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Old 16-01-2018, 09:07   #1
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The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

By way of background, I've been traveling a few weeks a year in an Airstream trailer for about 10 years. During this time, it has generally not been practicable to find free places to stay overnight, which was not a surprise -- that era, for RVs, ended 40 years ago (except in the desert Southwest and some other extremely remote areas).

What has changed is that it the paid places have doubled in price, and availability has become a problem to the point where reservations must be made and nonrefundable deposits put down six months or more in advance, in many cases. The causes are various and debatable, and extent of the problem varies regionally, but it has been one of the few disappointments in what has otherwise been a pleasurable way to travel.

So, what's the situation now for cruising boats? Are there good, usable free anchorages? Are prices reasonable at mooring fields? What is availability like? Are we on our way to a situation where reservations must be made in advance and a calendar must be followed? How does the situation vary regionally?
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Old 16-01-2018, 09:24   #2
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

I’ve never paid to anchor....unless you count park fees.

Mooring fields are a whole other thing entirely.
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Old 16-01-2018, 09:51   #3
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

We have anchored a thousand nights between Nova Scotia and the Central Pacific without paying but then we never try and anchor in the ICW in Florida.
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Old 16-01-2018, 13:26   #4
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

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Are we on our way to a situation where reservations must be made in advance and a calendar must be followed?
When I anchored in san diego harbor in the designated anchorage, a patrol boat arrived minutes later and the guy had a clipboard.

He studied it for 1 minute, then declared "you aren't on the list"

I said "add me to it" and he explained that anchoring required a reservation at least 24 hours in advance, and was limited to 72 hours for every 30 days.

He sent me outside the harbor where there were two boats on the beach, and the other boat was sunk, and just the mast was above water.
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Old 16-01-2018, 13:58   #5
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The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

I too used to RV, although not to the extent you did. Initially the plan was for us to buy a Diesel pusher Bus and travel around, but the idea of moving from one KOA to the other didn’t interest me in the least.
My opinion is that yes, we are headed towards the same in the US in the more populated boating areas anyway. The Northwest and I assume the Northeast’s winters have a tendency to regulate it without intervention, I think.

Many anchorages have become pretty much Hoovervilles, and the wealthy guy from New Jersey who worked hard all his life and has now Retired in Florida doesn’t want the riff raff in his backyard, it’s why he bought in a gated community after all.
There are a few places in Florida that I skip based on only staying in their mooring fields is allowed, and to me that is too much like that KOA mentality.
I believe that these areas will spread as a way to “clean up the area” and that other than skipping those places, there just isn’t much we can do. I took the anchoring surveys that the State published and the questions were too much like how often do you beat your wife for me, meaning of course available answers were carefully chosen to get the results they wanted.

My belief is that we are the last generation to enjoy some Marine freedoms at least in the State of Fl anyway. Any local Government would rather have multimillion dollar Power Yachts staying in expensive Marinas than sailboats staying in free anchorages.

Some mooring fields are $300+ a month and sometimes what you get is a dinghy dock and a bathroom with SS Prison appliances, you know the SS toilets without seats
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Old 16-01-2018, 14:17   #6
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

Jammer,
Florida is changing like it or not. I live in Ft. Lauderdale and can't afford the pricey marinas. So the mooring fields are good thing for me. $350 a month to live in the keys for the winter is a hell of a deal. When the weather turns warm we sail back to Dinner Key in Miami and pay the same $350 there for the summer.
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Old 16-01-2018, 14:25   #7
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

Was the question specifically about Florida?

There’s a whole lot out there that isn’t Florida.
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Old 16-01-2018, 14:41   #8
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

Wow, how depressing. Come north, to the land of the free . I’ve never paid to anchor anywhere. And there’s no lack of open anchorages just about everywhere I’ve gone.

Of course, I tend to wonder a little bit off the beaten path…

Seriously though. It’s a big world out there. Restrictions, rules, and high costs tend to occur in places that are already over-crowded. My solution is to go somewhere else. In all my wonderings here in the Great Lakes and now out to Newfoundland I’ve had very little problem finding free anchorages.
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Old 16-01-2018, 14:59   #9
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

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Was the question specifically about Florida?

There’s a whole lot out there that isn’t Florida.
From November till April it is. [emoji41]
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Old 16-01-2018, 15:03   #10
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

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Wow, how depressing. Come north, to the land of the free . I’ve never paid to anchor anywhere. And there’s no lack of open anchorages just about everywhere I’ve gone.

Of course, I tend to wonder a little bit off the beaten path…

Seriously though. It’s a big world out there. Restrictions, rules, and high costs tend to occur in places that are already over-crowded. My solution is to go somewhere else. In all my wonderings here in the Great Lakes and now out to Newfoundland I’ve had very little problem finding free anchorages.
Yeah but you are a little odd Mike. I think most of us want warm sand and palm trees
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Old 16-01-2018, 15:06   #11
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

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Jammer,
Florida is changing like it or not. I live in Ft. Lauderdale and can't afford the pricey marinas. So the mooring fields are good thing for me. $350 a month to live in the keys for the winter is a hell of a deal. When the weather turns warm we sail back to Dinner Key in Miami and pay the same $350 there for the summer.
Thanks, that helps. Seems like a lot for a ball, but it's not prohibitive, and it sounds like you don't have to make reservations.

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Was the question specifically about Florida?

There’s a whole lot out there that isn’t Florida.
Help me mentally assemble a list of places that are already troublesome or that are getting worse. Florida, check. Southern California, check. Mediterranean, I assume also problematic. What about the Bahamas? The rest of the Caribbean? The Atlantic ICW? The Gulf ICW?

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Wow, how depressing. Come north, to the land of the free . I’ve never paid to anchor anywhere. And there’s no lack of open anchorages just about everywhere I’ve gone.

Of course, I tend to wonder a little bit off the beaten path…

Seriously though. It’s a big world out there. Restrictions, rules, and high costs tend to occur in places that are already over-crowded. My solution is to go somewhere else. In all my wonderings here in the Great Lakes and now out to Newfoundland I’ve had very little problem finding free anchorages.
That's reassuring, at least.

Quote:
Originally Posted by boat_alexandra View Post
When I anchored in san diego harbor in the designated anchorage, a patrol boat arrived minutes later and the guy had a clipboard.

He studied it for 1 minute, then declared "you aren't on the list"

I said "add me to it" and he explained that anchoring required a reservation at least 24 hours in advance, and was limited to 72 hours for every 30 days.

He sent me outside the harbor where there were two boats on the beach, and the other boat was sunk, and just the mast was above water.
This is the sort of thing that I find really depressing.
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Old 16-01-2018, 15:20   #12
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

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Yeah but you are a little odd Mike. I think most of us want warm sand and palm trees
Very true , although aren’t you the guy who has spent winters living on his boat in Toronto .

Seriously though, I too appreciate warm climes. I’ve yet to make it down south on my boat, but I suspect I will one day (unless we decide the NW Passage is doable). From all I read, it still seems possible to avoid the crowds and all the related restrictions and problems — at least that’s what some people say here on CF.

Is there any wisdom in the idea that, to avoid the crowds, go where there are no wifi or cell signals? I bet that will thin the crowds significantly.
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Old 16-01-2018, 15:20   #13
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

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In all my wonderings here in the Great Lakes and now out to Newfoundland I’ve had very little problem finding free anchorages.
Free anchorages in Southern Lake Michigan are rare, pretty much limited to inside parts of the Milwaukee and Chicago breakwaters. I have not heard of a complicated system like San Diego, harbors simply prohibit it. Northern Lake Michigan is much more hospitable.

Since the OP is in Minnesota, he can probably trailer his boat to lakes where it is allowed.
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Old 16-01-2018, 15:22   #14
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

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Originally Posted by Mike OReilly View Post
Is there any wisdom in the idea that, to avoid the crowds, go where there are no wifi or cell signals? I bet that will thin the crowds significantly.
probably a fair bet.
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Old 16-01-2018, 15:37   #15
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Re: The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

Been doing it for a fair while. Still anchoring. FL laws and local enforcement change but we have found no problems anchoring. Only spot that's changed a bit for us is St Augustine. Sometimes I take a mooring. Most times I skip it. Good anchorages north and south of St Aug. Titusville put in moorings. What a joke. Just anchor north of the field. Miami had that silly rule re 100 ft off property. Didn't affect us at all. Still anchor there. Just don't cover your boat with crap and blue tarps and you'll be OK.
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