Living on the HOOK sailboat W.Coast,Fla is it hard or they pushing people into marina

[WSMFP]

Originally Posted by Davy J

I have stayed at the Gulfport Municipal Marina, I have not yet been to the mooring area. However, I'm slightly suspicious of the location of the installed moorings.

They are not located adjacent to the marina entrance, they are located right in an area that was a highly used anchorage..............

True but closer to the dinghy dock than the actual marina. It would be nice if they put some showers/bathrooms in the Gulfport Casino building that take a key card like Key West.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Hardhead

In areas with no formal dingy dock, is there anything preventing a person from anchoring a dinghy, free floating, in 2 feet of water, and wading to shore at a public waterfront park, etc.?

Not the prettiest idea, but is there any practical reason why this can't be done generally? As long as shopping, etc. was within walking distance, I could envision myself doing such a thing, but I've never been accused of having overly aristocratic tendencies.

If you're talking about anchoring off of a beach that would work but if there's a seawall or rocks it's a safe bet they're covered with oysters which will cut your feet to ribbons.

[Doek]

Huh????? That is reeeaaaaaly stretching it. How many anchored boats send kids to a nearby school? .000001%? Absurd argument, if it ever arises.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

You're missing the point. To many wealthy waterfront owners any boat anchored for free is a "derelict boat". Attempts to ban anchoring are not attempts to deal with actual derelict boats. The state already has a mechanism & fund to deal with them. They are simply trying to stop everyone from anchoring anywhere that is in view of waterfront development. This battle has been going on in Florida for a long time.

Scout,
I'm not missing the point but emphasizing that the owner who anchored 30 boats in front of his waterfront property probably did so out of desperation. I can't be certain, but I would assume it wasn't the well-maintained boats that created his wrath but a succession of derelicts and inconsiderate freeloaders. I live in Florida. I have boated in South Florida since the 70's and have seen so many egregious acts of inconsideration by "cruisers" that it is easy to understand property owners angry reactions. We keep a well-maintained boat and respect others property rights when we anchor in waterfront areas. We do not stay for weeks/months at a time and use these stops en route to the remote areas we prefer. However, there are many cruisers who set up Winter Camp in these anchorages. We have seen them and talked to them. It's a cheap Winter vacation and they have/had no plans of cruising. They are the problem and they have caused the problem. You'll rarely see them in a municipal anchorage or a marina because they have to pay for their dockage. They are freeloaders, plain and simple. They reflect poorly on those of us who are respectful. considerate and really cruising. A few always have the potential to spoil a good thing for the many. Best, Rognvald

[Hardhead]

It seems to me at least that the only real solution for the derelict boats giving us all a bad name, would be for some type of regulation requiring anchored boats to be re-located something like every 5 days, and traveling at least 2 miles. To any real cruiser, that would probably be no real problem at all, but to a squatter on a tarped up barge, it might be prohibitive. Others have stated this idea in the thread, but which way is the wind generally blowing on this issue in Florida? The worst possible solution in my mind, would be requiring all boats to pay to tie up to a municipal mooring field. As others have also said, the profit motivation for private marinas would be to constantly try to limit the rights of those anchoring in protected areas, so some kind of reasonable solution proposed by responsible cruisers might be best.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Scout,
I'm not missing the point but emphasizing that the owner who anchored 30 boats in front of his waterfront property probably did so out of desperation. I can't be certain, but I would assume it wasn't the well-maintained boats that created his wrath but a succession of derelicts and inconsiderate freeloaders.

Perhaps you missed the thread but this was covered in great detail on CF when it happened. The anchorage in question is Sunset Lake and from all reports there were no derelicts or even long term liveaboards anchored there, just one arrogant homeowner with a couple of friends in the local PD who reported anyone anchoring there even for an afternoon. Finally someone stood up to him, got names and details and reported it to the local authorities (and newspaper I think) who determined he was illegally using his contacts to have boaters harassed that were legally anchored. Made a bit of a stink and if I recall his buddy in the PD caught some flack over the issue.

Originally Posted by rognvald

I live in Florida. so do I I have boated in South Florida since the 70's Started in 1974 and have seen so many egregious acts of inconsideration by "cruisers" that it is easy to understand property owners angry reactions. Completely agree. We keep a well-maintained boat and respect others property rights when we anchor in waterfront areas. Same here. We do not stay for weeks/months at a time and use these stops en route to the remote areas we prefer.Generally my preference as well but others may have different preferences. Different doesn't make them wrong or bad. However, there are many cruisers who set up Winter Camp in these anchorages. We have seen them and talked to them. It's a cheap Winter vacation and they have/had no plans of cruising. They are the problem and they have caused the problem. You'll rarely see them in a municipal anchorage or a marina because they have to pay for their dockage. They are freeloaders, plain and simple. They reflect poorly on those of us who are respectful. considerate and really cruising. A few always have the potential to spoil a good thing for the many. Best, Rognvald

Not sure if I agree with your opinion of long term anchored boats as freeloaders. Certainly some of them are one step above homeless with trashed out boats but many are long term cruisers that like to spend a winter in FL and don't particularly like or want to stay in a marina.
Could be for financial reasons but also lots of cruisers don't like marinas, crowds, lack of privacy and security. Regardless, these people are buying food, fuel, marine supplies and local services and definitely contribute to the economy.