FL is voting to ban anchoring today

[Capt Robert]

Do you sail in or through our state? Do you like to anchor as you go? The FL legislature is voting today, March 3 to ban anchoring at popular anchorages in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Destin.

I have followed this issue for a year and only conclusion I can come to is that waterfront property owners have continually pressured state reps to do this. If this passes it'll be like floodgates opening, every small community along coast will want their own ban. If you care about this issue read more at:

ALERT: Florida anchoring ban bills heading for final vote - UPDATE located in Gulf Coast - Florida | Waterway Guide News Update

[DDabs]

Sucks. At least it's only that area and not the rest of Florida.

[denverd0n]

For now it is only a couple of specific places. Like Capt Robert says, though, this could well open the floodgates.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by DDabs

Sucks. At least it's only that area and not the rest of Florida.

Feed the beast and it only wants more.....better to quash the beast before it gets a taste for blood.


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[Cheechako]

Just more the 1% want us "untouchables" out of.... THEIR water.

[Jason Flare]

I know we'll find out soon enough, but is anyone here familiar with FL politics to know whether this is likely to pass?

[DDabs]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Feed the beast and it only wants more.....better to quash the beast before it gets a taste for blood.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

i hear "I fought the law and the law won" playing somewhere...

[ASD]

Another article:

Florida anchoring bill faces vote today | Dealer Outlook

[Jason Flare]

I believe this is an update:

ALERT: Florida anchoring ban bills heading for final vote - UPDATE located in Gulf Coast - Florida | Waterway Guide News Update

[Waterway Guide]

Unfortunately, it is almost certain to pass at this point – the chances to defeat or amend these bills are through the committees and during the committee sessions, and, although the cruising community had some presence at those hearings, we didn't have the "inside lobbying" this year to get enough legislators on our side. It's so obviously a bad bill, and its proponents have done a good job of crafting it so that it stays under the radar of most of the legislators. It's busy season, and if a bill doesn't seem to affect Sen. or Rep. X's district or constituency (everywhere other than Broward & Miami-Dade, in this case), they don't pay much attention to it. There's still a chance more lawmakers will argue against the bill in the hearings before the final votes, but I don't think anyone at this point expects the bills to fail. I watched pretty much all of the hearings, and Reps Caldwell and Moriatis have done a great job at misrepresenting the issues to their colleagues, in my opinion. I've heard dozens of times "the problem is boaters anchoring for months at a time" – well then, why does the bill ban anchoring altogether, and why in just these few places? It's because they are trying to placate a few, vocal waterfront homeowners who have stated in hearings and workshops that they don't want any boats to anchor overnight near their homes – even for one night. "It's for safety reasons, places where boats block access to the waterway." Not even close to correct on this one. I could go on, but it'll all be in my next editorial.

[zstine]

According to the Alert that Jason linked above, the house amendment "FAILED". So, If I'm reading that correctly, the legislation to ban anchoring did not pass... Anchor freely my friends!

[Waterway Guide]

zstine: That is true only for Crab Island in Destin, which was the only "added" (re-added actually) area in the amendment.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by zstine

According to the Alert that Jason linked above, the house amendment "FAILED". So, If I'm reading that correctly, the legislation to ban anchoring did not pass... Anchor freely my friends!

You are not reading it right. An amendment to the Bill that would have included an additional anchorage near Destin failed. The Bill itself passed and now goes to the State Senate for a final vote.

[Waterway Guide]

UPDATE: Bad news, but expected: Just minutes ago, House Bill CS-1051 passed the full Florida House today, 105 yeas to 12 nays (Friday, Mar. 4, 2016). The Senate version, SB CS-1260, is scheduled for 2nd Reading by the full chamber today. ALERT: Florida anchoring ban bill passes House - UPDATE located in Gulf Coast - Florida | Waterway Guide News Update

[01kiwijohn]

Troubling situations, like this, are emerging elsewhere also. So, what are we going to do about it?
I think, in some instances, we tend to bring it on ourselves. Ever been into some 'cute' little harbor/anchorage and seen the host of rather decrepit apparitions floating around?
Eagle Harbor, WA thus instituted anchoring limitations so, what happened? Yep, those 'boats' all moved over to other, nearby, locations. Thus begins another cycle....'sewage discharge' is usually the first, tangible point of objection and that will attract legislative attention. After that, a slippery slope.