Impounded boats in Mexico

[zeehag]

more boats are being liberated.
no rumors of further inspections as yet...
btw..anyone not able to deal with being called a gringo best remain outside of mexico..lol...

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by bazzer

in the middle of Oakland is one of the best fish n chip shops in the USA. H Salt and Son...

Been there....but as a self described Fisn-n-chip expert, it's not as good as Andrea's Sea Food in Ventura, CA. And besides, this thread at least needs to have some value in pointing out a great Fish-n-chip spot, because it's usefullness on topics of Mexico...is well....

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by zeehag

more boats are being liberated.
no rumors of further inspections as yet...
btw..anyone not able to deal with being called a gringo best remain outside of mexico..lol...

It's interesting that the only person that has called me a Gringo is myself...

[zeehag]

being almost conversant in spanish and knowing many of the palabras malas, it is interesting to listen after the conversations between los gringos y los mexicanos are completed....the descriptors are quite entertaining.

[Stevens 47]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Man!...Talk about doom and gloom. It takes about 1 hour after clearing in to get a TIP. Most boats from the San Carlos area, go a whole 300 miles south to reach offshore waters, confirm it with a GPS and have someone take care of the paperwork. I know people are doing things different than that and I'm not saying what. But I can say the Mexican government doesn't seem to care.

By the way...here is the latest info on the impounded boats in Mexico...
Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude

I dont think its doom and gloom. It always been a felony to purchase a US documented boat in Mexico. The different port captains seem to have some sort of working relationshio with the yacht brokers (who are mostly US citizens) and have been flexible in how the deals are done. I believe the attorney in this case is correct, one would be taking a big risk purchasing in Mexico given what has been going on. When a Mexican citizen buys a boat in California they mostly do the transaction and California register the boat because they can not buy a US documented boat. Thats how they avoid paying the large import duty into Mex.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Stevens 47

I dont think its doom and gloom. It always been a felony to purchase a US documented boat in Mexico. The different port captains seem to have some sort of working relationshio with the yacht brokers (who are mostly US citizens) and have been flexible in how the deals are done. I believe the attorney in this case is correct, one would be taking a big risk purchasing in Mexico given what has been going on. When a Mexican citizen buys a boat in California they mostly do the transaction and California register the boat because they can not buy a US documented boat. Thats how they avoid paying the large import duty into Mex.

Big risk?...Hardly, considering the thousands upon thousands of boat deals that have gone down over the years. But sure...if someone is uncomfortable buying a boat down here, they shouldn't. As far as illegal goes...because some lawyer says...don't, doesn't mean it's gospel.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Big risk?...Hardly, considering the thousands upon thousands of boat deals that have gone down over the years. But sure...if someone is uncomfortable buying a boat down here, they shouldn't. As far as illegal goes...because some lawyer says...don't, doesn't mean it's gospel.

I don't think he's saying it has been a big risk while those thousands of deals took place. He's saying in today's environment it is. This falls right in with the inspections currently being done and the impounded boats. The fact is that many things haven't been risky. But suddenly proper documentation is forefront and one can't have it purchasing the boat there.

Why do it wrong when it's easy to do it right? Move the boat to the US, consummate the sale, return to Mexico.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Stevens 47

I dont think its doom and gloom. It always been a felony to purchase a US documented boat in Mexico. The different port captains seem to have some sort of working relationshio with the yacht brokers (who are mostly US citizens) and have been flexible in how the deals are done. I believe the attorney in this case is correct, one would be taking a big risk purchasing in Mexico given what has been going on. When a Mexican citizen buys a boat in California they mostly do the transaction and California register the boat because they can not buy a US documented boat. Thats how they avoid paying the large import duty into Mex.

Originally Posted by BandB

I don't think he's saying it has been a big risk while those thousands of deals took place. He's saying in today's environment it is. This falls right in with the inspections currently being done and the impounded boats. The fact is that many things haven't been risky. But suddenly proper documentation is forefront and one can't have it purchasing the boat there.

Why do it wrong when it's easy to do it right? Move the boat to the US, consummate the sale, return to Mexico.

I understand what you're saying but please, please, remember, most of this was hype from Latitude 38 and certain members of our fellowship here that created rumors and clock and dagger scenarios. Look...the Mexicans got it wrong. They know that. It really is typical Mexico. We have a saying down here..."IJM"...It's just Mexico. A great example is their equivalent to the US TSA. You go through security at an airport or land crossing and you push a button to see if you get into Mexico and not searched. The first 4 people push a button and get a green light...the 5th a red light and their bags are searched. In other words, the first 4 people could be smuggling who knows what. For them, this works. No reason to change it until someone smuggles a bomb in.
This thing has already blown over and I doubt very much if it will be resumed. Really, all the new boats coming in will have TIPs before or during check in. They may modify the law to have Marinas verify HIN's and the like...but really?...I doubt it.
Come on everybody...a big group hug!

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I understand what you're saying but please, please, remember, most of this was hype from Latitude 38 and certain members of our fellowship here that created rumors and clock and dagger scenarios. Look...the Mexicans got it wrong. They know that. It really is typical Mexico. We have a saying down here..."IJM"...It's just Mexico. A great example is their equivalent to the US TSA. You go through security at an airport or land crossing and you push a button to see if you get into Mexico and not searched. The first 4 people push a button and get a green light...the 5th a red light and their bags are searched. In other words, the first 4 people could be smuggling who knows what. For them, this works. No reason to change it until someone smuggles a bomb in.
This thing has already blown over and I doubt very much if it will be resumed. Really, all the new boats coming in will have TIPs before or during check in. They may modify the law to have Marinas verify HIN's and the like...but really?...I doubt it.
Come on everybody...a big group hug!

I think the future will be in between. Not the lax situation from the past. Not the over zealousness of recent. But some form of inspection. Now still I do think that will mean more risk than before in buying and selling US boats in Mexico. So better to just comply with the law than play the game and hope.

I also don't think this round will result in all boats being cleared. I think they will find some that are either stolen or that are in some form of significant non compliance. It may only be five boats, maybe three.

So no one argues this was over the top and probably won't be repeated. But I do believe there will be more enforcement than the past.

[Celestialsailor]

Things are getting better in Mexico but dreadfully slow. This in from Latitude 38...



"March 3, 2014 – Mexico
"I was also in a meeting at the SAT (Mexican IRS) with their legal department, Banjercito (the military bank Temporary Import fees are paid to), Aduana (Customs), and other agencies, with Maria Elena Carrillo, the attorney for our Mexican Marina Owner's Association," reports Tere Grossman, president of the Mexican Marina Owner's Association. "We told them our idea about changing the TIPs. They are being changed, and new ones will start to be used in a couple of months."
'In a couple of months' could mean anything in Mexico, so don't hold your breath.
"Maria Elena spent all day at the SAT," continues Grossman, "and they gave her the paperwork to release 83 boats from our Marina San Carlos. That means we only have nine boats that are still impounded. Two of these boats have been abandoned, one was sold in Mexico, and some are owned by Mexican nationals.
About 20 of the boats in our marina didn't have a TIP or had an expired TIP. The day after the inspection by AGACE, our marina personnel applied for new permits, and paid for them, on behalf of the owners in order to protect the boats. Initially AGACE didn't want to accept the TIPs, but after my trip to Mexico City, they decided to change their minds. One of the boats was sold in Mexico with a TIP, which is a no-no. On the back of the TIP it clearly states that the boat had to be taken out of Mexico to get a new TIP. I know that foreign owned boats are bought and sold all the time in Mexico, but in this case the owner hadn't been careful to make a bill of sale that say the boat was being sold in the U.S., so SAT has proof that it was sold in Mexico. I don't know what will happen with that one. The owners of boats that didn't have TIPs or had expired TIPs will have to pay small fines.
"Thanks to this action by AGACE, I have never worked as hard in my life as in the last three months! We were lucky that the Marina Owner's Association lawyer had worked for the SAT many years, and knows all the ins and outs, as they have looked at all documents with a magnifying glass. That said, some foreign boat owners don't take Mexican law — such as the need for TIPs — seriously. We usually don’t accept anyone without insurance or a TIP, but often they promise they will bring them the next time they come down. And they don't. We often send them to another marina. That marina was lucky their boats weren't inspected by AGACE."
While countless foreign cruisers are currently having a glorious time cruising Mexico, there are still more than a few unlucky ones who are still wrapped up in the grips of the Mexican bureaucracy, living lives that are right out of Kafka. We say "unlucky," because in many cases the boats complied with all Mexican law. Given the recent release of 88 more boats — see above — more than half of the boats impounded by AGACE have been released. But that hardly does anything to solve the problems of those whose boats are still trapped. Consider the following report, greatly paraphrased for clarity, sent by a captain to the boat's owners:
"The owners of four other boats and I have just spent the last three hours with SAT (the Mexican IRS). We have been signing documents and writing 'acceptance of document' letters — all dictated to us — in Spanish. If anyone even wrote the date in English, it was unacceptable! The number of copies required, the need to write long pieces in Spanish — it was insane. With that over, we need to go back to the AGACE office again — about an hour drive away — and present all the papers. The same papers I have already presented! They say the boat should then be released in seven to 10 working days. But that's the same thing we were told a month ago."
This boat, which we're assured has all documents and checked into Mexico properly, has been impounded for three months. One can only imagine what the owners of the boat will tell their friends when asked about how they liked their time 'cruising' Mexico".

- latitude / richard

[s/v Jedi]

So, that's 20 violators of the law in a single marina! Seems the Mexican authorities had good reason to raid the place

[CGP]

I take it a Canadian registry doesn't make the bad gringo list. I've been in and out of Mexico 3 times since January 2014. Maybe because I'm cruising the Caribbean I might not be affected or maybe it's one of my bikini bottom wraps. men seem to be the same no matter what country I'm in lol.

[Dulcesuenos]

Im sure the marinas didnt mind the extra 10's of thousands of $$ in revenue this made for them, id be surprised if non of that found its way into officials pockets.... Just sayin ,,,

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by CGP

I take it a Canadian registry doesn't make the bad gringo list. I've been in and out of Mexico 3 times since January 2014. Maybe because I'm cruising the Caribbean I might not be affected or maybe it's one of my bikini bottom wraps. men seem to be the same no matter what country I'm in lol.

Yes...and isn't it nice that you're not full of yourself

[mottseng]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Yes...and isn't it nice that you're not full of yourself

WOW....harsh!!!!