Marathon's Message To Visiting Boats

[Waterwayguy]

Don, Who might make the decision as to whether your boat is listing to much and not be allowed in the harbor? Did you read the entire article? The criteria is mostly silly and there are dozens of laws already on the books to deal with all of the issues these new and vague regulations would put in place.

[smj]

I don't like the rate hikes either. But then the city marina of Marathon hasn't had a profitable year yet and the employees haven't had a raise in pay in years so maybe there is a reasonable reason for it.

[Don L]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

Don, Who might make the decision as to whether your boat is listing to much and not be allowed in the harbor? Did you read the entire article? The criteria is mostly silly and there are dozens of laws already on the books to deal with all of the issues these new and vague regulations would put in place.

Yes I read the whole thing! The regs are aimed at derelict run down boats! Worrying about Big Brother interrupting the listing thing to harasses a boat in good condition is just being paranoid. There are thousands, if not more, regs in general society requiring good faith judgment by officials and for the most part it doesn't stop people from say getting in their cars.

I for one don't what to anchor next to some piece of junk boat that I can tell hasn't been taken care anymore than the locals want to have to look at it all the time.

So far I feel most of these up and coming regs are just trying to define common sense in order to make harbors safer for everyone and stop them from being boat junk yards. I would think all of us would support this instead of just complaining about the abandoned boat in the harbor or getting on a high horse about some "lost freedom". We live in societies and that requires rules for the common good!

[Dennis.G]

Derilict crap boats clogging up anchorages, leaving no room for responsible cruisers actively using and maintaining their boats, is a huge problem. Well thought out solutions should be welcomed.
San Diego waited too long, the result being the total shut down of a long standing free anchorage. Would have been much better to set reasonable rules earlier to have kept the situation from getting out of hand.

[Hud3]

Just curious about the position some folks take against restricting anchoring...

Marathon's a popular spot--lots of demand for space to anchor or moor. My question is, how many boats could the anchorage safely accommodate when anchoring was the norm (no moorings), and how many can it safely accommodate now that moorings have been installed in a large portion of the available area?

My point is, doesn't it make sense in a case like this for the local government to install moorings and restrict anchoring if it allows more people to enjoy the harbor? (Not getting into the derelict boat arguments.)

This Google Earth image is dated Dec 23, 2010.
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[travler37]

Originally Posted by Dennis.G

Derilict crap boats clogging up anchorages, leaving no room for responsible cruisers actively using and maintaining their boats, is a huge problem. Well thought out solutions should be welcomed.
San Diego waited too long, the result being the total shut down of a long standing free anchorage. Would have been much better to set reasonable rules earlier to have kept the situation from getting out of hand.

Any weapon that is considered a HAZZARD to the comunity can be confiscated and destroyed by the local officials.This law is on the books in every county i have asked about.
A boat or a baseball bat or a firearm is a weapon if not properly used......problem solved.
So why do i have to pay for a ball that is basically uninsured by the owner.And am not allowed to drop my own pick?And pay $20+ a day to dock my dingy that is also in a unsecure/uninsured dockage?
As for the post stating the city workers have not had a raise in however many years.Pay raise is just a part of there compensation and should be a different post me thinks.
Problem Solved
Mark
PS.Have changed my plans and e-mailed the places and aprox. amounts i was planning on spending in Marathon.Sugest all that take a pass do the same.

[smj]

Originally Posted by travler37

Any weapon that is considered a HAZZARD to the comunity can be confiscated and destroyed by the local officials.This law is on the books in every county i have asked about.
A boat or a baseball bat or a firearm is a weapon if not properly used......problem solved.
So why do i have to pay for a ball that is basically uninsured by the owner.And am not allowed to drop my own pick?And pay $20+ a day to dock my dingy that is also in a unsecure/uninsured dockage?
As for the post stating the city workers have not had a raise in however many years.Pay raise is just a part of there compensation and should be a different post me thinks.
Problem Solved
Mark
PS.Have changed my plans and e-mailed the places and aprox. amounts i was planning on spending in Marathon.Sugest all that take a pass do the same.

Judging from your post I would guess you have never anchored in Marathon. Yes you can still anchor. No you don't have to dinghy dock at the city marina, there are options. I think the city moorings are well run and there are very few derelict boats in Boot Key. The comment about the employees wages was to point out that the city of Marathon does not profit from the moorings. If you go elsewhere I'm sure you won't hurt anyone's feelings as Boot Key always seems to remain overly popular.

[tamicatana]

this is interesting:
"Cost of removing sunken derelict boats far exceeds the available funding to remove any significant number of vessels."

By the time they pay for the bureaucracy, enforcement, etc. I can't imagine that it would be any more expensive to hire some boys out of Louisiana with a barge and a crane, and with the oilfield restrictions going on right now, I do believe there's some folks looking for work....

[travler37]

Originally Posted by smj

Judging from your post I would guess you have never anchored in Marathon. Yes you can still anchor. No you don't have to dinghy dock at the city marina, there are options. I think the city moorings are well run and there are very few derelict boats in Boot Key. The comment about the employees wages was to point out that the city of Marathon does not profit from the moorings. If you go elsewhere I'm sure you won't hurt anyone's feelings as Boot Key always seems to remain overly popular.

Actually was there in the late 80's so yes you could say i have not dropped the pick there recently.
Please tell said options ouside of the cities realm.
As for wages i know what it cost for a friend of mine to put a ball down in fresh water.Scrap prices were low and used freighter chain was there to so was not alot of cash. And a days work for 2.So if i rent that for $20+ a day and dont have to do any maintence on it because it is UN-INSURED.I will make a profit on it after about a year figuring %83 ocupancay.
Are there any specifications on building a field?Sadly no.
As you seem to know about the citiy are there any tonnage limits for a ball?And are they enforced or do they wait till someone drags or breaks off a eye-bolt IF they put pilings down
Just some honest questions.Not meant in a bad way.
Mark
PS>My biggest beef with city/county mooring rules is they are ALMOST all UN-INSURED.As in go get a lawer and sue us if it fails.
PSS>>Read the fine print on a private ball before you pay......

[smj]

Originally Posted by travler37

Actually was there in the late 80's so yes you could say i have not dropped the pick there recently.
Please tell said options ouside of the cities realm.
As for wages i know what it cost for a friend of mine to put a ball down in fresh water.Scrap prices were low and used freighter chain was there to so was not alot of cash. And a days work for 2.So if i rent that for $20+ a day and dont have to do any maintence on it because it is UN-INSURED.I will make a profit on it after about a year figuring %83 ocupancay.
Are there any specifications on building a field?Sadly no.
As you seem to know about the citiy are there any tonnage limits for a ball?And are they enforced or do they wait till someone drags or breaks off a eye-bolt IF they put pilings down
Just some honest questions.Not meant in a bad way.
Mark
PS>My biggest beef with city/county mooring rules is they are ALMOST all UN-INSURED.As in go get a lawer and sue us if it fails.
PSS>>Read the fine print on a private ball before you pay......

They are helix moorings screwed down into the limestone. They have a pretty strict maintenance schedule where they do the maintanance on the ball as well as take an underwater video of the mooring and it's parts. No failures of any of the moorings yet and that includes during hurricanes.
The moorings stay 100% occupied for probably 4 months a year and down to maybe 20% occupied during the summer months. No storage, only for live aboard.
They have strict size limits for the two different sections of the mooring field.
It's true you could fit more boats without the moorings if everyone sat on two hooks. I have mixed feelings about the Boot Key mooring field. The holding in Boot Key is excellent for anchoring and I think there is a lot of anchoring skill lost with the picking up of a mooring, but they are much loved in Marathon.

[travler37]

Originally Posted by smj

They are helix moorings screwed down into the limestone. They have a pretty strict maintenance schedule where they do the maintanance on the ball as well as take an underwater video of the mooring and it's parts. No failures of any of the moorings yet and that includes during hurricanes.
The moorings stay 100% occupied for probably 4 months a year and down to maybe 20% occupied during the summer months. No storage, only for live aboard.
They have strict size limits for the two different sections of the mooring field.
It's true you could fit more boats without the moorings if everyone sat on two hooks. I have mixed feelings about the Boot Key mooring field. The holding in Boot Key is excellent for anchoring and I think there is a lot of anchoring skill lost with the picking up of a mooring, but they are much loved in Marathon.

Thank you for that info,
And places to drop the pic and dingy ashore without the city fathers wanting there toll?
If there sizing boats sounds like there doing it right.Are they insured?
Questions
Mark

[GordMay]

Excerpted from the City’s Mooring page:
➥ The City of Marathon FL - Official Website - Mooring Field

“... The City mooring field occupies most of Boot Key Harbor, North and East of the main Harbor channel. It consists of 226 permanently-attached, engineered mooring systems that provide secure holding for vessels up to 60’ in length. Since very little scope is required, more vessels can be accommodated within the same space as compared with a traditional anchorage. This increases the overall Harbor capacity and eliminates crossed-lines, flaring tempers and other ills associated with over-crowded anchorages...
... 211 moorings have a maximum vessel length of 45', while 15 moorings allow for vessels up to 60’...”

“... There is a large anchorage area south of the main Harbor channel, between Sister Creek and the Boot Key Bridge. In an East or Northeasterly wind, good protection can be found on the West side of Boot Key, just outside and to the south of the West entrance to the Harbor...”

[Don L]

Was a good link. The site even tells you where to anchor etc. Seems if you plan to go into town each day that it doesn't make any sense to anchor and pay the dinghy fee.

By the way, to those of us who live in the Northeast this looks like a deal. We generally pay $34-45/day for a mooring.

[rognvald]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

We like our stays at Port Washington on the town moorings. As I recall there are only about ten town moorings, but there is usually one available. The difference between Marathon and Manhasset Bay is far more than the hospitality of the shore community, but a huge impact of the cruisers themselves. We don't see much value in congregating in a harbor with hundreds of cruisers. As long term Florida cruisers we avoid the "Snowbird Rookeries". It seems counter to all that's best of live aboard cruising to seek out these places like Boot Key Harbor or George Town.

Well said!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by tamif27

this is interesting:
"Cost of removing sunken derelict boats far exceeds the available funding to remove any significant number of vessels."

By the time they pay for the bureaucracy, enforcement, etc. I can't imagine that it would be any more expensive to hire some boys out of Louisiana with a barge and a crane, and with the oilfield restrictions going on right now, I do believe there's some folks looking for work....

"You can't imagine ...?" How about some FACTS before getting too wound up...