Hi, literally thousands of boats have changed hands in Mexico without any difficulty. There is a paperwork shuffle that has to be done properly, however.
Talk to one of the brokers down there, and they'll be able to sort you out. I would recommend not trying to do it on your own, as there are some potential pitfalls of buying down there, but if you go through one of the reputable brokers, you should have a good
experience.
No
taxes due unless you
import the boat. You can USCG register. It's really not much different than buying in the US. Again, use a
broker (just my
advice after living down there for many years). Many folks seem to think that brokers are all crooks, and while I won't argue the point one way or the other, I think that buying in MX really calls for one.
There are some good deals to be had, but you do need to beware. Probably the most common tale for the boats that are being
sold down there is that they were equipped in the US or
Canada for a world
cruise that never happened, for whatever reason. Not all, of course, but many of them.
The downside? A lot of sellers frankly have kept their boats down there too long in that climate without a heck of a lot of
maintenance before finally deciding to sell. Some of the
equipment lists, while impressive, do include a lot of outdated
gear.
Of course, there are no absolutes, and there are some real gems to be had at a discount to the market
price further north.
Enjoy, we think that the
west coast of MX is a fantastic place to
cruise.