FL boaters get ready to fight again.....

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by FSMike

In Florida some waterfront property owners DO own some of the bottom. Other property owners lease bottom land from the state.
The majority do neither.
Nobody owns the water as far as I can tell, if they do I stole some of it lol.

There is a real mish mash of who owns what bottom land in Florida. Also keep in mind the shore line changes in both directions over time.

What a lot of boaters seem to be ignoring is that there are plenty of places to anchor with no restrictions in Florida. Problem is many boaters seem to want to anchor only in places where there are restrictions. As a rule the restrictions are close to places where there are high dollar property (or environmental sensitive areas like coral reef and sea grass bottoms). What ever the economic impact of boaters it is still nothing compared to that of the high dollar property owners.

An even worse problem is while not the majority there are some bad apples in the boating community. Folks who think not only should anchoring should not be restricted but that they can land their tenders anywhere they want, use any fresh water hose they want, dump their trash anywhere the want, and even worse some actually commit more serious crimes. It only takes one boater breaking into a waterfront house to create a headline in the paper that poisons the well for all boaters.

Most of the boaters I have met are good people. But I also have seen boaters who drink way too much while playing music way too loud way too late at night.

The real problem is there are simply too many boaters trying to fit in too small a space.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by tomfl

The real problem is there are simply too many boaters trying to fit in too small a space.

No, the real problem in Florida is extreme overdevelopment.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by tomfl

There is a real mish mash of who owns what bottom land in Florida. Also keep in mind the shore line changes in both directions over time.

What a lot of boaters seem to be ignoring is that there are plenty of places to anchor with no restrictions in Florida. Problem is many boaters seem to want to anchor only in places where there are restrictions. As a rule the restrictions are close to places where there are high dollar property (or environmental sensitive areas like coral reef and sea grass bottoms). What ever the economic impact of boaters it is still nothing compared to that of the high dollar property owners.

An even worse problem is while not the majority there are some bad apples in the boating community. Folks who think not only should anchoring should not be restricted but that they can land their tenders anywhere they want, use any fresh water hose they want, dump their trash anywhere the want, and even worse some actually commit more serious crimes. It only takes one boater breaking into a waterfront house to create a headline in the paper that poisons the well for all boaters.

Most of the boaters I have met are good people. But I also have seen boaters who drink way too much while playing music way too loud way too late at night.

The real problem is there are simply too many boaters trying to fit in too small a space.

Yep, I guess some people drink to much and play music to loud and break into houses. I doubt you can classify them as boaters. More likely idiots probably young with and old man that has money. I've met a no. of good people both rich an average over a drink.

[Davy J]

What a lot of boaters seem to be ignoring is that there are plenty of places to anchor with no restrictions in Florida. Problem is many boaters seem to want to anchor only in places where there are restrictions. As a rule the restrictions are close to places where there are high dollar property (or environmental sensitive areas like coral reef and sea grass bottoms). What ever the economic impact of boaters it is still nothing compared to that of the high dollar property owners.

This is completely incorrect.............. There are currently no anchoring restrictions in Florida, except in the five regions of the Pilot Program. And those mostly just include a mooring field in that region.

There are a number of different problems occurring simultaneously. These include:

1) Two waterfront property owners in Miami Beach that do not want anyone anchoring in "their backyard." Problem is, it is not their backyard.

2) Cities like Ft Lauderdale that see boats arrive from the north in winter and stay in one place for six months.

3) Boaters that arrive from the north and stay in one place all winter (see above).

4) Non-boaters........ living on a boat to avoid land side expenses (these may actually be the worst).

5) Boat owners that do not want to pay for a slip and anchor their boat somewhere to avoid slip fees.

6) Derelict boats that the owners have written off. These are a problem, but they are the scapegoat on which to please the first group. No anchoring restrictions will solve this problem. They will just anchor the boat somewhere else until it sinks.

7) Boaters like me............ That just need a safe place to anchor for a night or maybe two, without ridiculous restrictions brought about by the first group, while I travel from point A to B, or C, or D.......

[jcapo]

Originally Posted by Group9

There are already unenforced laws to deal with derelicts, the operative word being"unenforced". That's how you know its a straw man.

Unenforced because, "Its too hard", according to the powers that be at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. It was easier for them to build mooring fields and move the problem to the county.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by jcapo

Unenforced because, "Its too hard", according to the powers that be at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. It was easier for them to build mooring fields and move the problem to the county.

Hit the nail on the head. Significant pressure from law enforcement agencies that simply do not want to monitor and enforce in anchorages cannot be discounted as a driving force behind the proliferation of mooring fields. Easier done with coercive ordinances that force boaters onto balls than to have to respect boater freedom and rights.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by jcapo

Unenforced because, "Its too hard", according to the powers that be at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. It was easier for them to build mooring fields and move the problem to the county.

Yep.. How man of those derelicts that were displaced by mooring fields really went away, asl opposed to how many just anchored in a new place nearby?

[Boatguy30]

With this logic most places are ok with even losing a little money on a mooring field so they can take care of the "problem"

In St Aug a bunch of boats moved few miles south, but lots did also get scrapped. The price of lead was at a record high at the time and many beaters were worth a couple grand in lead plus any other parts. It only cost a few hundred to drop the empty hull at the landfill.

Anyone that has seen the Salt Run field can see this dynamic. Its never been more than 30% full, but they got rid of 99% of anchored boats. There is one guy that comes and goes and I have a Boston Whaler squall at anchor there for 1 year now for the principle of it. Fully in compliance with the "pilot program"

[Group9]

Its like fencing off the park where homeless people stay. It only moves the problem, it doesn't fix it.

[a64pilot]

They just want it out of their backyard, they aren't trying to fix anything, they just feel that no one should be allowed in their backyard, they don't accept that they don't control the waterways, they feel that they should. Those dumpy boats ruin their high class gated community.
The gates keep the riff-raff out, you shouldn't be allowed to sneak in by water, that should be gated too.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

They just want it out of their backyard, they aren't trying to fix anything, they just feel that no one should be allowed in their backyard, they don't accept that they don't control the waterways, they feel that they should. Those dumpy boats ruin their high class gated community.
The gates keep the riff-raff out, you shouldn't be allowed to sneak in by water, that should be gated too.

One of the funniest things you see in south Florida, are neighborhoods that put up guard shacks and try to make people think they are a gated community when all of their streets are publicly owned. It's the same mentality that makes them think they own the view and the water.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Group9

One of the funniest things you see in south Florida, are neighborhoods that put up guard shacks and try to make people think they are a gated community when all of their streets are publicly owned. It's the same mentality that makes them think they own the view and the water.

I haven't seen that yet, but my condo association voted to be fully gated because "of safety and it will increase our resale value".

There was one break-in in a decade. Regardless, we all have scanned codes on our vehicles now. I still keep my door unlocked most of the time at night, just like before.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by Group9

One of the funniest things you see in south Florida, are neighborhoods that put up guard shacks and try to make people think they are a gated community when all of their streets are publicly owned. It's the same mentality that makes them think they own the view and the water.

I live in a large gated community in central Florida. The several miles of roads in the community are privately owned. I know that because part of our assesment is used to maintain and repave them. And all the lakes inside the community really are owned by the community. So I really am part owner of the view and the water.

[IdoraKeeper]

Being a cruiser means your different than a water front land owner who has an 18ft runabout and a dockload of jet skis. Never the twain shall meet. Furthermore if your a Yankee who has wandered down the ICW to the southland you likely need years of cultural sensitivity training to grasp how things work. If your a native you likely generally support strong defence of property rights and southern norms. Those norms are going to see you off your anchor and on down the road. Methinks a seasonally appropriate route from North Carolina direct down to the islands will soon be a regular consideration. The party is ending.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

I live in a large gated community in central Florida. The several miles of roads in the community are privately owned. I know that because part of our assesment is used to maintain and repave them. And all the lakes inside the community really are owned by the community. So I really am part owner of the view and the water.

I lived in one of those in south Florida, too. But, you would be shocked at how many of the fake ones there were. Especially along the ICW.