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

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Davy.

[Davy J]

How can we fight this? Who do we contact? Who do we complain to, besides each other here? Any ideas?

The first thing to do, if you can, is to attend the workshop in Tallahassee in October. Voice your opinion there, we need as many people there as possible.

The second thing to do is prepare to go back to Tallahassee during the legislative session. That is when any bills to restrict anchoring will be introduced. The house and the senate sub-committees will have hearings on the bills and we need people to speak up at the hearings.

The third thing to do is email and send letters to the politicians on those committees. Especially the ones that may be in your district.

I attended the hearings last year. The chairman on the senate committee did his best to keep people from speaking against the bills. Even going as far as suspending the hearing, bring up a different bill, and then bring up the anchoring bill with only minutes left in the hearing.

If we don't fight, they will railroad the bills through. And they will get their way...............


Edit to add: You can also join and/or donate to the Seven Seas Cruising Association. Call or email BoatUS and tell them to send larger representation to Tallahassee. Contact the NMMA and tell them to make sure their representative is against the bills.

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Davy.

Thank you.

[Waterway Guide]

Here’s a link to the SSCA Cruisers’ Right Fund, which helped to offset a little bit of the cost of having people in Tallahassee working with legislators to make the cruiser’s point – and that might have been the reason the legislation died on the floor of the Senate and never got picked up by a sponsor on the House side. https://www.gofundme.com/Right2Anchor

I sincerely hope we have at least the same level of representation as last year, but we need to be there every step of the way.


The other thing you can do is share the article so that everyone knows this is starting again and that help is needed. Florida House to hold anchoring regulation public workshop in October located in General | Waterway Guide News Update

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by avb3

Don't even go there. What maintenance is required to anchor in the ocean? None. You comparing it to a national park or an RV park is a false analogy.

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Actually, I think it is a good one. We don't anchor in the ocean, we seek out safe harbors and inlets. If this was a perfect world there would be no maintenance. But wakes erode shorelines, anchors distroy sea grass, black and grey water disrupt ecosystems, and boats are left to die. And our gypsy lifestyle can cramp the style of some land owners. Srug.
Also, if you've ever been down to the keys, it is totally like an rv park in certain anchorage. These are just so many freakin boats, it's mind boggling.
I think that until we come to terms with our impact on a harbor and local community, we will forever be fighting this battle.

[Wrong]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Actually, I think it is a good one. We don't anchor in the ocean, we seek out safe harbors and inlets. If this was a perfect world there would be no maintenance. But wakes erode shorelines,

Anchored boats don't make wakes that erode the shoreline, and even power boats which are the main source of wakes must slow when entering an anchorage.

anchors distroy sea grass,

But areas where boats anchor can be clearly marked with buoys, keeping them clear of seagrass.

black and grey water disrupt ecosystems,

Most pollution comes from landside sources. Sewage treatment facilities fail. Outfalls carry oil, household chemicals, pesticides and 'greywater' from washing cars into public waterways. Animal offal, whether avian or mammal is carried into public waterways too, often carrying disease blamed on discharge from boats...

and boats are left to die.

As are abandoned, broken down cars and discarded electronic toys, much of which ends up in public waters. In fact, along with discarded plastic there's not much made for human consumption that doesn't end up at least in part in the oceans of the world.

And our gypsy lifestyle can cramp the style of some land owners. Srug.

Also, if you've ever been down to the keys, it is totally like an rv park in certain anchorage. These are just so many freakin boats, it's mind boggling.
I think that until we come to terms with our impact on a harbor and local community, we will forever be fighting this battle.

[a64pilot]

John,
I grew up in North Fl. and was a Wakulla County resident for about 20 yrs or so. It' s my belief that this issue is primarily a South FL issue, and being raised primarily not by Natives, but the wealthy that move down, and want to change things to be the way they want it.

I wonder when Cuba will open up, and what cruising would be like there?


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[rognvald]

This is just another example of a long list of abuses that intend to restrict existing rights(in this case boaters) and increase government intervention in peoples lives. This becomes increasingly possible as people refuse to get involved or take a committed stand. Most people take the path of least resistance since involvement requires time, energy and even money. The government knows this and has two things in abundance that average citizens do not: time and money. Eventually our lives will be controlled from the time we awake to whenever we go to bed. George Orwell was right.

[IdoraKeeper]

What happens in Florida will spread up the coast, across the Gulf and up the West coast. We boaters and cruisers are a minority special interest. This is our difficulty. We are confronted by the naked self interest property owners. Both property owners and boaters can claim the moral high ground with arguments that do not invalidate the arguments of the other. This is a permanent confrontation. One side must prevail. That is why these pieces of legislation continue to appear. If there is to be a solution it must be strong enough to defeat totally the interests of the opposition, otherwise it will be a steady drum beat of anti boat, anti anchoring legislation.

[scherzoja]

If you can't vote because you don't live there, vote with our cash!

I reckon this will stir up the opinions...

Boycott Florida businesses. I'm not talking about simply not spending the money while you are in FL; I'm talking about even when you are not in FL. How many of y'all mail-order from FL stores? Tell them the problem, contact chambers of commerce and whatever other business lobbies exist. Maybe those lobbies will see the potential negative impact. Send letters of intent to US and FL congressmen who have soon-to-be-boycotted businesses in their districts. Hell, send a cc of that letter to the businesses/chambers/business lobbies when you notify those entities of your intent (include congressional contact info in the letter to the businesses/chambers/loggies).

It's one thing to declare that you won't buy stuff when passing through, but it's an entirely different animal when one or a mass of people boycotts all FL businesses, even when not in FL and not necessarily marine-specific.

Hmm. I better duck now

[Cottontop]

In the United States, there are precious few rights that are guaranteed to all (and even those could be changed by a super-majority). Otherwise, the majority rules, which is as it should be.

Florida politicians are not going to (and shouldn't) respond to itinerant, out-of-state boaters who don't vote in Florida or contribute to Florida politicians.

There are two potential strategies. Band together (BoatUS, or the cruisers association mentioned above?) and contribute enough money to get a politician's attention (it's a delicate balance for a politician, who needs money to buy votes, but doesn't want to lose votes by taking the wrong money); or convince Florida business owners that their economic interests are threatened by anchoring restrictions.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

That anyone would "fight" any attempt to monitor or control measures to better manage derelict vessel anchorage with a committee which wants to balance the desire of boaters is unfortunate. They are trying to do the 'right thing' considering all perspectives. No need to feel threatened and create a knee-jerk over-reaction.

I have no idea what the intent is and I am not in Fl. This was a subject a couple of week ago. I found it ironic in a day or two, the paper said the City of Charleston was paying $104,000 to have ten derelict boats removed. I can recall an anchorage I could see from a bridge I traveled. I would quip to myself about when this one of that would go down.

There must be a happy middle ground between use and abuse.

[Jmahoney266]

Keep the Government out of it. Why should a bribe be needed to drop an anchor....

[a64pilot]

I believe maybe an issue might be what amounts to boat storage, and temporary anchorage.
Myself I'd be willing to compromise for some definition of temporary anchorage allowed, my opening bid would be for 30 days and might require a boat being able to move un-assisited.
I'd like it to stay the way it has always been, but there are simply just far more people now.


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[Boatguy30]

There a ton of really great "middle ground" ideas. the problem is it will cost lots of money to actually enforce any of them. Well maybe not a ton and FWC has plenty of boats already, but they'll want a bunch of money and I really doubt anyone at the state level will want to pay for it.


Any 30 day rule, must move "x" mile radius away, etc, etc would be difficult to keep tabs on.


My guess is either nothing will be done or something very restrictive but easy to enforce will be passed.

[Sojurnr]

What next, an "air tax"? Sheesh!

"you breathe it, we (the government) pay to keep it clean and police polluters...yeah, that's the ticket!"

Reminds me of the scene in the 1980 Robin Williams movie "Popeye" when Williams' title character meets the local taxman after coming ashore. Whilst charging Popeye all the local taxes, including a "tax" tax, the taxman says, "You're not up to no good, are you? Because if your are, there's a 25 cent up to no good tax".

Everybody who is anybody in Tallahassee knows that cruisers aren't up to no good, right?

JK