Impounded boats in Mexico

[Hillbillylad]

Originally Posted by boatman61

US boat builders obviously operate under different rules then.. every non/pre production boat I've owned has had its 'ships number' inscribed into a permanent fixture.. this is separate from any registration number..
This evolved into a HIN number when plastic went mass..

My, very British Westerly Centaur doesn't. I hunted everywhere for one and contacted Trafalgar house about it too. No numbers apparently on an old 1969 boat. However, I did find a builders number pencilled on some door panels along with the sail number, so I would use them I reckon.
As far as this saga goes, it won't stop me in my plan to head eventually to Mexico. I find them delightful people.

[Boracay]

My boat was amateur built in Oz and has a HIN "riveted" in a couple of places to the hull.

If the Mexican authorities are requiring a HIN number then there may be some way of legally acquiring one.

In NSW, Oz there are licensed HIN providers who will attach them. Maybe there are people like this in Mexico?

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by svquintana

I don't know about this Mexico problem, but for those who blame the officials for having different rules in each port, or enforcing or not enforcing laws as you think they should. Have you ever cruised in the USA?

A foreign boat must check into each port (that's the law, and written on the cruising permit), or risk a minimum $5000 fine and possibly lose their boat.

Now that you know the terms of the cruising permit, just try checking with customs at every port! Most have no idea what you're talking about, but if you don't have a clearance number for each port, you can be sure when the customs gunboat comes calling, that those chums know the law, and how you can be screwed by it.

Most folks ignore calling in as it's a hassle, esp with customs not knowing what to do with you. We always call and just get the officer's name, if they don't have a clearance number for us. Would that be sufficient proof for the gunboat? I don't know, but it's a compromise I'm willing to make.

99% of cruisers I've met on the east coast never call, it's just how it's done, and customs seems happier that way. But man, what a blow up there would be on this forum if one day DHS, or some other agency decides to swarm the cruisers on the east coast and seize their boats. I can tell you one thing for sure, you don't get to stay on your boat in the USA if it's been seized.

The letter of the law is not always followed, even by the enforcers of said law, even in those countries who think of themselves as better than Mexico.

Every country I've visited has specific laws governing us cruisers. But those customs agents you meet with, won't look fondly on you if you try to tell them their jobs. If they do it one way, and you quote the law to them, you'll regret it every time. You just have to go with the flow, as much as you can, and sometimes the officialdom will bite you in the ass. But usually, in the end, you'll be Jake.

For those who don't know, West Palm Beach, and south, have entirely different rules (not laws) than anywhere north. We almost got our boat impounded because the fellow at the desk decided that what's written on the cruising permit, and what's followed by every other customs office was not how it's done in Fla. He told me "That's not how it's done here in Florida"!

My crime: arriving from Puerto Rico at 2am and waiting for the office to open at 9am before checking into the port. For the record, I have 24 hours to check in if I'm not coming from "foreign". I double checked this info before leaving Puerto Rico, just in case we landed somewhere remote.

Anyway. It's a shame, but remember, it could easily happen in the USA too. Only it would be all us Canadians, and others, ranting on the web.

Cheers, and learn your own county's rules, before casting stones.

Paul.

That's a good distinction between rules and law. In our experience it's important to build the right relationship when dealing with officialdom. Especially when we haven't got a clue what the rules are.

In Australia we have some weird and sometimes stupid legislation and plenty of mindless beauracracy. As cruisers we see ourselves as ambassadors for Australia and cruisers. We always try to leave a good impression and a small footprint.

We plan to cruise Mexico soon. I think I'll be baking some yummy treats in each marina. Nobody can resist baked goods.

[Caribsailors]

Originally Posted by Duckman

Has anyone contacted the US consulate in Mexico ? Would be interested in what they have to say.

HAHAHA

Rule #2

You're not at home

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by leftbrainstuff

That's a good distinction between rules and law. In our experience it's important to build the right relationship when dealing with officialdom. Especially when we haven't got a clue what the rules are.

In Australia we have some weird and sometimes stupid legislation and plenty of mindless beauracracy. As cruisers we see ourselves as ambassadors for Australia and cruisers. We always try to leave a good impression and a small footprint.

We plan to cruise Mexico soon. I think I'll be baking some yummy treats in each marina. Nobody can resist baked goods.

we are all going to be affected by all countrys with maritime borders from here on out when it comes to bringing vehicals of any sort into there countrys...Every country is "inacting" new rules and regs..We are in a changing world, much like we were in 1914..I believe Princepi did his dirty work in 1914 and look where that led the world!! Indoneisia has just detained several chinese ships for violating "new rules/laws" that were not in place a few weeks ago(not sure about the the time line)lots of things are changing at land based borders also..If one will connect the dots just using the threads that have come across CF in the last few months alone, we can see that there have been many complaints or mis-understandings about rules /regs being "different from the norm" and I think that is because there aint nothing normal anymore...could be wrong ..naah,Im correct, my well known world(49yrs of it)is GONE, for good Im afraid..

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

You probably shouldn't be stating this stuff on an open forum like this.

Why not a HIN is not a statutory issue you can make up your own if the boat doesn't have one

Dave

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Everything seems to be unraveling in the media now. You should see the articles on different news medias.

The Associated Press "report" was published in the SF Chronicle this morning (Saturday, January 11).

[minaret]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Why not a HIN is not a statutory issue you can make up your own if the boat doesn't have one

Dave

Exactly. I've engraved or laminated over many a hull number as part of a refit. I can't believe anyone would paint one out.

[Blue Skye]

This was posted a few days ago:
"Hussong, vice commodore of Club Nautico Baja, a Mexican Yacht Club, is often working as a liaison between the two countries during international yacht races like the Newport to Ensenada Race.
In his talks with officials, Hussong said he was told that boat owners will have 72 days to present the right documentation for their boats, but the boats will still remain under embargo for 45 to 120 days."

So if anyone has had their boat released I suppose they were extremely fortunate...

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Some days I would give my left nut for a spell check program on CF.

I use iespell for spell checking on ALL the 'sites I visit. Most website spell checkers are pretty clunky, but this one works, although you have to deal with individual words, unlike, say, Word. I run it on both XP on the desktop and W7 64 bit on the laptop. Don't know if it works on phones, pads or tablets. Quick download from the Microsoft website.

[Svdestiny]

Any TIP/AGACE raids happening on Caribbean side?

[w32honu]

Originally Posted by Caribsailors

HAHAHA

Rule #2

You're not at home

What is Rule #1…….?

[svmariane]

Originally Posted by w32honu

What is Rule #1…….?

Rule #1: When in Rome...

[JPA Cate]

Given the lack of HIN numbers on older boats, perhaps the Mexican authorities could have that fact explained. Even though the manner in which some of their representatives have tried to enforce their laws seems unfair to us, they are still trying to do what they've been told to do--and it's their country.

It seems a great shame that no one encouraged them to add a "where applicable" next to the legislation about the HIN. Most likely, what they really want is an easy way to identify the boat.

Zeehag, if your boat doesn't have an HIN, what did they accept in its stead?

I understand the temptation to make up one and add it if you don't have an HIN, but I think it sets a poor precedent. Advocating such and justifying it by saying other cruisers are doing it is something I'm afraid could cause a great deal more trouble and I advise against. Just what we need, the Mexicans as a group of people coming to think the cruisers cannot be trusted.

Thank you for considering this, the importance of leaving a "clean wake", for we cruisers are minor league ambassadors, wherever we go.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Svdestiny

Any TIP/AGACE raids happening on Caribbean side?

Not sure where the reporter got that from. I have not talked to anyone who has even heard of the whole issue. I'm sure there are some but it's not common knowledge. The marina operators seem oblivious to the problem
As I mentioned in another post, the only issue that is a problem is coming to the east cost of Mexico from the US without some sort of zarpe. That however, is not a problem caused by the Mexicans but the US government. How two offices of the same department in the same city (Key West) don't know what to do is beyond me.