Myers, Fla., Cincinnati and Virginia Beach.

But on this warm and sunny winter Mexican day, he was actually out on the water enjoying a little fishing - something many charter company owners find little time to do.

"I guess I get out once or twice a week," said Uecker, his silvering hair poking out from under an Old Dominion University football cap.

After missing several strikes from a small yellowtail snapper, one of the customers jokes with Uecker about his fishing ability.

"Hey, I never said I was a good fisherman," Uecker said with a laugh. "Just 'cause I own a fishing business doesn't mean anything."

Except, maybe, how to make a successful life living and working abroad.

Lee Tolliver, (757) 222-5844, lee.tolliver@pilotonline.com