Where and how to use anchorage not marinas

[widmn]

I'm thinking about buying a cheaper used 27 to 34' boat for occasional use and to sail from Brunswick, GA , where I live, to the Caribbean maybe once per year. The marinas here charge a small fortune to put a boat like that in a slip, so I plan to use an anchorage nearby if that is feasible and use an inflatable paddleboard to get to it. (marinas here charge $10 per day just to tie up a small inflatable). I only plan to use the boat from once per week to once per month. What concerns might I have with this plan? Security suggestions?

[John_Trusty]

Some concerns, particularly when you say cheaper which may imply “badly maintained“. It’s perfectly legal to anchor in any navigable water outside a marked channel if the boat can legally transit in that location, which implies not military restrictions and registered in the state.

By leaving the boat unattended, you’re risking losing it if something basic goes wrong. Is it insured for loss, including the liability of removing any wreckage and cleanup of pollution if she sinks? Is she seaworthy, including working (and closed) seacocks? Are the house batteries refreshed with a solar charger and do the bilge pumps work? Will your anchor hold in all foreseeable storms in the area? Depending on the area, you may be concerned with theft or squatting, if it becomes known that the boat is never attended, but a internet camera or social contacts may eliminate that concern. There are boat monitors available so you get alerts of bilge pumps, fire alarms, intruders etc. but that may be too pricey.

[widmn]

Are there internet cameras that run on DC? Do they need WIFI?

[Hudson Force]

[QUOTE=John_Trusty............... "It’s perfectly legal to anchor in any navigable water outside a marked channel if the boat can legally transit in that location, which implies not military restrictions and registered in the state."
.................... [/QUOTE]
We followed this good advice from John Trusty for 45 years of cruising. I'll add there are added locations in the USA that restrict anchoring such as areas adjacent to most bridges, cable crossings, some power plants, some protected wildlife areas, protected coral reefs and sea grass beds, leased aquaculture beds; however these are posted and well marked on charts. There are also channels that are not marked, but have no significant room outside the navigable path. It should also be noted that an anchored vessel does not need to be registered in the state where you are anchoring. I doubt that John Trusty meant to imply that.
There are some local ordinances that state that anchoring in not permitted; however, these are often difficult to enforce as they conflict with federal navigation freedoms. We never found it worthwhile to attempt these locations as they were not desirable anchorages for us anyway.
We also avoided anchoring in places with less reliable holding substrates; limited swing room near other vessels or rock.
We found it common for most boaters to choose anchorages, not just by a safe location, but where other boats are anchored. There are often good options that are not "following the crowd!"
Over our 45 years of cruising we were subject to very little theft... one bicycle and one surf board taken and both of these were at marina docks, not at anchor. We always kept bright anchor lights, ...'kerosene lights back in the seventies and bright LEDs more recently and more lights than required. We also had a small dog with a big bark.
Anchoring out is part of the independence, freedom, and self-reliance that is the most pervasive quality of cruising!

[SailingHarmonie]

If the marinas in Brunswick GA are too expensive for you, you are in line for a rude shock as you travel around. They are not the cheapest, but they are well below average.

Spoiler Alert: Boats are expensive things to keep, and keep working.

We anchor when we can, we stay at marinas when the benefits outweigh the costs. Keeping a boat permanently on anchor is challenging. It can be done, but success is not easy, especially if it is unattended and not ready to move on the whim of the weather.

[PippaB]

Georgia is notorious for the anchoring restrictions implemented in 2020. https://cruisingodyssey.com/2020/01/...ing-overnight/

Except near a marina or some other (yet to be) designated anchorages it is essentially illegal to anchor within 1000 feet of any “structure”.