We definitely come into the cruising, rather than stationary livaboard category, though
health problems saw us anchored off South Beach for almost two months during June/July; fortunately for us, these landing restrictions didn't come in until shortly after we'd left. Though I guess we could still claim to have been 'moving' as that two month stay was broken-up by
ICW passages and short stays in Ft Lauderdale, Biscayne and a few days across at the yacht club.
I presume you can still land a dinghy at the private YC dinghy
dock half-way along the Causeway? Also, what about the dinghy pontoon across from the Publix supermarket half-way up the Collins Canal? I understood that the installation/maintenance of that, including the gate through to the highway is paid for by the Publix Store; surely then, that's not therefore 'owned' by Miami Beach?
Having sailed the US
east coast from
Florida to
Maine and back again, we've been charged for dinghy landing in many locations - some more reasonably priced than others - so I don't see a problem in MBeach levying charges. We've also seen far bigger fields of stationary livaboard boats and also much more dilapidated fleets of them too; I guess that if I owned one of the cute apartments overlooking the anchorage, I too probably wouldn't be overjoyed to look out over the worst of them every day either, but I wouldn't expect that
buying one of those apartments guaranteed me a cute view either; surely some at least of those boats would have been there before the apartment blocks were built? In that case, you knew what the view was before you bought it and moved in and have no right to subsequently complain about the view.
However, I don't think it's unreasonable of those shore-side residents to require that the floating community make their contribution to the MBeach economy. To my mind liveaboard/cruising boats are 'visitors' just the same as in any other walk of life: If friends wanted to visit and stay on our boat for two or three weeks, we would consider them to be 'guests' and not expect them to pay for their visit - of course a case of beer's always welcome. If they wish to stay for two or three months, then I'd consider them temporary residents and expect them to contribute toward the cost of maintaining the boat during their visit. However, if they want to stay for two or three years, then they're permanent residents and need to buy their own boat. I don't consider those to be unreasonable expectations, nor do I think that a similar expectation by the residents of Miami - whose taxes are maintaining the city - should be deemed unreasonable.
If you anchor-off Miami Beach, or indeed any city/town for more than a month and are not making a financial contribution to the
maintenance of that town/city, then you're overstaying your welcome as 'a guest' and you are now a resident irrespective of whether you're
living aboard a $1000-junker or a million dollar gin-palace and should be contributing to the cost of maintaining what's now 'your' hometown. Claiming that we 'contribute to the local economy' by using the local bars/stores/restauarants doesn't cut it - the shoreside residents do that too and are also paying taxes to support the parks, highways, police, fire, etc. depts. too; if we're
anchoring off a town for extended periods, we ought to pay our share.
The same
medical problem saw us moored-up off Titusville too, where you had the choice of a sensibly priced municipal marina, some very reasonably priced
mooring buoys or use your own anchor for free and pay a 'landing-fee' whenever you came ashore by dinghy. I'm assuming hat the city makes a profit on these facilities, which contributes to the cost of running and maintaining the city's services and suggest Miami Beach could do similar.
With regard to the 'junk yard boats', I would enquire - I'm a Brit so don't know - as to whether there's a requirement in Miami, or indeed other towns in the
USA, that you maintain your property to a certain visual standard? If yes, than I guess it's not unreasonable to apply similar requirements to long-term resident boats, however, if this is not the case, then I don't see it as 'fair' to say you can live in a semi-derelict house, but not a semi-derelict boat.
One of the attractions or at least bonuses of
living aboard a sailboat (for us anyway) is that it's a very economic lifestyle; we're all on a budget of some sort and ours is probably below the average, but we still don't believe that our lifestyle choice entitles us to 'a free ride'.
besides they make millions in property 
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