La Paz Faces Problem of Looting in Wake of Hurricane Norma

On November 13, three weeks after Hurricane Norma tore through Mexico, sailors in La Paz were horrified to find one of the grounded boats had been set alight by, we’re told, several men in a panga. Mac and Mary Shroyer, founders of Marina de La Paz, wrote us saying, “The owner had been living ashore close by for over two weeks in a tent, and had worked daily digging out around the hull, including the use of a backhoe in preparation of high tide at 8 a.m. the next morning.”

We reached out to Neil Shroyer, manager of Marina de La Paz, who described the case of the burned boat, as told to him by his father Mac. “… the vandals were so upset that they were prevented from looting the vessel, because the owner set up camp on the beach next to it, that they came by in a skiff and set it on fire, by way of some incendiary device. A terrible thing.”

Neil says many of the grounded vessels were abandoned boats, or had no owner in town. Those whose owners were onsite were able to “keep guard and fend off vandals to some degree,” but those not being attended to were looted “of most anything that could be removed” in the weeks following the hurricane.

The boats grounded in front of town have fared a bit better, though many are still there and “nobody seems to be working on getting them off.” He went on to say that there are many boats stranded in the back-bay mudflats that will probably remain where they lie as they can’t be reached by a crane, and the water is too shallow for a suitable-sized vessel to reach them and drag them off the flats. “Forty boats spread over a large area was more than authorities had capability to watch over …” though he questions the level of effort they made to do so.

Mac and Mary added, “Staying on the beach close, with someone always at the camp site was imperative. Other boats in the the same situation along the shore of La Paz were being picked over in broad daylight by groups of men, because the owners were not aboard, having left their boats unattended on moorings or at anchor.”

We asked the Baja Ha-Ha’s assistant Poobah, Patsy Verhoeven, about the situation. She replied, “I have heard from many about the looting and stripping of the boats that are on the beach from Hurricane Norma. The wind blew many boats way up into the bay and far from the more populated area so looting and vandalizing easily go undetected.” She also agrees with the Shroyers’ comments that “no government agency, national or state, provided any form of protection of the private property on the shores of La Paz,” adding that the cleanup is left to the remaining cruisers.

Mac and Mary Shroyer have lived and worked in La Paz for decades and consider it to be friendly and convenient. “A place in which to remain for an extended period of time.” They are are clearly disappointed with the recent events and refer to the cruising community’s support of the town. “They spend a substantial amount locally and cost the community nothing. But come a hurricane and some need emergency help, there is none offered, except for that offered by fellow yachtsmen.”

It’s clear why they would feel this way; it’s sad that a small percentage of people, for whatever reason, chose to take advantage of the grounded boats. And while we recall the Ha-Ha’s Grand Poobah, Richard Spindler, on many occasions advising cruisers to keep an eye on their belongings, we imagine this is an unusual and one-off situation.

West Coast sailors, and others, are always cruising to and around Mexico. The majority of people report nothing but positive experiences. But, like anywhere else in the world, there is room for that element that doesn’t sit quite so well with the general societal niceties that we all mostly live by. There are many reasons that people will exploit others’ misfortunes. Our own experiences, and those of our crew here at Latitude 38, have always been good, and we would encourage everyone to experience the Mexico cruising life, even if only once.

By way of example, Heidi B. Stagg of SV Sohno sent us photos of Baja Ha-Ha cruisers getting together for La Paz Tourism’s annual 2023 Baja Beach Party last Sunday.