A question for the Florida-dislikers?

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by naitaka322

Read Carl Hiasson. :-)

Or Tim Dorsey.

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Didn't say they weren't. But they are doing something to get attention.

What do you suppose they could be doing to get attention?

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Jason Flare

What do you suppose they could be doing to get attention?

I'll make a guess,- anchoring in a restricted area such as in a channel as a hazard to navigation, within the restricted area of a bridge or an underwater cable/pipeline zone; improper anchor lighting; lacking proper registration or documentation, or operating a vessel that appears as a derelict. I've even seen a vessel with rusting lawn mowers and washing machines on the deck! Florida's warm weather allows for someone without means to move from homeless on the street to a floating wreck.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I'll make a guess,- anchoring in a restricted area such as in a channel as a hazard to navigation, within the restricted area of a bridge or an underwater cable/pipeline zone; improper anchor lighting; lacking proper registration or documentation, or operating a vessel that appears as a derelict. I've even seen a vessel with rusting lawn mowers and washing machines on the deck! Florida's warm weather allows for someone without means to move from homeless on the street to a floating wreck.

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I'll make a guess,- anchoring in a restricted area such as in a channel as a hazard to navigation, within the restricted area of a bridge or an underwater cable/pipeline zone; improper anchor lighting; lacking proper registration or documentation, or operating a vessel that appears as a derelict. I've even seen a vessel with rusting lawn mowers and washing machines on the deck! Florida's warm weather allows for someone without means to move from homeless on the street to a floating wreck.

Sailorboy and I were referring to people who are routinely stopped and not charged with a crime and not fined or cited for any infraction.

ETA: See post 33 for clarification.

[Ribbit]

I used to get stopped a lot in the early hours on my way home from work (barman) in a very rural area. Often just for a chat, and to see what guest beers we would be having for the weekend (a lot of the guys were customers), sometimes, it was to ask me to keep my eyes open for a specific vehicle that was being used to burgle property in the area (I spotted what they were looking for a few times).

Funniest stop I ever had, was one I hadn't met before. So usual questions:

"Where've you been?" AAAAA

Where are you going?" home at BBBBB

"What's your name?" CCCCC DDDDD

"Place of birth?" EEEEE

"Date of birth?" FF GG HHHH

Then:

"Are you taking the pi$$???" What?

"That's my name, my place of birth, my date of birth!!!"

It immediately clicked who he was. So I told him. Also showed him my driving license with date of birth and name on it.

His mother had the exact same name as my mother, and he was overdue to be born, so was scheduled to have an induced birth. But the hospital mixed up his mother and my mother. So I arrived early.

Then we compared life notes and had a good laugh about it.

Small World isn't it?

My mother was tickled pink when I told her who I had met.

[KidSheeleen]

Being a Florida native all my life 72 yrs and a coastal "water baby", driving a dingy at age 5, I have never had a problem with the Law Enforcement Agencies be they Staties, or Coasties. During the winter (Oct-April) our population more then doubles in the state. A lot of nasty attitude folks come down here to tell us all winter the way they do things at home. Hear it on a daily basis. I'm sure attitude plays a large part in a vessel inspection. These LE patrols are doing the public a great service with the inspections and boating violations, keeping a safe boating environment for the majority. "Back home" is back home, yer in Florida now. Be safe and bring more money next year and keep Florida $Green.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Jason Flare

Sailorboy and I were referring to people who are routinely stopped and not charged with a crime and not fined or cited for any infraction.

ETA: See post 33 for clarification.

I understand your distinction and I had strayed away from your point. In my cruising experience I've only met one person who was repeatedly stopped and also was subject to intense searches of his boat when he returned from the Bahamas. He had a boat with the name "The Dealer" that had been impounded after a drug bust under a previous ownership. It seems that the vessel had remained on an alert list among law enforcement. Maybe this would be a time to make a move against tradition and select a name change!

The only other references to multiple stops, boardings or inspections have been accounts that I've heard of online and often second hand. Certainly, there are some random stops made. I would assume statistically that, if I have never been boarded during my 44 years of liveaboard cruising in Florida; there must be a counterpart who has been inspected more often.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by deblen

Don't forget the huge number of snowbirds driving around gawking & half lost-especially us Canadians!!

Cheers/Len

Down here no one forgets the Canadian tourists abd drivers. But I don't think the memo made yet to Canada, I know we've sent it every year for the past few decades. But here it is again,

Dear Canadian Snow birds,

Here are a few things you might want to know when driving in South Florida.

1) There are things called stop signs, we'd like you to use then too
2) Even on Canadian built cars there is a little lever on the steering column called turn signals, please use these as well.
3) Speedos are for much younger males.
4) Tipping is still appreciated.
5) And we still have no use for your quarters as change.

Other than that have a great time.

[a64pilot]

I think to get stopped and or inspected often, you need to do something out of the normal, fit a certain profile etc.
My Brother years ago was stopped in a 45' Sportfish in S Fl, right about the time that square Grouper were common, and I think his type of boat was often used for transportation.
I got stopped last year I think in Clearwater, right at the bridge by CBP coming in at night, maybe 10 or 11 or so, I assume night arrivals are suspicious? I would have thought though when they saw two adults and two kids, that would have sent them on their way. I didn't like being photographed, and videoed with bright lights all the while fending them off from hitting my boat, while we played 20 questions. I was astonished to find that they had over 1000 HP, Radar, and no AIS?
They were obviously waiting for someone to tell them something over the radio as this took far longer than I thought it should.
I just didn't like being detained for over an hour and being asked repeatedly the same questions.

[DougB]

[QUOTE=MarkJ;2071057]Water Police in Florida are the worst ******** in the whole USA.

Ditto that.

[amytom]

At least every other trip to the keys we get stopped by USCG heading back north near Miami/Ft Lauderdale. Always professional, do it the same way every time. Kind of weird as we're a family with kids on board, even when they were little and in their pj's in the cockpit we still were searched. I've gotten used to it and just expect it.

Now Naples was a whole other problem. Coming into harbor looking for somewhere to anchor for some shut eye. Going in the no wake manatee zone I had every flavor of profanity screamed at me for going too slow. 5knts in a manatee zone in a sail catamaran seemed about right to me so I kept at it. You'd of thought I was doing 20 in the fast lane or something.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by amytom

Now Naples was a whole other problem. Coming into harbor looking for somewhere to anchor for some shut eye. Going in the no wake manatee zone I had every flavor of profanity screamed at me for going too slow. 5knts in a manatee zone in a sail catamaran seemed about right to me so I kept at it. You'd of thought I was doing 20 in the fast lane or something.

So who was doing the screaming? Assume it wasn't some version of the "water police" so local speedboaters?

[Cadence]

I have never been in law enforcement and you couldn't give me the job. But I have always found being civil, whether you think you are right or wrong, goes a long way in the US. Sometimes saying you where wrong when you were also buys some good will. JMHO

[Sailor Jer]

Love this thread!!!

First, the florida boaters greeting to others boaters seems to be the bird...don't take it personal, people in Florida on their boats are like people on opionionated FB types, or even the trolls who love to argue on this site cuz they read something they didn't like LOL...bored people wanting to express themselves and stir it up cuz they are bored!

Liveaboards who live in mooring fields/anchorages IMO are the worst florida boaters commonly known as "boat people" LOL
Mooring people tend to look down on "anchorage people" as a sub species of Boat people but they're all one in the same, cheap and usually without means..

Also, Boat people typically cuz they don't cruise much less boat/sail...like ever??? I had boats in Boot Key Harbor FL and had neighbors who never boated in all the time I was there, and don't get me started on the down masted vessels LOL, many Boat. People just live on a boat instead of ashore

again, worst I've seen in Florida is specifically city marina marathon florida this twin boat person boasts about (yet admits how corrupt it is?) dock master there is beyond corrupt kicked out people local boat people group dint like just because, yet looks the other way at those committing crimes, breaking marina rules..funny how many people I seen kicked outta city marina marathon as well as how many move their boat to a dock at another marina...boat people of city marina like to fight for power and control no no end, has a jail mentality there, quit ghetto!

Cruising florida is fun, but being a liveaboard not cruising, not fun...you get caught up in boat people/culture mentality, too many hungry people exploiting/back stabbing others, and one day you'll be sitting there and realize "I'm keeping company with sociopaths" and you'll leave or maybe not?

As far as trouble FWC ("Florida water cops" as slang) keep a serviceable, seaworthy boat, paperwork legit, and mast light on at night at anchor and you'll be fine...maybe they'll harass you some, maybe not? It's the derilict boat thing they wanna identify and remove...funny how some boat people get away with this though, much like those who earn living ilegally and it's all overlooked...

FWC does do stings I've seen, they've targeted people while ignoring others I've noticed..this comes back to boat people being informants to said FWC which allows boat people to cast the suspicion to others taking the focus off them IMO...

Florida as a whole is crooked, corrupt..lotta favoritism for some as well as discrimination/less than fair dealing for others..that's just florida and the south...it's acceptable and not gonna change.

Biggest thing I notice is the attitude against those not looking for/needing acceptance, those not looking to make friends, the independent types...amoung boat people communities you are their biggest threat after police informants...gotta remember florida is filled with drug trade workers both active and retired...too many overly suspious active/former drug trade workers...that is what spoils especially the keys...not Key West as it isn't so much the drug trades area...

Worst rafting/partying I've seen is place called hurricane hole off Key Biscayne LOL, every fair weathered sat/Sunday it's a boat convention/boat show with loud music contests and drunken bow bunny falling overboard and the wave runners coming from Miami mach1...place is the waterborne version of the movie "Prodject X"