<Lee wrote: An admiralty lawyer can better help with this...> I suggest that needing an Admiralty lawyer in most ports/countries in Central America or the Caribbean is similar to shutting the barn doors after all the horses have gone. We represent a huge potential income for some of these port commandants and the rule of law other than theirs can escape them at times. Far better to learn, listen and use your street smarts to avoid the necessity of the services of a Consulate or some other higher service. Few locals have any appreciation of them or knowledge that they exist. Staying out of trouble isn't an idea it's a watchword that needs to be imbedded in your thinking. Uses the catch phrase "what's was I thinking" can lead to bad situations. So play by book and then by ear of recent updates that you glean form the SSB nets, other cruisers and general scuttlebutt. Always keep your ears and eyes wide open. Be prepared to change your destination in a heartbeat if you feel uncomfortable...pushing a situation usually results in bad stuff. Be prepared to leave a place if you feel threatened now, not tomorrow AM or "later". Get underway and then sort the situation. You can always return if you find you were wrong in your feeling about the situation. Our best advice is don't make yourself a more inviting target than you are by being the most expensive in the harbor. To the local customs/immigration/port captain or to the local population you are the richest thing they've seen in a long time. Stopping, anchoring or even passing thru in a country's or port captain's jurisdiction that you haven't cleared into is very good way to spend a lot of cash unnecessarily. Another thing that we see and have had confirmed by many locals in many countries. If something is just laying about then it must be OK to take it as you don't care enough about it to secure it. This is not considered theft or a crime so you'll not get any help from local authorities to chase down the perps. This includes deck items, dinghies not locked/chained, etc. It is part of the culture so try to remember this. Lock/secure it or lose it is the motto. As always YMMV.... Dave & Nancy Swan Song Roughwater 58