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Major problem in mexico

20K views 127 replies 33 participants last post by  Delezynski 
#1 ·
338 boats have been impounded by a new agency that has been visiting boats and checking paperwork. These boats are not allowed to leave Mexico or to move from the marina. No boats have been chained to the dock [ yet ].

See Latitude 38 - 'Lectronic Latitude for more details.

Talk about killing boat tourism !
 
#2 ·
QUICK -- someone warn ZEEHAG!! :)
 
#3 ·
Good article and fair warning. At first, I thought the documentation requirement seemed pretty straightforward and those that failed to comply had it coming. However, reading that you are considered guilty (improperly documented), if you simply are not on your boat when they come to check is typical 3rd world country. Then when they won't take you off the provisional embargo even when you appear with the documents later, smack like the corruption they are so widely known for. A few hundred US greenbacks would have probably released the embargo. The world can be an ugly place, and often is.
 
#5 ·
We have friends stuck here at home with serious medical issues, and with a boat sitting at a marina there... I imagine they have been caught up in this and may not even know it. I think/hope they have a caretaker that will keep them informed.
 
#7 · (Edited)
ok here is my take on it all..is a purge localized in the area in which a certain individual was mouthing off about falsified papers.
the area included banderas bay, golfo de california, and ensenada.. the places that person bragged about being able to find falsified papers. ...AND the timing was right...within 4 months of the postings, purge.
there is no such thing as coincidence.
federales who understand english and some of whom actually read forums and facebook....
napoleonic law as a legal basis,
and a mouthy person bragging on false papers and the location of same.. go figger.
as no jackboots came south of banderas bay , even to huatulco, and as no one south of banderas bay was jacked up, i cannot believe it was a coincidence that only those areas were targeted. the good thing is this 1 yr alleged veteran of mexico cruising is going to south pacific. should be interesting.

there is no mordida on west coast for checking into mexico nor in the maintenance of legal workings, unless you CHOOSE to give. and that is for buying a policeman when you wish your tienda protected. as most of us do not fit into that category, there is no problem except a single ignorant soul who could not stfu about things he knows nothing about.
i hope your friends boat is not one of the 338...if it is, they need to send someone to the sat to liberate it , with original papers of everything --.tip, document, visas, allllll...boat will be liberated within 4 months, sooner if you go to sat yourself.
as there are over 300 boats left in mexico at present with no owner present, i believe the mexican govt has been tolerating gringos quite well. we sail south and leave our unwanted boats in mexico... how would you deal with that insult??

btw--they do not want our boats...they have better ones. trust me i know. oh yes, and i am fine...didnt even smell federales here...
i HAVE been hearing a lot of comment about the arrogance and ignorance of ****** cruisers..might wanna clean up yer acts. lower yerselves a bit to not be so above them --they are a proud people with happy souls, even the overworked ones...accountability is a biig thing here...seems gringos ¡who leave boats here do not have accountability....

sat is tax office. they are approachable. donot offer mordida, as that is an insult nowadays. they brag on the fact usa is more corrupt than is mexico anymore..lol

dabnis--i find mexico no scarier than catskill, ny. is pleasant here with rules well spelled out and defined. obey laws and no problem. mouth off about falsified parers or illegalities and ruin life for over 300 souls who are perhaps innocents.
 
#8 · (Edited)
....
there is no mordida on west coast for checking into mexico nor in the maintenance of legal workings, unless you CHOOSE to give. and that is for buying a policeman when you wish your tienda protected. as most of us do not fit into that category, there is no problem except a single ignorant soul who could not stfu about things he knows nothing about.
....
as there are over 300 boats left in mexico at present with no owner present, i believe the mexican govt has been tolerating gringos quite well. we sail south and leave our unwanted boats in mexico... how would you deal with that insult??

btw--they do not want our boats...they have better ones. trust me i know. oh yes, and i am fine...didnt even smell federales here...
i HAVE been hearing a lot of comment about the arrogance and ignorance of ****** cruisers..might wanna clean up yer acts. lower yerselves a bit to not be so above them --they are a proud people with happy souls, even the overworked ones...accountability is a biig thing here...seems gringos ¡who leave boats here do not have accountability....

sat is tax office. they are approachable. donot offer mordida, as that is an insult nowadays. they brag on the fact usa is more corrupt than is mexico anymore..lol

...
zeehag, that sexy avatar of yours is decidedly a Mexican girl so you are a Mexican in disguise. That's the only way I can understand your position:D:D:D

Have fun cruising on the South;),

Regards

Paulo
 
#9 · (Edited)
pcp...you ENCOURAGE the abandonment of boats in mexico??
or is it that you encourage the spewing of words regarding falsifications of papers and bragging on the practicing of illegalities in a nation unknown to your self and those who you endanger with that spewing of words in a napoleonic law based nation.......
there is no such thing as coincidence, amigo. do not go into other nations and spew that you are allegedly knowing where in golfo de california/ sea of cortez the falsification of papers is being practiced. you will encourage the wrath of that federal government.
the ones being besmirched, the federales of mexico, do not like besmirchment. they punish this. deportation is only one means of punishing those visitors who speak against the people and place and govt. those not liking it here can leave and they will help.
my papers are 100percent legal and obtained thru legal channels, id est, the government branch that does that, inm. i have also been a walking billboard in favor of mexico. i like it here..folks are nice and life is good. the officials are fair minded and trying to rid the system of old bad habits by creating new ones that change with each newly elected regime. everything changes here when govt is voted and changed. i t is too bad we cannot do that in usa. it is a good practice.
i have friends who are federales because i was a dockmate in one instance and i helped judge the regatta,,,,was a kick... i mingle with locals, not isolate with others of like skin color and language.

oh, and pcp...which is a bad drug......i am full blooded usa founding fathers´ ancestors....but i am not so arrogant nor ignorant as to put that forward in my routine lifestyle.
 
#10 · (Edited)
pcp...you ENCOURAGE the abandonment of boats in mexico??
or is it that you encourage the spewing of words regarding falsifications of papers and bragging on the practicing of illegalities in a nation unknown to your self and those who you endanger with that spewing of words in a napoleonic law based nation.......
there is no such thing as coincidence, amigo. do not go into other nations and spew that you are allegedly knowing where in golfo de california/ sea of cortez the falsification of papers is being practiced. you will encourage the wrath of that federal government.
the ones being besmirched, the federales of mexico, do not like besmirchment. they punish this. deportation is only one means of punishing those visitors who speak against the people and place and govt. those not liking it here can leave and they will help.
my papers are 100percent legal and obtained thru legal channels, id est, the government branch that does that, inm. i have also been a walking billboard in favor of mexico. i like it here..folks are nice and life is good. the officials are fair minded and trying to rid the system of old bad habits by creating new ones that change with each newly elected regime. everything changes here when govt is voted and changed. i t is too bad we cannot do that in usa. it is a good practice.
i have friends who are federales because i was a dockmate in one instance and i helped judge the regatta,,,,was a kick... i mingle with locals, not isolate with others of like skin color and language.
Zeehag coll down. I was being ironic. I appreciate your knowledge about Mexico and your attitude in what regards saying what you think.

Regarding mixing with others I am a typical Portuguese in what regards that. There is a Brazilian joke about the Portuguese: God made the black man and the white man. Portuguese made the "mulatos". Mulato is the result of a miscegenation but I don't know how to translate it in English I could use the word half-breed but that has a negative connotation while mulato has none.

Look at the Brazilian population, do you know of any country where miscegenation is so profound?

Have a nice Christmas.

Regards

Paulo
 
#11 · (Edited)
ok.....you as well...bubba sed to say meouwry treesmass...he sed isnt politically incorrect, as i usually am....lol....

but , what i did say is necessary fro some folks who cruise to read.. sorry if i took out on you.. but is needed to be said...
watch , guys , what you say online in these places and fb, as the federales in mexico all have their own ipods..yes..and samsung galaxies, which sell here for only 150 usd......SOOOOOOOOOOO.. they ALL have fb pages and they all read the words written here and cf and all the other forums, and sailing places. one port cpt loves sailing anarchy...rodl....please be careful. and respectful


if the usa govt can do it, you KNOW others do it.......international inquisivitiveness....research....whatever it is, it does have a name and we are all watched not just by usa bumblers.
 
#13 ·
itll all be fixed in a minute...there was an article in latitude 38 stating the same for baja haha goers only to be cleared up in a minute

if you want to talk about killing tourism there are many places other than mexico I could point out...mexico is by far the most tourist and cruiser friendly place in most of latin america...

cheers
 
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#14 ·
all folks have to do is take their papers to sat, the tax part of govt, and is done. liberation is that day for those who actually did this instead of cry and whine.
motivation makes the difference. those motivated to go to the tax bureau got freed. those waiting for the marinas to fix it for them are still waiting.... hhmmmmm
does that say something????
 
#15 ·
dabnis--i find mexico no scarier than catskill, ny. is pleasant here with rules well spelled out and defined. obey laws and no problem. mouth off about falsified parers or illegalities and ruin life for over 300 souls who are perhaps innocents.
Z, as you are there and I am here, you must be right. However, after hearing of some of my friend's negative experiences while there, you can take my place. :D

Paul T
 
#16 ·
sad to hear of negative experiences while cruising here.
part of the cruising experience is the locale..some places are more conducive to enjoyment than others.
some people dont flex well enough to be wanderers, which is essentially what cruising is..wandering and adventuring under sail.
i hope your friends were treated with respect here. mexico is a polite nation with much pride. yeah they have `problems, but where does not have problems any more....certainly not usa.
 
#17 ·
you want to kill tourism?

as a salvadorean flagged boat, in my case they want to charge me(the salvadorean port authority) $40 bucks a pop to cruise from one port to another...in my country!

kind of like charging boats going from san francisco to halfmoon bay, just as stupid...

that crap kills tourism...not what this thread is about

cheers to all

lets all loosen up

almost christmas!

peace
 
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#29 ·
Note this list is based on "Corruption Perceptions" . Not any actual facts. Just what countries some people think are corrupt. They don't even say who.

They might have asked a bunch of paranoid people who think the world will end soon. The sky is falling the sky is falling....lol
 
#19 ·
absolutely true

on a people to people level, or at work or in general I loved this when living in the U.S...those that were corrupt you just ignored or reported etc...basically there was a TRUST agreement between people that I loved...and admired...especialy in trade work.

I have been told that during the recession stuff like craigslist adds and forums and the like became hot spots for untrustworthy people...seems to be improving though.

corruption for example in latin america especially central america is exactly why we rank so low in torusim for example...or foreign investment...simply we are not trusted.

I might add that simply going by rankings on anything is a fine way of never leaving your couch!!! jajaja

just sayin

ps. I think this will clear up shortly however last latitude 38 update mentions that even they are baffled by this new government NIETO´s intentions

pss...nieto the new president is the returning candidate for PRI which was a controlled dictatorship for around almost a century before FOX came into power....PRI is BIG government, mass control, and big tax...so maybe this agency was created just to make some extra $$$

which happens all the time down here

cheers
 
#20 ·
While a different subject Mexico has also added a tax to even enter their waters. A common long day sail or overnight sail from San Diego is to or around the Coronado Islands. Now to even enter the waters you need to fill out forms and pay fees or face the consequences.

When Mexico first started this a few months ago they just started stopping boats and demanding compliance but now they have a system in order to collect and enforce this. Most people I know have just stopped going there.

SPORT FISHING AND NAUTICAL TOURISM
lf you are a foreigner and want to enter Mexican Territory by sea with recreational, sports , or leisure purposes or to practice any recreational water activity and you are on board a vessel intended solely for personal pleasure of her owners and not pro fit oriented. lt has never been easier!

THE STEPS TO FOLLOW ARE:
Sport fishing boat operators must report vessel entry to and departure from Mexico to the National Immigration Institute (INM), in addition to providing the list of passengers on board by filling out the format downloadable from:
Instrucciones para pasajeros - Instituto Nacional de Migración.

Afterwards, the master of the vessel must email the electronic file to: bc_pescadeportiva@inami.gob.mx, which belongs to the Local INM Delegation at Ensenada, Baja California.

The receipt showing proof of payment covering migratory service fees must be attached to the email, Fees are paid according to the total number of foreigners entering Mexico's territorial waters onboard the vessel, and can be paid electronically either for an individual or for everyone collectively by logging onto the following web site: https://www.banjercito.com.mx/registroEmbarques/

The payable fee of $295.00 pesos (Two-Hundred and Ninety Five 00/100 Mexican Pesos) per foreigner is set by the Federal Fee Act (Ley Federal de Derechos) in its Article 8, Section I.

Applicants will receive an email from INM either authorizing the trip or denying entry to a passenger intending to enter Mexico's territorial water onboard the given vessel.

The authorizing email will contain INM's permit to enter as a Visitor without Permission to Perform Paid Activities. The length of stay will cover the amount of time asked for min the application, yet such shall not exceed 180 days nor may it be used for multiple entries and departures. A copy will be sent to the Secretary of the Navy (SEMAR) and to the Secretary of Communications and Transportation (SCT.)
 
#21 ·
the alleged tax for entering mexican waters is the entry fee into mexico..not a tax .. is 25 usdollars. peso is 13 pesos to one us dollar. 295 pesos is nothing at all....if one must sail into d around another nations territorial waters,there is no sense making a complaint about entering that country to so do. the paper being purchased is a visa to visit as a visitor or as a sports fisher. this is basic. this is actually COURTESY. in a country and or its territorial waters without avisa is a punishable offense , especially as visas for mexico have been made so much easier by mexican govt bending over backwards to accommodate tourists who venture into mexico by private boats.
what mexico is trying to do is only that which any and all other nations do with their territorial waters..they are policing them. go figger.
buy a visa or do not sail in mexico. easy peasy, and you can acquire them online??? gee, when i left cali for sailing here, one had to go to mexican consulate for the visa acquisition, and pay in mexico at a port of entry. this new policy is so much easier.
what is the complaint????? desire to continue to practice illegal activities of sailing around and anchoring in mex¡can waters without the mandatory visa????
that is irresponsible and disrespectful. not to mention essentially illegal.
 
#22 ·
much has changed for the better till now I guess...

when I cruised all of the pacific coast of mexico back in 2000-01 it was a 1 day ordeal at almost every official port of entry, taxi to an from banjercito, api, etc......so we tried to go to as many non official ports of entry and did the typical layover hoping to not get too "exposed"

having said this...as an aside to focus on the GOOD in puerto vallarta the navy was so awesome we got towed in at no expense as our diesel quit right at the village entrance...or like 1 mile out.

talk about good guys!

diesel "mechanics" on the other hand Ill reserve my comments! jajaja

peace
 
#23 ·
A friend of mine sailing from USA to Belize had to put into Mexico for a medical emergency that resulted in him returning to the USA for a month. Mexican Authorities seized his boat for unauthorized entry. Even though my friend was a friend of the Mexican President Fox, he could not get his boat back. I used to like Mexico, not now and I will not go there anymore.
 
#25 ·
because of that?

hmmm the way I read this is that even though your firend had a "connection" as we call that down here he was unable to persuade authorities otherwise

seems UNCORRUPT to me

we should really be objective about this

what probably happened is that your friend could not take care of his paperwork for the boat before leaving because of his emergency so because of that unfortunately this happened...

if you go to the states or europe which is MUCH more paperwork and enforced do you really think you can just stop over in SUCH and such country without doing your appropriate paperwork and then come back and expect it all to be dandy?

even if it WAS an emergency

I know plenty of places where saying you had catastrophic damage to your boat and a dead auxiliary and even then you are quaranteened or not allowed to leave the country or boat, etc...etc...

like zeehag and other have said this can be resolved....I can almost guarantee that all 338 boats failied to show something, even though it might be so damn trivial...the POINT is that since its a foreign country and you are entering it and partaking of its beauty or NOT........

you must abide:)

ridiculous it may seem

just sayin

bureacracy kills tourism as does stupdity so does flagrant bias and one sidedness

:D
 
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#24 ·
sounds like the improper entry should have been addressed. was his own fault despite illness. there are hospitals in mexico which are just fine. there are even ****** hospitals in mexico.
in any country, the only excuse for improper entry is death.
and playing on friendships is not respèctful. is not the presidents job to clear youy into a port.

there is no more every port check in.
online visas were unheard of when i left just 3 years ago. seems that now with online fishing licenses and online visas, there is no excuse for ****** arrogance.
is understandable that mexico wants you to get your visa BEFORE sailing into mexican waters. there is a lot of smuggler action there in that area--not merely drugs.
having a visa can only protect you, as it gives you a legitimate reason to be there.
 
#26 ·
AND, how is the Mexican officials so much worse than the TSA guy who confiscated a toy gun from the holster of a teddy bear. The "gun" was less than 1.5 inches long!

As was said, in a foreign country, abide by the rules, ALL of them, not just the ones you think are right.

Jill and I cruised Mexico from 04 to 08 and LOVED it AND the people. We had NO PROBLEMS AT ALL with officials!! We were legal in all the ways required.

AND I HAVE TO SAY, we felt MUCH safer there than in the USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are only back in the good old U, S, of A, due to a family emergency that took place.

Like I said, we feel much safer there than here. (NOT counting any border towns, on either side.)

Greg
 
#27 ·
Having never been to Mexico, I can't comment on what went on before.. but what is going on now seems straightforward enough. If you listen to what ZeeHag has to say, it is even easier than before.

Not worth getting any article of clothing in a bunch
 
#28 ·
even if it WAS an emergency

I know plenty of places where saying you had catastrophic damage to your boat and a dead auxiliaryand even then you are quaranteened or not allowed to leave the country or boat, etc...etc...
You can find that right here in the U.S.A. --- and it is not just government goons --- all it takes is money.

My brother was helping his friend sail his 40-footer down to the keys to get the motor repaired (friend's family had a shop down there) when they started taking on *lots* of water near Ocean Reef Club, at the north end of Key Largo. They headed toward Ocean Reef to ask for help, were met by 'security guards', guys with AR-15-type rifles they didn't even pretend to not-aim at my brother & his friend, who told them to go away *right now*. They went....put the boat on a shallow sand bank where my brother could find & fix the leak. Waited a while for high tide, went their way.

Good thing it wasn't an immediately-life-threatening emergency: "We're sorry we shot your sons, but we told them to take their appendicitis somewhere else and they wouldn't listen, and just kept coming at us in the dinghy."
 
#30 · (Edited)
Zeehag is correct and is being quite diplomatic about all of this.
A couple of years ago I was down on our boat. The marina we were in was a port of entry to Canada.
I started to hear quite a commotion over by the customs dock and of course started to pay attention to what was going on.
A guy's wife had flown into Canada and had met her husband at the customs wharf. He had brought their boat into Canada from the States and was trying to clear customs. His wife felt that because they were "Americans" that this was all ridiculous and unnecessary. I couldn't count the times that she stated, "We're Americans you can't do that to us". Well they did and they tore that boat apart. They were probably ok to enter but since she had such a bad attitude our Canadian Customs Officers raked them over the coals.
There is a right way and a wrong way to do things and they were doing it wrong.
We are two countries with good relations but like Mexico we are still a foreign country with different rules and laws that need to be understood and adhered to. They were there for a very long time.
Whether you are entering Canada or Mexico you still have to respect the laws of the country that "you" wish to enter.
It's all about attitude and respect.

By the way Zeehag do you follow the TomZap forum?
 
#31 ·
Zeehag is correct and is being quite diplomatic about all of this.

*snip*

Whether you are entering Canada or Mexico you still have to respct the laws of the country that "you" wish to enter.
It's all about attitude and respect.
And it doesn't hurt to learn a little of their language. I did two Med cruises in the Navy, with stops all around, so I picked up phrase books for Spanish, Italian and Greek (we were homeported in Athens). The first things I practiced until I had them down cold were, "Please", "Thank you", and "Speak slowly please, I do not hear very fast.". That last phrase is a great ice-breaker - your auditor will crack up laughing that you can say it, then go out of their way to help you.
 
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