Mexico has always been--er--Mexico. Nothing new. Back in the late 1960's a friends boat grounded while attempting a night entrance at Isla Mujeres. The vessel suffered minor hull damage and serious damage to her rudder, but she was easily removed from the reef and towed to the city dock. Due to the rudder damage, the vessel was considered "Imported" into Mexico and suddenly a very large customs fee was attached. The owner ended up abandoning the two year old, custom built vessel and one of the local pols took it over, fabricated a new rudder and made a ferry out of it. It ran between Isla and the main land for years.
Back in 1982 I lost a large deck barge, loaded with oilfield equipment, while south bound approaching the Florida Straits, the barge grounded on Alacranes Reef, north of Progresso. We boarded the barge, dewatered the bow rake compartments and patched several openings in the bottom plate. About that time a WWI era, Mexican Navy frigate showed up. All stop on removing the barge, under threat of arrest and cannon fire. T called the office in Louisiana and about four hours later the company plane landed in Merida. A brief case was dropped off and two hours later I received a radio call from the captain of the frigate offering us any assistance that they could provide in removing the barge. After the barge was refloated, I dined aboard the frigate as the honored guest of the Mexican Navy. Nothing new down Mexico way.
