Anchor Wars come to Georgia

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

WOW Who did you in the ICW group piss these folks off?

 

[DavidM]

"Unexpectedly, anchoring is permitted in "Marina Areas" which are defined as being between 300 and 1000 feet of a marina even if there are other structures within 1000 feet. So much for the idea that marina owners were driving this law to force people to their docks."

I suspect those areas will be ultimately filled with moorings installed by the marina.

Another very good reason to skip Georgia entirely and go outside.

The two anchorages I have used while transiting Georgia: off of Cumberland Island- where the park dock will block most anchorages, and another on the Duplin River where the ferry landing will block using that, one are no longer usable.

David

 

[Steve91T]

We were literally heading for Jekyll Island in a few days From JAX and were planning on anchoring. We were looking forward to exploring the GA area. Still worth it?

 

[PMF1984]

We were literally heading for Jekyll Island in a few days From JAX and were planning on anchoring. We were looking forward to exploring the GA area. Still worth it?

Well the regulations don’t make it any less beautiful.

 

[Comodave]

No, but the added hassle make it more problematic. It will encourage more people to bypass Georgia. Hopefully the local businesses will push back when they loose revenue. Boaters need to let the businesses when they pass by without stopping and spending money.

 

[DavidM]

Cumberland Island National Park is a great stop. The ruins of the Vanderbilt's (or was it the Carnegie's) mansion are interesting. The wild horses too. The walk over from the park dock to the Atlantic side is amazing with heavily moss covered oak trees until you get to the shore then it opens up and goes on forever.


But beyond that the cities of Savannah and Brunswick can be seen by car/hotel just as well and after a half dozen trips I am tired of wide expanses of salt grass marshes.


So, skip it after seeing Cumberland and doing the marsh grass thing once.


David

 

[catalinajack]

So who will be getting the tape measure out? Range-finding laser? I, for one, will be a scofflaw. Anchor near dark. Leave early. The LEOs will be home safe and sound drinking a Budweiser. Unethical? I don't care.

 

[Woodland Hills]

No, but the added hassle make it more problematic. It will encourage more people to bypass Georgia. Hopefully the local businesses will push back when they loose revenue. Boaters need to let the businesses when they pass by without stopping and spending money.

Honestly, do really expect people to randomly dial businesses in Georgia waterfront towns as they go past without stopping? Really? How many do YOU intend to dial?

I think business owners are capable of doing the math and seeing if receipts are off over the next year. If so, then they will call the people that really matter: their local state representative. If not, and I suspect that will be the case for 99.9% of them, then the rule will stand. Who has the loudest voice, the folks who initiated this or those who will maybe be affected financially (don’t forget that campaign contributions are speech)?

 

[psneeld]

We were literally heading for Jekyll Island in a few days From JAX and were planning on anchoring. We were looking forward to exploring the GA area. Still worth it?

Have you thoroughly explored from Jax up the St Johns and south to Canaveral?


While Ga has some sights....it can be pretty dang windy and cold in Jan/Feb.


If bent on doing it.... I would go....keep a pumput record/receipts....don't look too hard or ask about the permit/fees till ?????, look at that link I posted before about shellfish areas as the link has all of them in county maps and stay roughly 1000 feet from them.... and go have a good time.


Bring a coat though.....


Lot's of rocket launches down Canaveral way in Jan/Feb...and warmer days...

 

[High Wire]

From the GA DNR site:
"Public Notice. The Department shall post anchorage areas on its website."

Nope, not there.
Love it when they do not comply with their own rules.

How do know if you are in a shellfish area?

If we come north again we will go outside as much as possible even though the only law enforcement we saw in the entire state were the patrol boats at Kings Bay Sub Base.

 

[Comodave]

Honestly, do really expect people to randomly dial businesses in Georgia waterfront towns as they go past without stopping? Really? How many do YOU intend to dial?

I think business owners are capable of doing the math and seeing if receipts are off over the next year. If so, then they will call the people that really matter: their local state representative. If not, and I suspect that will be the case for 99.9% of them, then the rule will stand. Who has the loudest voice, the folks who initiated this or those who will maybe be affected financially (don’t forget that campaign contributions are speech)?

Yes, I do contact business owners when I have poor service and when I have good service and give them feedback. So yes I would contact local businesses and tell them that I am passing them by due to the anchoring ordinance. This is not a really difficult thing to do and if you care about being able to anchor then you should make the effort to call and let the businesses know that they will not be getting your money. If you can’t be troubled to make an effort this easy then don’t complain about the lack of anchorages.

 

[High Wire]

Georgia has gone and done it. The new anchoring regulations just came out. It's a bit hard to read what I just saw posted but they basically outlaw anchoring within 1000 feet of any man made structure fixed to the bottom or shore. Anchoring within 1000 feet of an approved and identified aquaculture or public oyster picking area will also be prohibited. This will eliminate many convenient anchoring areas at Cumberland Island both in the Brickhill river and at the south end.

Unexpectedly, anchoring is permitted in "Marina Areas" which are defined as being between 300 and 1000 feet of a marina even if there are other structures within 1000 feet. So much for the idea that marina owners were driving this law to force people to their docks.

Do you have a link to this document? A search of the DNR site only shows the pre-signed version.

 

[Steve91T]

Have you thoroughly explored from Jax up the St Johns and south to Canaveral?


While Ga has some sights....it can be pretty dang windy and cold in Jan/Feb.


If bent on doing it.... I would go....keep a pumput record/receipts....don't look too hard or ask about the permit/fees till ?????, look at that link I posted before about shellfish areas as the link has all of them in county maps and stay roughly 1000 feet from them.... and go have a good time.


Bring a coat though.....


Lot's of rocket launches down Canaveral way in Jan/Feb...and warmer days...

Yeah we live in Charlotte and have one trip at a time been moving the boat from St Pete to so where closer to home. Charleston will be about as far north as we will go. Traveling with two kids under 5 years old, a shorter commute is more important right now. Last year the 1 year old got a nasty cold while in Ft Myers. We couldn’t fly because of his cold so we had to rent a car and drive. It took us two days. A 4 hour drive is a cake.

If you’re right, we loved the space coast. We actually toured the space center then the next day we anchored for one of the Space X’s launches. It’s was pretty awesome. Great anchorage as well.

We still want to explore GA. We love anchoring though.

 

[caltexflanc]

If actually so, 1000 feet is not very far... 1/6 of a nautical mile. Other than maybe the Herb River and maybe some spots on the Vernon River, I can't think any of the dozen or so Georgia anchorages we frequented where this is an issue.

We kept a pumpout log anyway so no big deal there either.

 

[siestakey]

I suspect those areas will be ultimately filled with moorings installed by the marina.

Another very good reason to skip Georgia entirely and go outside.

The two anchorages I have used while transiting Georgia: off of Cumberland Island- where the park dock will block most anchorages, and another on the Duplin River where the ferry landing will block using that, one are no longer usable.

David

David although I am 9th generation Floridian I have lived in South GA for 30 years part time and you are right the areas mentioned will soon be filled with mooring balls

 

[fractalphreak]

Having never been in that area of the country, I'm curious about the real impacts. The administrative order restricts anchoring in estuarine areas which it defines as being less than "5.6 ft above the mean tide level." That seems like pretty shallow water to me.

Does this represent a large amount of available anchorages? Is that the type of depth area you seek/is available in Georgia for prime anchoring?

 

[Steve91T]

So where is everyone’s favorite anchorage somewhere between Jacksonville and Jekyll?

 

[GH41]

I haven't read the Georgia law but I'll bet part of the reason for it is to enable the state to remove abandoned vessels. I would like to see that part issued here in SC. How would you like to be the owner of a 10 million dollar property on the May river wake up to a burned out hulk of a shrimp boat abandoned 100 feet from your back door? It happens too often. The law would make a lot of sense if it excluded vessels in transit with a limit on how long they could stay. IMO there is a difference between being anchored and beeing moored.

 

[Dougcole]

I haven't read the Georgia law but I'll bet part of the reason for it is to enable the state to remove abandoned vessels. I would like to see that part issued here in SC. How would you like to be the owner of a 10 million dollar property on the May river wake up to a burned out hulk of a shrimp boat abandoned 100 feet from your back door? It happens too often. The law would make a lot of sense if it excluded vessels in transit with a limit on how long they could stay. IMO there is a difference between being anchored and beeing moored.

I get what you are saying, and derelict vessels are an issue in many places, but waterfront property owners don't own the water.



I'm sorry that they aren't happy with their view, but tough cookies. Navigable waterways belong to the public, not to those wealthy enough to own property adjacent to them. We don't need to take away the rights of the majority to protect the sensibilities of a few. If they don't like the idea of a shrimp boat hulk in what they consider their backyard, then they shouldn't buy waterfront property.

 

[twistedtree]

I get what you are saying, and derelict vessels are an issue in many places, but waterfront property owners don't own the water.



I'm sorry that they aren't happy with their view, but tough cookies. Navigable waterways belong to the public, not to those wealthy enough to own property adjacent to them. We don't need to take away the rights of the majority to protect the sensibilities of a few. If they don't like the idea of a shrimp boat hulk in what they consider their backyard, then they shouldn't buy waterfront property.

So are you saying anyone should be able to dump or abandon their crap anywhere in the waterways?

It seems you have more of an issue with who you think is complaining, versus what they are complaining about.

 

[Larry M]

So where is everyone’s favorite anchorage somewhere between Jacksonville and Jekyll?

Cumberland Island.

 

[psneeld]

I haven't read the Georgia law but I'll bet part of the reason for it is to enable the state to remove abandoned vessels. I would like to see that part issued here in SC. How would you like to be the owner of a 10 million dollar property on the May river wake up to a burned out hulk of a shrimp boat abandoned 100 feet from your back door? It happens too often. The law would make a lot of sense if it excluded vessels in transit with a limit on how long they could stay. IMO there is a difference between being anchored and being moored.

Personally I see "wrecks" as nostalgic but poverty liveaboards with blue tarps a different class. Not necessarily bad...but a burned wreck aground across the ICW is a different sight than blue tarps and dirty laundry in plain sight.



I see "poor" anchorages better than "homeless" living under overpasses and bridges. But yes, zoning does have it's perks.


The "permanent transients" that anchor for many months or longer have no standing unless the area they do it in is provided...just like camping in a city park is usually frowned upon so homeless shelters are set up. The states should step up and maybe provide anchoring fields for the less fortunate. But that's politics and not boating per se.


There are other reasons for anchoring regulations that I can live with...protecting fragile environments is one, as well as not restricting navigation or limiting anchorages to transients because locals have made permanent moorings that make access to public dingy dock too difficult to access.

 

[Dougcole]

So are you saying anyone should be able to dump or abandon their crap anywhere in the waterways?

It seems you have more of an issue with who you think is complaining, versus what they are complaining about.

Well yes and no.


It's already against the law to dump trash or abandon boats in the waterway, as it should be. And PSNeeld makes a good point about fragile bottoms and environmentally sensitive areas.



And yes, there are some real eyesores out there. Personally, I know of a few "anchorages" around Florida that have been pretty much taken over by people living on boats in terrible state of repair. I would feel uncomfortable anchoring in one of those areas from a safety standpoint. An area near Bradenton Beach and a couple of spots in Lake Worth come to mind.


But this is a really slippery slope. These laws basically give people control over not only their own property but the public lands (or waters) near their property as well. Most people have issues with a moss covered sailboat without a mast that has blue tarps all over it and a half rotted floating dock tied to the side. But there are also people who don't want to see any boats at all anchored in their line of sight, in what they consider "their" view. This is what happened in Marco Island, the snowbirds there didn't want boats anchoring near their property. Not just derelict boats...no boats of any kind. It starts with the junk boats but then moves into boats like yours and mine pretty quickly.



"Homeless" people living on boats need land access, which means a dinghy landing of some sort. Very few live on the hook in wilderness areas, it's just too hard to do. I actually like Florida's solution of making the problem areas into city controlled mooring zones with low rates and some basic amenities. It's a nice compromise that makes most everyone happy. Georgia's solution is way too extreme and smacks of back room politics.



We have to fight hard to prevent the gradual erosion of our rights.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

I get what you are saying, and derelict vessels are an issue in many places, but waterfront property owners don't own the water.

I'm sorry that they aren't happy with their view, but tough cookies. Navigable waterways belong to the public, not to those wealthy enough to own property adjacent to them. We don't need to take away the rights of the majority to protect the sensibilities of a few. If they don't like the idea of a shrimp boat hulk in what they consider their backyard, then they shouldn't buy waterfront property.

Never considered this. Didn't Florida try this and lost in Court?

 

[psneeld]

Never considered this. Didn't Florida try this and lost in Court?

Sort of...another town just passed restrictive anchoring laws in Florida that will have to be taken to court as they in my opinion defy the "intent" but maybe not the letter of Florida state law....but in the mean time...you could be fined and or arrested...not exactly a happy interruption of a nice cruise.

 

[GH41]

I get what you are saying, and derelict vessels are an issue in many places, but waterfront property owners don't own the water.



I'm sorry that they aren't happy with their view, but tough cookies. Navigable waterways belong to the public, not to those wealthy enough to own property adjacent to them. We don't need to take away the rights of the majority to protect the sensibilities of a few. If they don't like the idea of a shrimp boat hulk in what they consider their backyard, then they shouldn't buy waterfront property.

So you would be OK with me dumping an old shrimp boat on the public road in front of your house??

 

[psneeld]

So you would be OK with me dumping an old shrimp boat on the public road in front of your house??

I don't see it quite the same way.

Through the years, many wrecks have added character to some places.

How many seafood restaurants place old wrecks in their front yard to "add charachter"?

Sure..... not exactly the same either......

 

[Woodland Hills]

There is a big difference between an old wooden shipwreck and a derelict 35’ fiberglass sloop or a rusty steel shrimper.....

 

[Woodland Hills]

So you would be OK with me dumping an old shrimp boat on the public road in front of your house??

Actually it is more like abandoning a junked RV or semi truck and trailer on the street in front of someone’s house. Then stripping it of the tires, motor and then breaking out all the windows.

 

[psneeld]

There is a big difference between an old wooden shipwreck and a derelict 35’ fiberglass sloop or a rusty steel shrimper.....

Who says? The wreck police?

This goes hand in hand with the "what's a trawler" thread.

Doesn't matter anyway ....as by law they have to be removed just about everywhere. The delays aren't first bureaucratic in nature and then removal funding needs to be found.