New Anchoring Regs In FL Keys Up For Public Comment.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

Why would I want to pay $400.oo a month for a buoy to tie up to, when I can rent a month at a dock for about the same price?...and get electricity, and water, and pump out?

Not sure the location you're referring to. But, FWIW, a slip at Marina Jacks in Sarasota for a 43' boat would be over $1000/month. The same on a mooring would be $270.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Not sure the location you're referring to. But, FWIW, a slip at Marina Jacks in Sarasota for a 43' boat would be over $1000/month. The same on a mooring would be $270.

Wow! Move that 43' boat up to Gulfport Municipal Marina and it's only $390/month plus tax.

[Wavewacker]

Wow, are these issues unique to FL? Sounds like locking up the head and putting an out of order sign on the door and having a porta potie is the way to go through FL waters.

What do they do if you don't have anything but a bucket to bail out the bilge?

I'm thinking now that a wooded scow with a cabin wouldn't be welcome. So much for American freedoms.

Can you even beach a boat in FL? I've always thought you could for 24 hours, if it wasn't posted/restricted.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

Wow, are these issues unique to FL?

Most places have a 3 mile limit of raw sewage discharge.

Marine Sanitation Devices | Vessel Water Discharge | US EPA

Florida FDEP Wastewater - Vessel Discharge

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

Sounds like locking up the head and putting an out of order sign on the door and having a porta potie is the way to go through FL waters.

What do they do if you don't have anything but a bucket to bail out the bilge?

I'm thinking now that a wooded scow with a cabin wouldn't be welcome. So much for American freedoms.

That's what MSDs are for.

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

Can you even beach a boat in FL? I've always thought you could for 24 hours, if it wasn't posted/restricted.

I imagine most municipalities/parks have rules about beaching a boat (loading/unloading only). Outside of that, I don't think there are any rules.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Most places have a 3 mile limit of raw sewage discharge.

Just so it is clear to Wavewacker, that is for ALL of the coastal United States. It is in no way unique to Florida.

And, no, you can't just beach your boat overnight anywhere you feel like it. There are some places where you can do that, but they are relatively rare. And, once more, not unique to Florida, but true throughout the United States. (And most of the other places in the world that I know of).

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

Wow, are these issues unique to FL? Sounds like locking up the head and putting an out of order sign on the door and having a porta potie is the way to go through FL waters.

What do they do if you don't have anything but a bucket to bail out the bilge?
So much for American freedoms.

I'm not sure Freedom is having the ability to dump bilge water and waste overboard for the rest of the public to suffer with.

[Kettlewell]

The Keys anchoring ordinance has received approval from the FWC. Not sure when it will become effective--the county still has to adopt the ordinance. But, if you are in the Keys for awhile you should start getting receipts for your pumpouts. Thanks to a lot of behind the scenes work by a lot of folks, the ordinance was made much more reasonable compared to earlier proposals.

[rtbates]

Once a year all boats must go to certain locations to get their 'registration papers updated UNDER THEIR OWN power...Worked for SF houseboat squatters...Cleared out a lot of crap..

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by rtbates

Once a year all boats must go to certain locations to get their 'registration papers updated UNDER THEIR OWN power...Worked for SF houseboat squatters...Cleared out a lot of crap..

That is a law I could live with. It eliminates the cause of the new laws, (derelic boats), without affecting cruisers that are passing through,....unless they stay in one place long enough to fall afowl of the assault tax laws, (requiring local registration for out of state boats).

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by rtbates

Once a year all boats must go to certain locations to get their 'registration papers updated UNDER THEIR OWN power...Worked for SF houseboat squatters...Cleared out a lot of crap..

Yup...That's what they need in every harbor. It eliminates the 5% that make life miserable for the other 95%.
Squatters is a good name for them.

[ParidiseParrot]

Keys have been a no discharge zone for a long time now.....no change there other than putting the onus on the owner to prove they are good. Now remember pump out run from free to 5 bucks. Tax money goes to pay for equipment. This is only an issue if your derelict doesn't run. Even a sail only boat can get pumped by pump out boat. You can always use kitty litter and bring it ashore to a dumpster. No one wants to swim fish play in your waste.

Its a pity that anchor room has shrunk in KW and Boot Key but if Livaboards can't afford what seems to be reasonable fees for a mooring then perhaps drug use etc is eating up the cash. From what I can see it should be easy enough to make 1000 a month in KW to take care of one's self and boat.

[jrod321]

Is there a map of the off limits area for anchoring. I am going down there in about a week and again at the end of October so that would be helpful.

I've been living aboard for 2 and half years now. Started in St Augustine before the mooring field went in and have cruised a bit. Currently I am anchored near Cocoa Beach and had been told by city officials that I need to move my boat or they fine me and tow my boat and I was not allowed to sleep on my boat. I showed them the state laws and contacted Marinerbarr.org. Since then they backed off.

I don't like the way the pilot program is going. A friend mine who was thinking about putting his boat on a mooring in Titusville, FL after asking what happens if their mooring fails and his boat were to get loose, was told they are not responsible for his boat and he would have to pay for a replacement mooring, something like $2,000. I never heard of that before, maybe someone here can verify or deny that claim.

[jcapo]

The fine print in the St. Augustine mooring field contract does say that if you break it you pay for it. I would not be surprised if all mooring field contracts had the same kind of language.

Will they enforce that, who knows.

John

[Bucky205]

We live here in Key West on our sailboat. I work for West Marine and talk to many of the boaters that both live here and transient. Anchoring in the Keys is very limited. You do see a lot derelict vessels hanging on a minimum anchor. During Issac several blew up on the beach. Our biggest fear in a storm is getting hit by a derelict boat that broke lose.
The problem with the pump out regs is that many of the facilities are self service when it comes to pump out. Here at Boca Chica we pump out our own boats either with a cart or over at the main dock.
My vote would be that vessels have to be seaworthy if they are anchored here. I don't like the floating pieces of junk that people just leave out permanently.
That being said, we find Key West very boater friendly. There are constantly a lot of people here staying on their vessels. There is a few causing all the problems.

[ParidiseParrot]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

And, no, you can't just beach your boat overnight anywhere you feel like it. There are some places where you can do that, but they are relatively rare. And, once more, not unique to Florida, but true throughout the United States. (And most of the other places in the world that I know of).

Unless it was posted or marked almost all states have riptarian lands are public use Mass and some others specific areas aside. But most towns would prohibit beach camping otherwise the homeless would just move camps onto the beachs.
With the amount of good anchorages in Florida as well as Public Parks you will have no problem finding suitable cruising grounds.

IF you want to anchor for free and have Land access for free in a high density area in order to work a job you might have trouble. This attitude of living for free has caused the present laws because "free" liver's didn't take care of there responsibilities , discharged waste into the harbors. Think more crack house and less hippy commune.Not all but many and those that didn't were not proactive in getting rid of the issue.Many derelict boats were just abandoned dreams on "free" storage.

As for self serve pump out's? get someone to sign your log and put it your log yourself. Boat logs are legal documents and false statements in them are a crime. IF your in a free anchor spot in Key West then getting your pump outs verified is your punishment for not doing more to self police before it became to late.Did you even bother to attend the meeting on this?