Visit our Popular Forums

Captainmitch · 04-03-2018, 16:09

The new administrator at the Exuma Park just announced the institution of a $0.50/ft. ANCHORING fee for all vessels under 90 ft. that anchor anywhere within the park boundaries . (that includes a great area chopped out of the Exuma chain)
WOW, a new fee !
I am truly saddened to see more confirmation of the attitude that we
have seen growing in the Exuma chain over the past few years. That is
that they really feel we are all rich foreigners and will pay anything
they ask for.
Now that they have installed anchoring fees in the park, we will
probably see that trend step to Allen's Cay, then Elizabeth Harbor,
not to mention Big Majors where we will pay anchoring fees to see the
"pig boats" come and go. Oh yes, the gate charge at the Grotto will
need to be raised also.
I had hoped that the change in administration at the park would bring
some positive change rather than exploitation.

Boatguy30 · 04-03-2018, 18:31

While I'm not surprised, the .50 is relatively modest all things considered and I can certainly see an Exumas wide nightly tariff being put to good use if well administered. You can't expect it all to trickle down from KB, Exuma Market and Staniel YC. And few cruisers really give back while in the Exumas

flyingfin · 04-03-2018, 18:35

A cheap rate for an incredible remote natural experience. If you dont like it, go to Disney and spend $100 a day for a theme park American experience!

flyingfin · 04-03-2018, 18:36

This is a cheap rate for an incredible remote natural experience. If you dont like it, go to Disney and spend $100 a day for a theme park American experience!

Voyager37 · 04-03-2018, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingfin

A cheap rate for an incredible remote natural experience. If you dont like it, go to Disney and spend $100 a day for a theme park American experience!

So those are our two options, huh? Interesting. We thought norman's cay was just as beautiful as the Exuma Park. Doesn't seem like any added value for cruisers. They simply want to charge cruisers to pay for the policing of a no take zone to combat (ineffectively) over harvesting from commercial fishing. Alot easier to tax cruisers, who will generally roll over and take it, than to tax the fish and conch exporters.

Voyager37 · 04-03-2018, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

There might be a little more human science to it. When ever we go to Waderwick for example, the southern mooring field has one or two boats and the rest anchor next to the mooring field. I would think one marine park objective may be to minimize anchor damage so to encourage full uptake of mooring balls. An anchor fee helps achieve two things, some income and less anchor damage. Their alternative may be to ban anchoring altogether like sections of St John in USVI. The cynical among us say it is a money grab, the same is said of street parking fines. Indignant people quick to make simple assertions accuse the city council for a money grab, the council on the other hand is trying to appease those people who need to park on a city street but some one else has overstayed their parking meter by an hour, hogging the space for themselves. So fees and fines are not always about grabbing money, they are used as a means of influencing behavior in the general community, in our case the cruising community in a another country's marine park.

The area of the Exuma Park contains vast swaths of sand. I don't imagine anchors are causing any real damage there. St. John is very dense in coral, and it seems much more reasonable that they would want to prevent anchoring in the sensitive areas. The Exuma Park fees seem to be purely a money grab to avoid the political fallout of taxing the commercial fish and conch exporting business that created the need for the park in the first place. Cruisers are an easy target, because many just roll over and open their wallet.

**StuM** · 04-03-2018, 19:07

Already discussed in detail: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...rk-198218.html. Suggest that comments stay there.

Mike OReilly · 04-03-2018, 19:20

I’ve never paid to anchor … anywhere. Certainly have paid for the occasional mooring, but never to anchor, so the mere idea seems verboten to me. That said, it’s not my country, and certainly not my park.

As a foreign visitor I have two choices: go there and follow the rules of ‘their’ land, OR don’t go there. Simple.

Whether I think it’s a good or bad policy is immaterial. I’d bet they have a better sense of what is best for them than those of us looking in.

**JPA Cate** · 04-03-2018, 20:07

We've been asked to pay for anchoring, and gone elsewhere, but at 176 sq. mi., this policy doesn't leave you a whole lot of choice: it's more than most vessels' days runs to exit the area.

To me, free anchorage is a sort of right of the sea; but other places have different ideas from mine!

There's another thread been started on this subject here: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2590340 in case anyone's interested to see that one.

Ann

Souzag818 · 04-03-2018, 21:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by svigue

Wow!! You whiners complaining about fees shouldn't consider going elsewhere- you SHOULD just go Please!! Go to a park in the Caribbean and see what you pay. Go to a national park in the States and see what you pay. It's a small fee. Deal with it or go somewhere else!

Tell you what....eliminate the $300 cruising fee, give me a mooring ball when I pay, and I'd have no problem with it...

Otherwise, you're right, there are a lot of free anchorages that have the same clear water.

Souzag818 · 04-03-2018, 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingfin

This is a cheap rate for an incredible remote natural experience. If you dont like it, go to Disney and spend $100 a day for a theme park American experience!

Sorry, but you're comparing apples and oranges....

Souzag818 · 04-03-2018, 21:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyingfin

A cheap rate for an incredible remote natural experience. If you dont like it, go to Disney and spend $100 a day for a theme park American experience!

Again, comparing apples and oranges...

**StuM** · 04-03-2018, 21:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

We've been asked to pay for anchoring, and gone elsewhere, but at 176 sq. mi., this policy doesn't leave you a whole lot of choice: it's more than most vessels' days runs to exit the area.

That 176 sq mi is only about 22 x 8 miles. You're never more than 10 NM from an island outside the park.