FL is voting to ban anchoring today

[Colin A]

Originally Posted by tomfl

The money boaters spend in Florida is a drop in the bucket of the total amount of money spent in Florida. A "large group of boaters" is a drop in the bucket compared to a large group of tourists who visit Florida yearly.

The reality of the matter is that Florida is way too over crowded, both with boaters and a much larger number of non boaters. Many Florida residents would be more than happy to see the number of folks, both boaters and non boaters, in Florida decrease.

Boaters saying they will boycott Florida would result in cheers from many Florida residents.

Tom, you have to go a little farther then boaters to cruisers. The recreational marine industry in South FL is about $10 billion between sales, marinas, refit and boat factory workers. Tourism is somewhere between 12-15 billion from what I have read. Florida is likely the only place in the US where the marine industry has that kind of effect.

Now cruising boaters stopping briefly have a much smaller effect so some of what you say is true in that case.

[sailnow2011]

Should we discuss better launching points for a nassau trip?

[Capt Robert]

UPDATE: Bill has been presented to Governor Rick Scott for signature. If he signs it becomes law July 1, 2016.

CS/CS/HB 1051 (2016) Anchoring Limitation Areas
House Bill 1051 (2016) - The Florida Senate
-- Signed by Officers and presented to Governor

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Colin A

Tom, you have to go a little farther then boaters to cruisers. The recreational marine industry in South FL is about $10 billion between sales, marinas, refit and boat factory workers. Tourism is somewhere between 12-15 billion from what I have read. Florida is likely the only place in the US where the marine industry has that kind of effect.

Now cruising boaters stopping briefly have a much smaller effect so some of what you say is true in that case.

As a lawyer in a former life I understand your point that boaters and cruisers are not the same thing. Never the less I suspect that to most folks who live in Florida that is a distinction with out a difference.

A while back on a Saturday I was traveling on US1 through Homestead and Florida City to the Keys. There is a left turn to Biscayne Bay with three lanes and bumper to bumper traffic. A boater towing a small sports fisherman caused a minor fender bender trying to move from the over crowded thru lane to the left hand turn lane. I (along with hundreds of other drivers) was stuck behind them for a few minutes during which I listened to a long, loud, and profane bashing of the boater who was driving.

To a lot of folks in Florida not associated with boaters, or cruisers, (who many/most view as the same thing) are simply a problem and they would be happy to see fewer of them. I would also bet a lot of the $US10 billion is concentrated in places that will not be affected by any anchoring restrictions.

[hellosailor]

I suspect the folks who are anchored out, instead of paying bucks for air conditioning (electricity), cable feed, telephone, and convenient dockside services in one of the many marinas (Travis McGee couldn't afford his old dockspace any more) are not the rich audience that most of Florida's "Tourist Coast" wants to pursue.


The same way that Fort Lauderdale burned off the mad student break business, which maxed out their entire "beach" industry, in favor of going after a richer and quieter family and foreign tourist trade.

[a64pilot]

Cruising I don't think many understand, they think of homeless or something.
Two years ago on my first visit to Clearwater I stayed at the City Marina by the bridge and was talking to the Dockmaster who was one really nice guy. I asked if they had many liveaboards in the Marina. He looked shocked and immediately told me they weren't that sort of Marina. He obviously though poorly of anyone who would live on a boat, and sort of implied only a trashy Marina would allow that sort of thing..

[LEOCAT66]

This harassment by Fl. authorities will certainly continue until the matter is brought to Federal Court, the true decision making authority over navigation and marine issues. Just like in the past, when the Fl. Supreme Court attempted to fix an election, but we're overruled by the U.S. SUPREME COURT. Is there no lawyer or group of lawyers who could be successful in this endeavor, if backed by all with boating interest, individuals, marine businesses, marine organizations, contributions etc.

It is certainly worth the effort, especially now that the Camel has his head under our tent, and we are all now in this sand storm. We may not be successful in Federal Court, but we certainly are not winning now.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Cruising I don't think many understand, they think of homeless or something.

SNIP

I disagree.

The definition of cruising is "to sail about touching at a series of ports". The proposed restrictions on anchoring are limited to very small areas compared to the places in the state where there are no anchoring restrictions.

What the restrictions are aimed at is the boats who are anchoring in a few places that are close to big cities that are already very crowded. Very often these boats anchor for extended periods of time to take advantage of facilities on shore. Not just provisioning but dumping trash and wanting pumpouts. I have been sailing boats in Florida since the 1950s, first on my Dad's boats and then mine. Even today I never have a problem finding a place to anchor. My last cruise was almost three months in the Keys. Never had an issue finding a place to anchor. Of course except for three or four days I was cruising West of Key West and in the DT. The anchoring restrictions there are related to nature preserves, coral reef and sea grass beds; something almost every one agrees with. Does any real cruiser think it is OK to destroy coral or sea grass by anchoring over it?

All my land locked friends think cruising means what I am doing on my boat, sailing to places you need a real boat to get to. Cruising is not motoring down the ICW and anchoring in places you could reach on an SUP.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by tomfl

I disagree.

The definition of cruising is "to sail about touching at a series of ports". The proposed restrictions on anchoring are limited to very small areas compared to the places in the state where there are no anchoring restrictions.

What the restrictions are aimed at is the boats who are anchoring in a few places that are close to big cities that are already very crowded. Very often these boats anchor for extended periods of time to take advantage of facilities on shore. Not just provisioning but dumping trash and wanting pumpouts. I have been sailing boats in Florida since the 1950s, first on my Dad's boats and then mine. Even today I never have a problem finding a place to anchor. My last cruise was almost three months in the Keys. Never had an issue finding a place to anchor. Of course except for three or four days I was cruising West of Key West and in the DT. The anchoring restrictions there are related to nature preserves, coral reef and sea grass beds; something almost every one agrees with. Does any real cruiser think it is OK to destroy coral or sea grass by anchoring over it?

All my land locked friends think cruising means what I am doing on my boat, sailing to places you need a real boat to get to. Cruising is not motoring down the ICW and anchoring in places you could reach on an SUP.

[WindwardPrinces]

Originally Posted by tomfl

I disagree.

What the restrictions are aimed at is the boats who are anchoring in a few places that are close to big cities that are already very crowded. Very often these boats anchor for extended periods of time to take advantage of facilities on shore. Not just provisioning but dumping trash and wanting pumpouts.

If that's the case, why not just have a time-limit on anchoring in one place instead of a total ban? Another idea is to charge enough for registration to cover the cost of pumpouts for anyone with a head onboard.

To outlaw anchoring between sunset and sunrise for everyone but fishermen makes me want to anchor a fishing boat in front of Fred Karlton's house. He's the guy who has made it his life's mission to prevent boaters from anchoring near his property, which is setting us up for a bad precedent.

[LEOCAT66]

No local or state authority has or
should have the right to limit anchoring, by any vessel during the course of navigation, at anytime, any place, for any reason. To do so is to harass the public, and undermine the Federal law as it relates to free navigation.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by LEOCAT66

No local or state authority has or
should have the right to limit anchoring, by any vessel during the course of navigation, at anytime, any place, for any reason. To do so is to harass the public, and undermine the Federal law as it relates to free navigation.

Ah, that troublesome "should."

[Stu Jackson]

hello sailor, your #76 was superb. And the later left hand - right hand discussion was illuminating, too. In the early 90s there was a HUGE fire in the Oakland (CA) hills. Killed 25 people, thousands of destroyed homes. Turned out the different fire depts used different hose connections to hydrants. They also had radios that didn't talk to each other or to the police.

Not much has changed since, although I think they "cleverly" came up with (GASP!!!) a hose ADAPTER to let them interchange hydrants & hoses. That took, like six years!!!

[zboss]

Originally Posted by WindwardPrinces

To outlaw anchoring between sunset and sunrise for everyone but fishermen makes me want to anchor a fishing boat in front of Fred Karlton's house. He's the guy who has made it his life's mission to prevent boaters from anchoring near his property, which is setting us up for a bad precedent.

Yeah - a real garbage scow with stinking dead fish and seagulls, gnats, and flies everywhere.