Florida Keys Getting Closer to Loosing Anchoring Rights

[Coup d Amour]

http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/Files...8/03192012.pdf

Please read this and show up to the meeting on March 19, 2012 9am @ Marathon Government Center. This being passed will turn Boot Key Harbor, Sisters Creek & Sombrero Beach area into a no buffer anchoring zone.

Facebook: "Boot Key Harbor Cruisers" is a good link to stay in touch. Hit the 'like' button to be added.

[Kettlewell]

I have been informed that the anchoring ordinance has been removed from the agenda of that meeting on Monday the 19th. If you want to confirm I would check with Monroe County, but my information is from someone involved in working on these ordinances.

[Kettlewell]

However, I am told that NOW is the time to submit your comments on these proposed ordinances in order to have the cruising community represented: Jones-Rich@MonroeCounty-Fl.Gov

[Coup d Amour]

Instead of just contacting Rich Jones, also contact ALL of Marathon City Council members. Even if you are not a Florida resident.

[Waterway Guide]

Yes, John is right. I have confirmation from Myra at the county offices and am waiting for Rich Jones to respond with, perhaps, a reason for deleting it and not rescheduling (although I think we all know the reason!). I've updated my articles on FB and WG.com.

[Waterway Guide]

Just got off the phone with Rich Jones, Sr. Administrator with Monroe County Marine Resources. Here's my post update:This agenda item has been "deleted" for the Mar. 19 meeting. Rich Jones, Monroe County Marine Resources Senior Administrator, said that the item was deleted due to issues with the "no-anchoring buffers" and that they want to "greatly reduce the size" of these. Another issue was the floating structure language that they intend to remove. No reschedule date has been set.

[DotDun]

FWIW, St. Pete & Stuart are ahead of the game and already have their draft ordinances submitted to the FWC for approval. If you're inclined to comment on those they can be found at:

Anchoring & Mooring

comments accepted until March 18th

[Waterway Guide]

And, per St. Pete & Stuart/Martin, the comment period closes Mar. 18 - just 2 days left! I have links to the ordinances and to the comment pages in my waterwayguide.com posts, if anyone needs them.

[LauderBoy]

Wow, looks like Florida is heading back towards being a confusing mess of every city having it's own restrictive anchoring policies.

[Coup d Amour]

Yes that is now correct, it is at this time removed from the agenda. Thankfully, considering that Marathon City Council, Mayor, did not know that they were part of the agenda at that time. He received a phone call from us and was sent a copy of the agenda the day I posted this thread. A few hours later we were informed that it was removed for some 'revisions'. But it was also convenient at the February 14th meeting that city council was shown a map for a no anchoring buffer zone which was NOT the map that was approved by the nearshore water committee. The map that was approved by NSWC did not include Sisters Creek & Sombrero Beach. All of us in the Boot Key Harbor are advising City Council that BKH would be better off as a Managed Anchorage Area, not a no buffer zone.

[Coup d Amour]

Originally Posted by LauderBoy

Wow, looks like Florida is heading back towards being a confusing mess of every city having it's own restrictive anchoring policies.

Well every city and it's needs/problems are different.

[Kettlewell]

Well every city and it's needs/problems are different.

Not really so different that different rules are needed. Having different regulations makes cruising very difficult as you can't possibly put signs everywhere saying no anchoring here, register after 90 days there, stay 200 feet off here, etc. It would be like deciding that it is better to drive on the left in Key West because of local desires, while Marathon prefers the right, and Islamorada likes the left. Cruisers won't know what laws pertain where. It is why we have a uniform rules of the road etc. All of this is just a money grab in Marathon. The city has a shortfall of around $150,000 in their budget for the marina and moorings and they are trying to force everyone onto moorings and to pay more at the dinghy dock, which is now $22 per day. Same issues in St. Pete, Sarasota, St. Augustine, and Martin County--they just want to force people to pay up. St. Augustine needs the revenue for improvements to the city marina. Follow the money and you will understand where these regs. originate. The other excuses are a smokescreen.

[gettinthere]

It will be interesting to see, 10 years from now, if these cities can keep up with proper maintenance of these fields.
If they are pushing people onto their moorings, and one fails with injury or death resultant; they will be sorry they ever started a mooring field.

[Kettlewell]

It will be interesting to see, 10 years from now, if these cities can keep up with proper maintenance of these fields.

Unfortunately, the answer is already in and it is No. The city of Ft. Myers (not Ft. Myers Beach) currently only has a couple of moorings they will let you hang on as most have failed, Marathon was down something like 60 moorings this year because they required repair, and that's one of the reasons they are $150,000 in the hole. The trial moorings put in in Sarasota mostly failed stress tests and the city instead is driving pilings into the bottom which will have a relatively short lifespan and then will simply rust and have to be replaced, plus they will permanently ruin the bottom for anchoring. Fernandina completely closed its mooring field for repair and maintenance last fall, so hopefully they are back up to snuff. This is one reason I prefer to use my own anchoring gear. Hanging on a mooring you are dependent on someone else's unknown and unseen equipment and maintenance, usually done by a worker getting paid low wages.

[Boatguy30]

I currently live ashore in St Augustine. The city just seems to have cleared about 12 non-liveaboard vessels from the South end of Salt Run. The moorings in Salt Run are a pretty good deal at $100 a month for county residents non liveaboard. Can't be bothered maintaining and checking anchors for that price. Sounds like rates may be going up!

The marina manager has a nice office overlooking the marina and seems to do no actual work. There is always a large dock staff that is mostly unused. If the cities can't run mooring field without creating a huge extra bureauracy they need to shut them down.

It seems the "don't tread on me types" around here are more than happy to butt into boaters rights. As a waterview property owner, I can see both sides with abandoned boats etc, but the salt run boats were mostly pretty decent boats that are now anchored in more dangerous, exposed locations. If the city can't provide the mooring at a decent rate to local residents, they need to get out of the mooring business!

Jeff