Ferry explosion in Playa del Carmen

[northernone]

And that would be me in a couple of weeks.

I bought the ferry tickets already, wonder if it will be patched up in time for March 4th...

 

[T.C.]

And we do have the video from the ferry aft of the target. Photographer made the effort to document the time of the blast.

Only time I have seen videos like this are IED attacks.

Most likely because he was recording the video after the attack.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I bought the ferry tickets already, wonder if it will be patched up in time for March 4th...

I hope so, I'm taking it on the 6th. The hull appeared to still be intact. Plus they are likely to reduce their fares.

How (and why) did you buy tickets ahead of time? I just get whichever is cheapest when I get there. At first, when Barcos Caribe showed up I felt they were undercutting the prices to drive the others out of business and we would end up paying more when they were gone so I refused to go along with it. Then I was dissatisfied with UltraMar and ended up taking the Waterjet only because they were the cheapest. It looks like perhaps I'm not the only one who thought Barcos Caribe's business practices were under-handed.

 

[mediumone]

How (and why) did you buy tickets ahead of time?

Yes, inquiring minds want to know the answer to that one, although I already know the answer;

You done goofed.

 

[northernone]

Yes, inquiring minds want to know the answer to that one, although I already know the answer;

You done goofed.

I'll admit it, that plan blew up in my face!

For the curious minds: I buy a dozen tickets at a time when they are 90 pesos roundtrip. They expire in 6 months and can be shared.

I dislike getting to the ferry and discovering price doubled over night and needing tickets. I'm occasional diving for cave mapping on the mainland so am back and forth.

Wonder which is the "safest" vessel now. I hadn't considered explosions in my dive risk management plan.

 

[T.C.]

I bought the ferry tickets already, wonder if it will be patched up in time for March 4th...

I think they have other ferries, so your tickets may still be good.

I don't think that boat will be back for a month.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

I was at the marina on Monday evening and the boat ramp was being cordoned off. A device had been found floating and someone had brought it in and left it on the boat ramp. It was a white piece of 4” PVC pipe about 3 – 4 foot long and had an antenna sticking out of it. On the end opposite the antenna there was tape and to myself it appeared to hold a ballast weight. To myself it did not resemble a bomb, wrong shape and no attempt at camouflage.
I got to BS’ing with the Marine NCO / JO and he seemed very professional. Basically since they did not know what it was they were exercising caution. I pointed out that the size and shape of the devise reminded me of US sonar buoys. To myself it looked like an instrumentation package for a marine experiment by either a high school or college student. It really appeared to be fashioned to float with the antenna sticking out so I am sticking with the instrumentation package for a marine science experiment or possibly a locator buoy for retrieving a load of square fish.
I had to run some gear into town so I did not get to see the detonation. I suspect a sympathetic charge was laid to see if there was an explosive involved (dual purpose for both safety and training) and folks took the sympathetic charge to say it was a bomb. If it was a bomb and with the large size, there should be some significant concrete damage half way up the south side of the ramp, near where the excursion groups gather and the marina dogs lay out.

That device you saw on the ramp had an antennae, red led (on) controller connected with wires to 7 sticks of dynamite. It had been sealed and floating near the car ferry pier. The antennae suggests that it was to be set off remotely. It was picked up out of the water by a curious boat captain. The dynamite lable indicated that it was made in Mexico. At least that is the word on the streets.



Dave

 

[mcohen1021]

From Newsweek:

Owners of Barcos Caribe have alleged links with the family of former Governor of the Quintana Roo State, Roberto Borge Angulo, who promoted the creation of this business while he was in office between 2011 and 2016, according to Mexican website Animal Politico. In 2017, the Mexican government declared him a criminal due to corruption cases during his tenure, leading to his arrest at an airport in Panama last summer.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I'll admit it, that plan blew up in my face!

For the curious minds: I buy a dozen tickets at a time when they are 90 pesos roundtrip. They expire in 6 months and can be shared.

I dislike getting to the ferry and discovering price doubled over night and needing tickets. I'm occasional diving for cave mapping on the mainland so am back and forth.

Wonder which is the "safest" vessel now. I hadn't considered explosions in my dive risk management plan.

Are all of your tickets for Barcos Caribe?

And where do you get such a great deal on ferry tickets? Those sound like "local" prices.

 

[KathyV]

A translation from the site below says that the company's ferries have been taken out of service pending inspections that could take months - and that all ferry service with Cozumel has been temporarily suspended at that port; but I don't know if this site is reliable - it seem rather militant.

http://www.presidioyucatan.mx/atentado-con-bomba-en-ferry-de-playa-del-carmen-videos/

“…all vessels belonging to that company will be taken out of service to make technical reviews that "could take several months."… At this moment the boat crossings from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel and vice versa are suspended…”