Mexico confiscated 380 yachts - MERGED THREADS

[zeehag]

illegals are making more in usa doing bs jobs that us citizens do not want and cannot afford to take and perform than the average daily income per capita in mexico.
average per capita income in mexico is 200 pesos daily.
that is equal to less that 20 us dollars per day.
and that is for a good job.
there are many scrabbling for less.
the officials are level headed . it is the reporting by cruisers and assorted alleged witnesses that was not accurate. my friend joun hands was one of the affected, as per his story in lat 38. yes, his way to speel john is joun.

glad to know some folks will not be utilizing these beautiful waters, as the anchorages are becoming kinda crowded.

[engele]

Originally Posted by oslokid

Check out Transparency International - Country Profiles 2013 rankings just came out.

Unfortunately this requires Flash Player. Where does Mexico fall on the list? What about the USA?

[engele]

We loved Mexico and generally had few issues there... however, when our dinghy was slashed while we were at breakfast (had not talked to a soul, and couldn't piss anyone off), and we mentioned it to the port captain, we ended up being threatened not to talk about it by a group of officials including the port captain, tourist office, and navy commander. They tried to confiscate the dinghy because it was "unrepairable" and wanted to charge me for the service. Mainly I think they were worried about what would happen to tourist traffic in if the rumors got around. Rather than taking a report, asking for witnesses and trying to figure out who cut up our dinghy they threatened us and tried to hit us up for money. Officialdom in Mexico, like anywhere else, is a mixed bag. Sometimes it works like it should and other times it does not. I'm not making a comparative judgement, the USA has it's own issues, but to say there are no issues of corruption in Mexico is a bit of a stretch. I fully love the country and will certainly go back, and as is the case 99% of the time, I expect we will have no problems. Occasionally you get a bad official. Both my wife and I speak Spanish and are respectful.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Quote

Glad I decided against Mexico this year. Until things get cleared up probably good idea to stay in the higher latitudes where officials are more level headed.

Well there you go....just like I said would happen at the beginning of this bogus chicken-little-panic-thread. All we are missing is a story about Mexican officials planting drugs on your boat in exchange for a bribe.

I give up...you are right...better to stay safe in the Northern Latitudes than risk it down in Mexico...those brown corrupt people in Mexico are just out to get gringos anyway..........Totally Embarassing.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Which then makes it even more of a shame that "Tripple A" (as our local Mexican friends call it) is all that seems to be shining through here lately.....

(Arrogant American Attitude)

I have been doing business in Mexico for almost 20 years and my friends in Mexico are the first to admit and complain about the corruption in the country. Mordida is a fact of life for locals and foreigners alike.

Has nothing to do with AAA (and this is the first time I have ever heard this specific term), although I don't deny that AAA exists but the people I deal with in Mexico don't seem to perceive this as an issue with the majority of the people from the US they meet or deal with. But like everywhere, 99% of the time you get back what you put out. Come in with attitude you'll get attitude back. Come in with respect and (usually but certainly not always) are treated well.

And by the way, I do know some Mexicans that point out that they are also Americans (from North America) and many don't refer to US citizens as "Americans".

[zeehag]

with the changes in imigracion and visas here, there is less mordida activity. i have yet to be hit up for the bite except by a freeking chango..err, monkey. in a cage. go figger.. i been here 3 years plus.
chicken little and sensationalism go hand in hand. yáll must have drama. keep it home.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

I gave TWO real life examples of Mexican Officials reading internet blogs and then taking action....you can either believe it or not. Your choice because if a horse doesn't want to drink the water, all your leading won't help.....

Ah yes...I just read that and yes we had recorded fishing licences before we left. That's not the first time I have heard the name Norm Goldie and I have been warned about him.
Still there is nothing on my blog that is illegal, let alone my full name.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by zeehag

because i speak spanish and i do not hang with gringos,but with locals. some of my better friends to sail with have been mexican captains inclusive of second in command port capt in one port in which i stayed a short time.
i also am kinda intelligent and pay attention despite my uncanny ability to look as if i were not interested in any way-...rodlmao. i learned well from relatives how to intellectually ¨work¨ high level society and political cocktail parties, as i was always being dragged along to them by relatives. i can hear and understand and assimilate more than one conversation at one time, although i need a night of sleep to differentiate them, i can do it accurately. yes i was asked about what i heard from whom. i was being groomed. lol.
i have perfect pitch and used to sing. perfect pitch can be useful. very very useful. i pickup languages as fast as i used to invent melodies and counter harmony as i walked along a road. i also functioned awesomely well as an emergency room and triage rn in trauma centers and some other have to be quick thinking on feet investigational cardiology nursing stuff.
questions......???

you asked. i told you exactly how i know what i know. lol...

Well...I guess you can't get anymore positive proof than that...Zee...agent 008

[TacomaSailor]

I would like to make a few observations based on years of cruising in Mexico and Canada spread over a number of trips on a number of boats.

Every January the state of California checks all marinas for registered boats and then sends them a tax bill. At the same time, every marina I have been in checks for proper boat registration and insurance documentation. It does not seem that Mexico is doing anything different that do the US and State authorities here.

HOW can a US boater in Mexico be unaware of a TIP? They had to either register their boat with a state authority or the USCG while in the US – do some people really think they can take a boat to a foreign country and not register it? Any problems boats have due to no TIP is their own ignorant fault.

Mexican Customs and Immigration always treated us very fairly and respectfully. I made many customs and immigration mistakes while cruising back and forth to Mexico and never had a bit of trouble with any Mexican authority when I was open, honest, and respectful toward them.

Any web site, book, pamphlet, or article about Mexican cruising will certainly explain the importance of paperwork. The authorities in Mexico do enjoy their paperwork and this was common knowledge with every cruiser I met.

There are many confusing and disturbing aspects to Mexican rules, regulations, and interpretations of those things. I have personally experienced or seen friends experience many of the strange things that can occur:

- Port Captain requiring me to pay checkin fee just to get fuel despite the rule clearly saying that was not necessary. His son owned the fuel dock and refused to sell me fuel until I checked in.

- My wife had several of her plastic covered free weights cut open when they suspected drug smuggling.

- Saw two boats fined many dollars for improper display of the Mexican flag

- Port Captain requiring “rat inspection” at $100 per boat to leave the port

- Midnight traffic stop while driving a car – “you’ll have to spend the night and next day in jail if you can’t immediately pay the fine” Me – “How much is the fine” Him – “how much do you have?”

- Friend with a car cited for running an illegal taxi service when they gave three cruiser friends a ride to the store. Local taxi company owned by the local PD chief’s brother (father? Uncle?)

- Border Immigracion refused to issue me a Visa as I entered the country. He kept telling me I did not need it. Finally convinced him I needed the Visa but he then refused to accept payment for it.

Now compare that to other experiences I have had.

- Canada – I was not allowed to check in because I did not know how many cigarettes were in the crew’s duffel bag. I don’t smoke and had no idea about fag’s in a box, boxes in a carton. I had to walk ½ mile back to boat and have my brother explain those things to me.

- Canada – could not check in because my wife had four boiled potatoes in the refrigerator. No skins and well cooked. Couldn’t throw them out – had to go back across the straits to dump them.

- Canada – Customs official refused to come to the boat to stamp our passports as we needed for complicated reasons.

- US – could not check into San Diego because we did not have $27 in cash to pay for customs inspection.

- US – While my wife was driving city utility truck and in uniform and wearing a city ID around her neck she was assaulted by a undercover city cop who thought she was casing his alleyway for a robbery. He pulled her out of the clearly marked city truck, threw her against a fence, and frisked her.

- US – I walked out of a bar – there was a disturbance down the street and a cop told me to walk east on the street away from the disturbance. Half block later a cop knocked me down with a baton because he thought I was part of the disturbance and was trying to escape. The first cop just watched and laughed.

- US – A friend kept his boat registered in a state that did not have sales tax and very low property tax on boats. He kept the boat in a marina in the adjacent state that had high sales and property taxes. One day, leaving his marina, a local sheriff stopped him and questioned the boat registration. He tried to tell them he was just temporary. The sheriff mentioned the dates and times for the last three years the boat had been seen coming or going. Later, in the local tax office my friend watched video of his boat coming and going from the marina during the last two years. He did pay the taxes and fines and laughed at his stupidity.

And so it goes.

The thing folks here seem to forget is that EVERY country has strange events occur and interactions with police, customs, border patrol, etc. in every country can have unfortunate consequences. My brother, who spent 35 years alternating life in San Diego and Baja California Norte, and I who has spent 20+ years going back and forth to all of Baja California find no difference in the rate of negative interactions with Mexican officials when compared to US and Canadian officials.

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by zeehag

because i speak spanish and i do not hang with gringos,but with locals. some of my better friends to sail with have been mexican captains inclusive of second in command port capt in one port in which i stayed a short time.
i also am kinda intelligent and pay attention despite my uncanny ability to look as if i were not interested in any way-...rodlmao. i learned well from relatives how to intellectually ¨work¨ high level society and political cocktail parties, as i was always being dragged along to them by relatives. i can hear and understand and assimilate more than one conversation at one time, although i need a night of sleep to differentiate them, i can do it accurately. yes i was asked about what i heard from whom. i was being groomed. lol.
i have perfect pitch and used to sing. perfect pitch can be useful. very very useful. i pickup languages as fast as i used to invent melodies and counter harmony as i walked along a road. i also functioned awesomely well as an emergency room and triage rn in trauma centers and some other have to be quick thinking on feet investigational cardiology nursing stuff.
questions......???

you asked. i told you exactly how i know what i know. lol...

Z, you are the female version of the most interesting man in the world

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by TacomaSailor

It does not seem that Mexico is doing anything different that do the US and State authorities here.



Mexican Customs and Immigration always treated us very fairly and respectfully.
There are many confusing and disturbing aspects to Mexican rules, regulations, and interpretations of those things. I have personally experienced or seen friends experience many of the strange things that can occur:

- Port Captain requiring me to pay checkin fee just to get fuel despite the rule clearly saying that was not necessary. His son owned the fuel dock and refused to sell me fuel until I checked in.

- My wife had several of her plastic covered free weights cut open when they suspected drug smuggling.

- Saw two boats fined many dollars for improper display of the Mexican flag

- Port Captain requiring “rat inspection” at $100 per boat to leave the port

- Midnight traffic stop while driving a car – “you’ll have to spend the night and next day in jail if you can’t immediately pay the fine” Me – “How much is the fine” Him – “how much do you have?”

- Friend with a car cited for running an illegal taxi service when they gave three cruiser friends a ride to the store. Local taxi company owned by the local PD chief’s brother (father? Uncle?)

- Border Immigracion refused to issue me a Visa as I entered the country. He kept telling me I did not need it. Finally convinced him I needed the Visa but he then refused to accept payment for it.

Yup...sounds fair and respectful.

[zeehag]

there are extremes everywhere, however, in the past 3 years, i have heard nothing bad about the manner in which cruisers who were checked with searches and dogs by federales who were nothing but polite. every single boat into and out of chiapas was doggy searched.
some boats in mazatlan were searched when checking out from mexico. that seems to be the routine. check out get searched. ok.
the customary fine for non display or improper display of flag was 100 usd, that has ceased with new regime. go figger. even last regime was sketchy on that one.
what year did you have these interesting events occur.
the fines, aka mordida has been stopped.
many things change from regime to regime i--each time is different. they have been trying to stop that and universalize procedures so all are same. so far it is working. +
what happened along time ago or even 3 yrs ago is different this regime.

too bad you had a bad time.

THERE IS NO CHECK IN FEE IN ANY PLACE IN MEXICO ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR VISA. visa fees are only paid in banks. not to officials.

[TacomaSailor]

Zeehag

I think my post might have confused you - my point was that events I experienced in the US and Canada were no different than what I experienced in Mexico nor were they different than I experienced in any of the other 25 countries I've visited around the world.

Some events were 10 years ago - some were in the last year or two

My major observation is that all encounters with officials are LOCAL. The local official and you both determine how difficult or pleasant will be the interaction.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Felony Shrub-Trimming: San Diego Man Criminally Charged for Pruning Plants

Looks like you can be charged with Felony charges now in San Diego, Ca for trimming plants on public property, I thought this stuff only happened in Mexico

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Ah yes...I just read that and yes we had recorded fishing licences before we left. That's not the first time I have heard the name Norm Goldie and I have been warned about him.
Still there is nothing on my blog that is illegal, let alone my full name.

I think the point we were discussing was lost in the back and forth time delay: Web Anonymity

You were asking how with the Web Anonymity people (or Government Officials) could track you down from posts on a blog or cruising forum when people don’t use their real names or info. I wasn’t saying anything at all was wrong or illegal in your blog. I was simply was making the point that from what you posted online in the Cruising Forum Thread, I was able to find out all of your personal information in less than 2 minutes: Boat name, real names, USCG Doc and Address, etc. I then gave two personal examples of things I posted on our blog that made their way to the local Mexican officials. (with the help of Crazy Norm in San Blas). It’s the classic thing when cruisers post photos of all the Lobsters or clams they hauled in Mexico. They are basically posting evidence of their crimes online for any Mexican official or State Park Official to see and make an example of them. Is it common to happen? No, but 3 years ago now a cruiser really did have his dinghy confiscated for illegal fishing (clams) in the State Parks. His excuse was he didn’t know and then that everyone does it but they still took his dinghy and he had quite the fun time (complete with fines) to get it back.