Proposed anchoring legislation for Florida

[Diesel3446]

HB 639 Amendment; COMMITTEE/SUBCOMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. HB 639
(2021)
Amendment No. 327.4108

The following densely populated urban areas, which
have narrow state waterways, residential docking facilities, and significant recreational boating traffic, are designated as anchoring limitation areas, within which a person may not anchor a vessel at any time during the period between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise, except as provided in subsections (3) and (4):

The section of Middle River lying between Northeast
21st Court and the Intracoastal Waterway in Broward County.

Sunset Lake in Miami-Dade County.
The sections of Biscayne Bay in Miami-Dade County
lying between:

Rivo Alto Island and Di Lido Island.

San Marino Island and San Marco Island.

San Marco Island and Biscayne Island.

Monroe County is designated as an anchoring
limitation area within which a vessel may only be anchored in the same location for a maximum of 90 days. The commission shall adopt rules to implement this subsection.

This subsection does not apply to an approved and
permitted mooring field.

Florida House Bill 1515 Summary
Authorizes local governments to establish anchoring limitation areas; revises provisions prohibiting & authorizing anchoring of vessels in anchoring limitation areas; provides for vessel owners & operators to present certain proof that vessel has not exceeded certain anchoring limitations; revises provisions authorizing removal & impoundment of certain vessels from anchoring limitation areas; declaring that certain vessels are public nuisance; directs FWCC to adopt specified rules.
SB 1652: Anchoring Limitation Areas
GENERAL BILL by Pizzo
Anchoring Limitation Areas; Designating specified waterways in densely populated urban areas as anchoring limitation areas, etc.

[sailingunity]

So... to limit issues with significant recreational boating traffic you can't anchor overnight when boating traffic is the least?

[GreenWave]

[Davy J]

I've been in this fight for about two decades........

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...in-153165.html

Some of you Youtube watchers, wannabees and dreamers might have to carry the torch this time.

If you don't, well, better sign up for your yacht club memberships now.

As usual, representatives from places, other than their district, are sponsors of these bills.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Davy J

As usual, representatives from places, other than their district, are sponsors of these bills.

I’m interested in this part.

What advantages are these out of district people getting by sponsoring this?

[Chotu]

Also, we’ll have to see how it’s enforced if it passes. It’s been my experience that the bans are selectively enforced for the most part to get derelicts and boat bums out of the picture. I’m all for that.

[Davy J]

Originally Posted by Chotu

I’m interested in this part.

What advantages are these out of district people getting by sponsoring this?

Well the last time a similar bill was introduced, the main sponsor was Matt Caldwell. The bill banned anchoring in Sunset Lake, in Miami Beach. Matt Caldwell was a rep from Fort Myers........... on the other side of the state. No anchoring restrictions were included in the bill for SW Florida.

At that time, and probably even now, there were two wealthy "donors" in Miami Beach, seemingly "pushing" the bills.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Chotu

What advantages are these out of district people getting by sponsoring this?

It's all about the money. Wealthy people don't want anyone anchoring in their view. The local representatives are heavily influenced by the large number of locals who want to be able to anchor. So you go somewhere else, find a politician who has no real skin in the game, and make a sizeable donation to get him to introduce the bill.


This is how politics work, all the world around.

[michaeld]

The section of Middle River lying between Northeast 21st Court and the Intracoastal Waterway in Broward County. It used to be an active anchorage area for transients waiting for a weather window for crossing to the Bahamas.

That happens to be right in front of our state representative George R. Moraitis, Jr. palatial waterfront residence in Fort Lauderdale.

https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Secti...?MemberId=4520

[IceOps]

There are only two reasons for regulations -
1. Safety & Security: Someone died or got badly hurt, something was lost by errors that cost a lot and could have hurt someone.
2. Special Interests who want their way for their own Gain ($)

[facciatosta]

Maybe this bill is introduced because the city is building new mooring field in front of San Marco Island and naturally evicting all those floating junk yards.
What prevents them from anchoring between Palm and Star Islands? It seems that it is already becoming crowded there.

And in fact the specified in legislation places are indeed are narrow and with heavy traffic. I have seen some ignorant dummies actually anchored in the middle of the channel between Biscayne and Jungle Islands leaving very little room for passing vessels. Loud music and obnoxious yelling on those boats is beyond of discussion.

[sailorboy1]

Everyone knows which type of boat scum is at the heart of these things

[facciatosta]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Everyone knows which type of boat scum is at the heart of these things

I don't. Who is it?

[Davy J]

Originally Posted by michaeld

That happens to be right in front of our state representative George R. Moraitis, Jr. palatial waterfront residence in Fort Lauderdale.

And... If you go back to most of the other bills introduced, going back to the early 2000's, you will see his hand has been on most of them....

He even went as far as to say that boats anchored overnight posed a threat to water skiers..........

You can't make this **** up.

[facciatosta]

Originally Posted by sailingunity

So... to limit issues with significant recreational boating traffic you can't anchor overnight when boating traffic is the least?

Folks living in million dollars houses on those islands do not want to be entertained up all night by bums on the boats with blue neon lights. For that matter nobody does.