Mexico confiscated 380 yachts - MERGED THREADS

[avb3]

Just got this of a news group I belong to.

If this is in fact the case, it is huge problem. If something has been lost in translation, can any of our members in Mexico comment?


Dear sailor friends of Morgan 41 group. This is sad to me to say, but I cant put it under the bed. As all knows, or most of you knows, Im mexican, and live in Merida Yucatan Mexico.

Recently happens a very bad situation against the cruising comunity. Is sad, but right now México is in hands of a very bad president.
Im put the translator. Check this form one of local newspapers of México.

Overwhelms SAT foreign vessels
Haydee Ramírez
La Paz, Mexico (28 November 2013).-in operational surprise, the tax administration service was 18 foreign vessels, 16 of them in the Marina in Cabo San Lucas, as part of a national operation which ensured total 338 units, authorities reported.
Vicente Martínez, Captain of the port in Cabo San Lucas, reported that in the case of this port, placed seals of embargo on 16 boats of different drafts, in the operation carried out by the SAT and personnel of the Naval Armada.

In total, they confiscated more than 380 boats. In some of the cases, just because the owners wasnt on board, and cant show papers just in that moment. So sad. I like to provide this info to advice any cruiser who want to come and visit our country be very carefull, and please provide to the marina manager copy of all papers of the boat specially the document named "IMPORTACIÓN TEMPORAL", and give instructions to the marina operator to show the paper in case of a visit of SAT. One mistake, YOU LOOSE YOUR BOAT!

[Sailing Cowboy]

Wow.......surprised there isn't more comment on this if in fact it is real.

[rebel heart]

Nothing's consistent in Mexico. The rules in one state are different than another, the port captains are different, and there's a lot of latitude. There are a lot of frustrated Americans who are looking for a set of rules they can read on the Internet and that will be applied equally across the country.

I have a hard time believing they "confiscated" 380 boats. Where the hell did they put them, the port captain's front yard?

The rules, as I've found them in Mexico, are exceptionally easy to follow and flexible.

- Have a current visa.
- Have a current passport.
- Have a TIP.
- Have cleared into the country at a port of entry.
- Have your documentation/registration onboard and current.
- Have fishing licenses if you fish.

Checking in and out with the port captain is normally via VHF.

[Stumble]

I doubt this story since I couldn't find any other corroborating information. A seizure of this magnitude would almost certainly get some play in the local papers, and I couldn't find a single article that referenced it. That being said it is possible it hasn't been reported on.

[FlyingCloud1937]

So you subscribe to: If it's published then it must be REAL. If not then it is whokey.

So in that vain then, Watergate didn't make a noise in the forest when the tree fell.

It was only heard when the media reported it?

wow

Originally Posted by Stumble

I doubt this story since I couldn't find any other corroborating information. A seizure of this magnitude would almost certainly get some play in the local papers, and I couldn't find a single article that referenced it. That being said it is possible it hasn't been reported on.

[Tarzan]

Hello
I have a boat in Ensenada. This week the marina informed me the boat cannot leave the dock and is subject to a hearing this month. I understand there are other boats from this marina in a similar category (some my not have documents). In my case the marina representative is at a loss and has no idea why the boat is at the moment under investigation. The TIP, registration, clearance documents are all in perfect order, and no there has been no firearms or contraband on the boat, its Captain or crew.

This may or may not be anything to worry about but it sure makes me nervous, would be interested if anybody is in this situation and or has additional information.

It would also be interesting to hear what other owners are doing to resolve this issue.

Tarzan

[DeepFrz]

Perhaps you could ask the mods to merge this thread with the other one of the same subject.

[Tarzan]

No problem merging the thread but I have searched unsuccessfully for the existing one - could you please give me the name of the thread.

Thanks in advance

[DeepFrz]

Sorry, I should have posted it.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...on-116348.html

[Tarzan]

This post has been moved to:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f106/mexico-confiscated-380-yachts-any-confirmation-116348.html

[Tarzan]

Hello THIS IS NO HOAX ITS HAPPENING TO ME RIGHT NOW
I have a boat in Ensenada. This week the marina informed me the boat cannot leave the dock and is subject to a hearing this month. I understand there are other boats from this marina in a similar category (some may not have documents). In my case the marina representative is at a loss and has no idea why the boat is at the moment under investigation. The TIP, registration, clearance documents are all in perfect order, and no there has been no firearms or contraband on the boat, its Captain or crew.
This may or may not be anything to worry about but it sure makes me nervous, would be interested if anybody is in this situation and or has additional information.
It would also be interesting to hear what other owners are doing to resolve this issue.
Tarzan

[nimblemotors]

Originally Posted by Sailing Cowboy

Wow.......surprised there isn't more comment on this if in fact it is real.

That is the issue, just doesn't seem real the government would suddenly seize hundreds of boats without warning/notice.
So surely there are more details needed in order to comment.

[Tarzan]

I agree more details would be nice and the whole thing is impossible to understand and thus to act on. But it is real and if there are more facts they have not been shared with me.

We only received an email from the marina telling us 20 boats cannot leave the dock. The message was generic and since I have enquired to the reason for my boat being impounded and the marina representative's answer was "I have no idea". As said our documents are in order and the marina presented them during the audit

Meanwhile the boat is still in its slip and according to our slip neighbors she has no evidence of being impounded.

[Paul Elliott]

Here are some links to some Spanish news articles, translated into English by Google Translate (thanks to VFerreira for posting the originals, which unfortunately were in Spanish):

Op-SAT surprise Marinas Los Cabos

SAT Seizes 16 Boats in CSL

SAT seizes foreign vessels in Los Cabos

Note to CF members: The Cruisers Forum policy is that all postings, including news articles, etc, must be in the English language. The Google Translate feature isn't perfect, but it's usually good enough.

[zeehag]

things are being made consistent in mexico. in spring there was the confiscation of cars from residentes permanentes not registering them, as it used to be lax. . now boats. all these are from folks without proper paperworks. cars --were not imported legally, and boats is mostly sans visa and tip. tip is supposed to be plainly stuck to specific location on boat.
it is all spelled out plainly. n very clear.
mexico is serious about their paperwork.
it is very easy fro the illadvised to put mexico down as a 3rd world nation, however, it is rapidly upwardly moving. they even have computers in mexico. and they know how to use and repair them.
go figger.
keep your papers legal and your visas current . if you have a boat in mexico and you are in usa--oops. isnt a storage yard.
many cruisers abandon boats in mexico. they leave them in marinas some for sale some waiting and never collected. it takes years for mexico to be able to legally remove these from marinas. occasional purges are needed by each regime,it seems,as the last one was with the last regime change.
how do i know all this???
i have friends in port captains office with whom i have raced sailboats. lol. i know a lot more than most folks about many things. i do not hang out with gringos,i mix it up and have wonderful friends in mexico. and i also know some gringos who cruise the mexican tropical coastal circuit. most of my commadres and compadres are locals.
they want visas and ownerships to match up