Have You Seen the Price of Mooring Balls in Florida Lately ?

[h20]

Originally Posted by mrohr

Learn to anchor and trust your technique; you will be way ahead of the game. When things blow up you will know what's holding your boat rather than hoping that all is well below on a mooring that may have been uninspected for many years. It is a high mark of seamanship and you cannot really claim to be a cruiser if you ae not accomplished in this art.
Do you think that your mooring will be waiting for you when you finally arrive in paridise?

Thanks for tht. I anchored a small boat Hawaii for years and in rough water.
Now if get a sail boat do yuo recomned two anchors?
AND do they mind if you are next to the mooring field?
THANKS, dan the h20 man

[Vasco]

Just heard that they throw you off the moorings in Fernandina if it's blowing. They took up the best anchoring spots with moorings and then you have to anchor in the deep water if it blows? If this is true, and I was told this by a cruiser on the moorings, it's really a shame.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by martinjrichter

Just checked the rates in San Diego Harbor ( San Diego Mooring Co) which range from $128 to $147 per month.

I noticed that you can get on the waiting list for a mooring in San Diego if you..... 1) recieve approval with presenting a color photo of your vessel 2) gain credit approval 3) prrovide proof of documentation/registration & 4) pay a non-refundable application fee. If you make it through the waiting list you then must reapply for a more recent credit approval.

This might neccesitate an additional whistling emoticon!

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Just heard that they throw you off the moorings in Fernandina if it's blowing. They took up the best anchoring spots with moorings and then you have to anchor in the deep water if it blows? If this is true, and I was told this by a cruiser on the moorings, it's really a shame.

I've heard this too! Of course, the terms, "if it's blowing" and "throw you off" might be misleading. I'm not sure, but it might be like the policy in Annapolis where they don't rent the moorings outside the Spa Creek Bridge in named storms, 'though I was already there before "Alberto" & I was not questioned as I remained.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

I've heard this too! Of course, the terms, "if it's blowing" and "throw you off" might be misleading. I'm not sure, but it might be like the policy in Annapolis where they don't rent the moorings outside the Spa Creek Bridge in named storms, 'though I was already there before "Alberto" & I was not questioned as I remained.

No named storm. About 25 or 30 kts. forecast.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Vasco

No named storm. About 25 or 30 kts. forecast.

Help me understand this. Are you saying that you were denied an available mooring at the Fernandina Muicipal Marina mooring field because the winds were forecast to be at 25 to 30 kts? .....and this was one of their functioning moorings and not one that has been designated as requiring service?

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

Help me understand this. Are you saying that you were denied an available mooring at the Fernandina Muicipal Marina mooring field because the winds were forecast to be at 25 to 30 kts? .....and this was one of their functioning moorings and not one that has been designated as requiring service?

Yes I'm very curious about this too. That would be inconvenient to have boat stored on a mooring in Fernandina, be hundreds of miles away, and one of the many winter fronts blows through....

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

Help me understand this. Are you saying that you were denied an available mooring at the Fernandina Muicipal Marina mooring field because the winds were forecast to be at 25 to 30 kts? .....and this was one of their functioning moorings and not one that has been designated as requiring service?

This is what I was told by a cruiser. He was denied a mooring and said that others had been told to get off the mooring. They went into the marina. I just sent an email to the marina asking for their policy on this.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Vasco

This is what I was told by a cruiser. He was denied a mooring and said that others had been told to get off the mooring. They went into the marina. I just sent an email to the marina asking for their policy on this.

The timing might have been a factor for this. During most of 2013 they had many of the moorings out of commision and under maintenance, but please tell us how they respond to your email.

[osirissail]

While Googling around this issue since Ferandina has been one of my favorite stops on the ICW over the years - I found this news article:
Cruiser's Net » Archive » Florida Pilot Mooring Fields Program Being Challenged in US Federal Court
dated Dec 17, 2013. It will be interesting to see how this develops as the Florida moorings versus anchoring saga has been ongoing for several decades.

[Nicholson58]

Moorings - 900 per season on Muskegon Lake for our 58 foot. Way less for normal boats. Showers, toilets, washers, 5.00 pump out, free water. 10 minutes to Lake Michigan. Great protection.

We pay 2000 per season in the nearby nice marina with super storm protection, 50 amp, water. Wye-fi & TV & land line available. 5.00 pump-out. Grills, showers, pool access, live band free entertainment Friday - Sunday after 5:00 PM from the excellent restaurant off our transom.

I see nothing wrong with city mooring fields in Florida. What is wrong is to make them required without other options. WIthout competition, (other moorings AND anchoring) there will be nothing to prevent extortion. This program should also make sure there are adequate 'designated anchorages' in congested areas. The current program is like requiring that all users of the forest must stay in state run campgrounds with NO backpacking permitted. In Michigan and most places we walk into the woods and set up camp anywhere. The current Florida program looks like it is designed to eventually make the entire state a paid parking lot.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Just heard that they throw you off the moorings in Fernandina if it's blowing. They took up the best anchoring spots with moorings and then you have to anchor in the deep water if it blows? If this is true, and I was told this by a cruiser on the moorings, it's really a shame.

We recently spent 3 weeks at the marina at Fernandina because of weather. We had steady winds in the 25 range and gusts as high as 40. No one was chased off the moorings and a few boats came in and picked up moorings in the 25 to 30 knot range. it isn't a place I would want to be in a blow, but the marina had no problems with these boats. Some spent a week or more, and from the docks, it didn't look like fun. I suspect if there are tropical storm conditions or greater, this might be the case, as it would with any marina. BTW, there is still plenty of room to anchor in decent depths, they are just a little farther than the moorings. Chuck

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

........................ In Michigan and most places we walk into the woods and set up camp anywhere. The current Florida program looks like it is designed to eventually make the entire state a paid parking lot.

Actually the Florida mooring fields are in congested areas. Some, like St. Augustine, had become so congested that I lost interest in trying to find a safe anchorage there. Now, the mooring field is often near empty. Most of my anchoring in Florida is in wilderness areas. There are no mooring fields that I know of in any Florida areas that are outside congested harbors.

Of course, many wilderness areas eventually become congested. I do remember, as a kid, walking from the beach into the trees across A1A and south from Bahia Mar. I love to take a calm day anchor off of Cape Sable up to near Little Shark River where there are many miles of wilderness beach with no access by car and the same appearance that the stretch from Palm Beach to Miami must have looked like 200 years ago. There are still plenty of anchorages in Florida where there are no people and no development of any kind. I feel fortunate that most cruisers are attracted to large clusters of other cruisers.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

Actually the Florida mooring fields are in congested areas. Some, like St. Augustine, had become so congested that I lost interest in trying to find a safe anchorage there. Now, the mooring field is often near empty. Most of my anchoring in Florida is in wilderness areas. There are no mooring fields that I know of in any Florida areas that are outside congested harbors.

.

Don't stop in St. Augustine anymore. Been there done that and no place to anchor makes the decision to by-pass it easy. Don't think they'll miss the few bucks I used to spend in the brew pub by the bridge. A few good anchorages in the Tolomato or move on to Palm Coast, another good anchorage.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Don't stop in St. Augustine anymore. Been there done that and no place to anchor makes the decision to by-pass it easy. Don't think they'll miss the few bucks I used to spend in the brew pub by the bridge. A few good anchorages in the Tolomato or move on to Palm Coast, another good anchorage.

Sure, I understand, although I'm more often a "been there, done that, and back for more" style of cruiser. Since we are accustomed to paying $35 to $50 a night for places in New England that offer fewer amenities than St. Augustine, we don't mind the $20+tax St. Augustine mooring for a couple of days. We also tend to spend a couple days on the even cheaper (ca $13+tax) Vero Beach moorings when we pass by, but these are the only two mooring fields we frequent in Florida. Actually, Vero Beach is the most cruiser crowded place we normally go to in Florida.