gonna get screwed i bet

[sonnywinters]

hi folks, a real newbie here with a tale to tell...i live in cozumel mexico. there is a sailboat here, abandoned by the owner, who left the country owning port fees, etc...the boat is sinking at the dock. i would like to buy it and refurbish it as a hobby project. my first boat. any advice on where to look for documentation? the supposed owner claims the paperwork was all stolen from his car. irwin 38.2, 1882 model, trashed, no motor, no electronics.... view the uscg doc page at:
http://www.st.nmfs.gov/pls/webpls/webst1.cgv_pkg.vessel_id_list?vessel_id_in=655426
thanks

[Jeff_H]

If it is really trashed and it sounds like it is you will end up spending a lot more in parts than the boat will ever be worth. That said, you would need to check the records in Mexico to see if proper paper work was filed to sieze the boat for unpaid bills. If proper recored were filed then the marina or port facilities ended up owning the boat. You would need to find out who they sold the boat and follow the paper trail. Its not too hard to do that in the States, but I have no idea about how to do it in Mexico.

Jeff