Florida anchorage restrictions

If you live in Florida, please sign this petition regarding anchoring 200 yards from any water front residence in FL water ways.


Petition: Stop Florida's attempts to limit access to public waterways and anchorages

Even if you do not live in Florida but cruise there or are planning to in the near future please consider donating to the SSCA. They are trying to stop the few in Florida that would restrict the rights of all boaters from Anchoring in the state.

A Go Fund Me campaign has been setup here. Any amount would help.

SSCA 2015 Cruisers' Rights Fund by Scott Berg - GoFundMe

bankerboy1 said:

If you live in Florida, please sign this petition regarding anchoring 200 yards from any water front residence in FL water ways.


Petition: Stop Florida's attempts to limit access to public waterways and anchorages

Click to expand...

Just signed. A very easy process. Remember rights go away a little at a time.

Just signed.

Not that I think it will have any real effect, but I signed as well.

It's not just signing the petition. It's also donating that makes a difference. If we do knot put our money where are heart is then we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Northen Spy, we never know if anything ever has effect unless we we speak out and hold all politicians accountable to the many instead of the few. If you don't believe that just look around and you will see what I mean.

Again here is the link to help SSCA.org (Southern Seas Cruising Association) fight this legislation. I fear is if legislation passes then political mission creep will set in while most arn't looking!

SSCA 2015 Cruisers' Rights Fund by Scott Berg - GoFundMe

I rarely cruise that area right now, but you're right as part of the boating community we can all help. Donation made.

Abandoned vessels are not a recent phenomena.

So what is the point if documenting or registering boats? Is it not to define ownership? Can the law not go after the last known owner? Or is it "too hard"? Wouldn't it be up to the last owner to prove non-ownership? Sounds like a typical collect the money, but no government accountability when there is a need for action. Easier to do the knee jerk reaction of "can't manage it so just ban all" .

markpierce said:

Abandoned vessels are not a recent phenomena.

Click to expand...

My great great grandfather was captain of a "Cape Horner" that went to SF in the midst of the first great gold rush. His whole crew jumped ship to try their luck in the goldfields, so he did to. He made it home with just enough gold to make a small ornamental anchor (a bit bigger than watch fob size, but not by much). I remember the story and seeing the anchor as a youngster, but a crazy aunt made off with the anchor and lost it.

Was down in south Florida (east side) a few weeks ago, rented a boat to cruise the canals and I was surprised at where all these boats were anchoring, if the canal had a slight open area it was chock full of sailboats holding up, I can kinda understand homeowners issue, what was once a nice view turned into a holiday parking lot. Just my 2 cents which I'm told is what its worth.

Florida already has many laws on the books for abandoned boats and also many laws restricting blocking navigable water ways. The view issue (and I am a water front property owner) is like building a house close to the airport and then complaining about the noise.

CJ That is a perfect example!

Update

Here is a recent update:

Anchoring restrictions bill advances in Florida Senate | Trade Only Today

Florida anchoring bill faces vote today

Florida anchoring bill faces vote today | Dealer Outlook

"I was surprised at where all these boats were anchoring, if the canal had a slight open area it was chock full of sailboats holding up,"

For cruisers heading south once past Daytona there are few easy large anchorages, so the few spots that do work get really crowded.

From Maine south to Daytona an O'nite anchorage can usually be found quite easily, but once in man made dug channels it gets crowded in the few spots that work.

The "perfect FL cruiser" ,,,, a hovercraft with self jacking spuds for overnight in 8 inches of water.

As a boat owner and FL cruiser I can see the boaters side but the homeowner has a say as well. Nobody wants to see a bunch of derelict boats in their back yard even if it's legal. FL has laws on the books to prevent this but they are not enforced. Probably no money in the kitty and the argument to fine the owner does not always work. Many derelict boats can't be identified, the VIN has been destroyed.

I have no idea what it costs to remove an anchored derelict boat and dispose of it. Probably not cheap. Our favorite anchorage is now full of derelict boats and we don't go there as much. Very sad.

But this law is not about derelict boats, but rather about restricting any boat from anchoring. Sunset Anchorage on Miami Beach is one area that's part of the bill that would restrict anchoring during night time. I've overnighted at this place and saw no derelict boats. However the homeowners backing this bill are using boats that are permanently anchored as their argument to restrict all anchoring.

FL needs to find someway to eliminate the derelict boat problem, it is only getting worse. Perhaps one way to control this problem is for the state to contact anyone who does not re-register their boat. In any case the boating community should have jumped on this problem years ago and we are starting to see the fall out from not doing so. And though derelict boats and boats anchored temporarily are very different issues, it's not to some landowners.

Too little land, too many people.

Boaters especially transients from out of state are not taxpayers and have little say. FL landowners have voting and representation rights.

Whether boaters from out of state or derelicts from in state, FL water front property owners are sick and tired of the visual mess and disarray. Before officially retiring we spent time in FL trying to decide course. Visited with friends and relatives and decided that unless golf, drinking and eating were high on our list of must dos we wouldn't want to live there.

Sitting by the screen enclosed pool watching sailboats jostle for position is troubling enough for many residents but when they rowed to the private dock asking for directions to the grocery store I phone videos started showing up at town meetings depicting all boaters as a bunch of locusts.

No matter how this vote turns out restrictions are continually getting more onerous. Follow the money, follow the votes and follow the web cams. Too many people, too little land. And then the derelicts. Tough situation. ---

I would support paying some additional tax to wreck out derelict boats. Should not be much if spread across both water front property owners and boat owners.

Make little difference though, the current regime has ignored the referendum that had 70% support by the voters to correct the Okeechobee water releases that are killing the Indian River Lagoon and ditto Fort Meyers area. Bottom line, they will do what THEY want to, public be damned. I suspect bribes play a big role in Talllahassee, as in Austin, DC and so forth.

Mule said:

I would support paying some additional tax to wreck out derelict boats. .

Click to expand...

What is the current hull count for FL derelicts? The last number I saw was in the several thousand including those on blocks.

sunchaser said:

Too little land, too many people.

Boaters especially transients from out of state are not taxpayers and have little say. FL landowners have voting and representation rights.

Whether boaters from out of state or derelicts from in state, FL water front property owners are sick and tired of the visual mess and disarray. Before officially retiring we spent time in FL trying to decide course. Visited with friends and relatives and decided that unless golf, drinking and eating were high on our list of must dos we wouldn't want to live there.

Sitting by the screen enclosed pool watching sailboats jostle for position is troubling enough for many residents but when they rowed to the private dock asking for directions to the grocery store I phone videos started showing up at town meetings depicting all boaters as a bunch of locusts.

No matter how this vote turns out restrictions are continually getting more onerous. Follow the money, follow the votes and follow the web cams. Too many people, too little land. And then the derelicts. Tough situation. ---

Click to expand...

Might add that too many marina owners find their land more valuable for condo development vice a going business.

In general, I support the removal of derelict boats and also support anchorage restrictions to the extend they prevent long term squatting in otherwise residential areas. What I don't like about this legislation is it only deals with 3 specific areas and ends up shifting the burden to other areas. A state wide solution is needed and not a collection of specific laws dealing with specific anchorages.

Unfortunately, the anchorage model is based on "free" and when things in life are free, it seems to attract the worst of the worse.

I wonder what the anchor anywhere folks would think about ratty RVs parked on their street

Mule said:

I would support paying some additional tax to wreck out derelict boats...

Click to expand...

In 2015, there were ~763,700 boats registered in FL over 12' long and that excludes canoes. The number includes dealers, recreational and commercial vessels. Add $10/year/vessel and it wouldn't take to many years.

http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/dmv/TaxCollDocs/vesselstats2015.pdf

As is all too often the case, people seem to think that the solution to poor enforcement of laws is to pass more laws.

If the issues is derelict boats, it sounds like there are already plenty of laws and too little enforcement. If that's the problem, then solve that problem.

If the issue is homeowners who don't want their view soiled by the unwashed masses, tough Sh$@t. It's a public waterway. And I say this from a waterfront home, looking at a huge dredge barge that has been anchored right in front of my house for the past few months, and will likely remain for many more while a project is underway. It sure does soil my view, so I guess I should contact my legislator about it?

But of course strategy #1 to getting your way on an personal agenda is to masquerade it as a different issue that is easier to argue, like derelict boats.... People Suck!

timjet said:

Nobody wants to see a bunch of derelict boats in their back yard even if it's legal. FL has laws on the books to prevent this but they are not enforced. .

Click to expand...

A common misconception is that the laws to deal with derelict boats are on the books. They aren't. In fact there is a separate derelict boat law awaiting passage and it has been so watered down as it passed through the legislature as to be of far less help than it should.

However, that's a separate law and separate discussion.

Now, as to the anchoring law, I think one problem right now is it's being made by most to be anchoring vs. not anchoring. There is a much more critical issue at play. It is who is going to regulate anchoring, who is going to manage and control it. Those rights currently belong to the state. The state is running a pilot program to study alternatives. This current battle arose from individual municipalities attempting to set their own rules and the state jumped in and stopped them. It was found, by law, that the municipalities do not currently have those rights.

The state wants a uniform approach and a controlled approach to determining the best means of providing and managing anchoring and moorages. However, this law under current consideration is to usurp the state's current authority by writing a separate law covering a few specific anchorages. This is to circumvent current laws. The key issue here is that then you turn things loose for every town to try to get a state law passed to allow them to do what they want. Every neighborhood.

By making this fight anchoring vs. homeowners, the real key point is being missed. This bill is state vs. municipalities. It is circumventing the authority of the state, compromising the study and pilot underway. It is truly a special interest bill but not one of homeowners, one of specific homeowners in specific areas. We're homeowners but this law doesn't impact our home. However, it does impact one area 1/2 mile or so from us and another 2 miles away. It allows for a different law covering the anchorage 200 yards from us and the one 800 yards away.

It is the worst of special interests and hodgepodge law making. Rest assured there are going to ultimately be anchoring laws, but the state has been working to figure out solutions that serve the entire state and the visiting boaters. They've been taking a systematic approach.

As an aside too this law is a bit about water skiers and jet skiers vs. anchoring. Yet, that is overlooked. Yes, two of the areas this covers are areas used for water skiers and jet skiers and legal for those sports.

I am not arguing who should anchor where and why and when and how as to me that's the separate issue. I'm opposed to this as it's nothing but the way of a few special interests circumventing the rights and authority of the state and pushing this through because the state has actually chosen instead to try to systematically study and evaluate the issue.

More updates for Florida boaters.......


Florida legislature votes down Gulf Coast anchoring restriction | Trade Only Today

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

More updates for Florida boaters.......


Florida legislature votes down Gulf Coast anchoring restriction | Trade Only Today

Click to expand...

That was just the Gulf Coast Amendment. Now, that makes the situation even more strange. The proponents of the current bill want to pass a state law eliminating anchoring in Middle River, Sunset Lake and a part of Biscayne Bayb but don't you dare tack Crab Island onto our bill. I also find it curious that we walked out on our upper balcony this morning and looked down Middle River. Not a single boat we could see anchored. We were so disappointed as often there are some nice sailboats out there.

Once this isn't the current topic, and the issue has been settled, I'd expect some areas to have anchoring restrictions. But will they really be enforced i wonder?