Anchoring In Your Neighborhood

[ssullivan]

Hi Everyone,

We've certainly had many discussions on anchor laws, restrictions and legality. Many of these discussions centered around Florida or the States in general. Now that we might have a clear path to crusing sometime in the next 3-5 years or so, my wife and I have been thinking about destinations.

Given that we're on a low cruising budget, I was curious how anchoring was looking in everyone's corner of the globe. If you get a chance, post here to update us on your local anchoring situation. Areas of interest to us in particular are:

*UK
*Continental Europe
*Med
*Turkey, Croatia, etc...
*Azores and other stopovers
*Eastern Seaboard of USA
*Caribbean
*Central and South America
*Galapagos Islands

(we probably won't be visiting Wheels.... but you never know!)

Please concentrate on long-term anchoring, as in staying for a few weeks or months like cruisers do. Thanks.

I'll start with a second post to this thread detailing anchoring in my area.

[ssullivan]

New York City to Newport, RI - USA:

Anchoring is mosty prohibited right in and around Manhattan. However, you can anchor next to the Statue of Liberty in NY Harbor. Other decent anchorages are all along Long Island Sound, depending on the wind's direction. Long term anchoring can be had at:

Manhasset Bay, NY
Norwalk, CT
Glen Cove, NY (semi-protected)
Oyster Bay, NY
Northport/Huntington, NY
Port Jefferson, NY
Shelter Island, NY
Montauk, NY
Many Areas off of Gardiner's Bay
Sag Harbor, NY
Three Mile Harbor,NY
Block Island, RI
Newport, RI

Most of these anchorages are friendly to staying more than a week. The general condition of anchoring in my area is favorable, with no check ins to anchor, no fees, and no heavily enforced time limits. However, each town has its own laws and its own enforcement practices. It is possible to be asked to leave, although it rarely happens. One place that came over to my boat to take down information was East Greenwich, RI.

The police officer who took down my information in East Greenwich, RI didn't look thrilled when I answered "three weeks" to his "How long will you be staying?" question. But... he noted 3 weeks and didn't come by again.

Anchoring while cruising in this area (and stopping for weeks at a time) is quite doable. Staying on a mooring or at a marina is not necessary, as there are ample free anchorages without overly agressive harbor patrols asking you to move on.

Now do yours.

[Pblais]

Down here unless you become a menace to navigation it's almost impossible to get kicked out of any place. The exceptions would be local jurisdictions often have restrictions and of course you may be confined to anchorages once you get down around Norfolk harbor amd the US Navy.

Being too close to the main channel is the only serious thing you need to worry about. We had a 26 ft sail boat not far from here that was dismasted no hatchboards and sat in the water for more than 5 years before anything was done to it. It was wreck that somehow went through a hurricane and many seasons without coming off it's anchor.

[GMac]

Wheels would love a visit I'm sure, I'll pop down with a few coldies as well. Come anchor and stay as long as you like. As yet the anti-anchor mob has yet to arrive here and I suspect would probably be shot even suggesting the idea.

[Alan Wheeler]

So I guess I am going to ahve to send you more photo's of our Area Sean. I thought I had convinced you, but you obviously need more arm twisting. :-)
Besides, it's free anchoring, plenty of fish, scollops and Mussels and if yer keen enough, Crayfish as well. If you get sick of that, there are wild Deer, Pig and Goats to be had. If you are into cute furry animals, especially with a good sorce, then Rabbit and Possum are literally everwhere. Please take as many as you can.
OK, expect bombardments with Photo's of amazing scenery soon. ;-) :-)

[David_Old_Jersey]

I am not an expert on England, but my understanding is that anchoring used to be free, but nowadays some places actually charge for this (given the moans on another forum!)........no doubt someone will provide more solid info.

On the off chance anyone makes it to Jersey .........anchoring is free.

You can basically anchor anywhere you want (except the main shipping channels). Sensible places to anchor are more limited in practice.

[swagman]

Turkey is free to anchor and the multiple islands and indented coastline provide thousands of bays to do so.
They do operate a coastguard patrol - but usually only on the look-out for waste discharge or possible damage to underwater antiquities - otherwise you'd go unhassled.

Cheers
JOHN

[ssullivan]

No doubt your area is ideal, Wheels. We were actually looking at those anchorages in your gallery. Would LOVE to go there and stay, actually. Sponsor me for a visa?

But... we have to work and cruise so we are mostly looking at any and all EU/USA territories so we can work.

[Dunkers]

In the UK there are plenty of places to anchor but as Jersey David says there are some places which actually do charge you for anchoring. Dartmouth, Falmouth and the Beauliu River come immediately to mind. The first two should not be missed as they are absolute musts to visit with lots to see, great pub and restaurants and very geared up to cruising yachtsmen. Most of the rest of English coast does have free anchoring but you need to pick your spot for safety from the elements.

In Wales there are lots of places to anchor for free and Scotland has so many anchorages it would take a lifetime and a half to cover them all. Also, as far as I am aware the UK doesn't have the regulations which are impossible to comply with but, and I'm sure that Jersey David will agree, the European Union are no doubt actively working on that as we speak. Already this year we have lost our right to duty free fuel. This was not down to the British government but to interference from Brussels by unelected civil servants. Sorry, I wandered there but it does make me boil!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Dunkers

Already this year we have lost our right to duty free fuel. This was not down to the British government but to interference from Brussels by unelected civil servants. Sorry, I wandered there but it does make me boil!

Although "we" have had our troubles with the EU (and others) who seem to think that Tax Evasion, Money laundering and financing god knows what when it is done in Jersey is somehow "wronger" than when it is done in London, Frankfurt or New York, the upside is that in Jersey it is still tax free / low tax on the Diesal .........and we have Petrol on pump as well as diesel ...............one of the benefits of only being half in the EU

..........although the downside is that I am a 2nd Class British Citizen, with a stamp in my passport to prove it .........but don't get me started on that

[ssullivan]

Any others? I had hoped to collect a virtual guide to anchoring world-wide for us all to use as a reference. Do most posters not anchor out? Is this too boring of a topic?

[Heron]

Maine is certainly a cruisers paradise from late June to mid September. I live on Penobscot Bay and there are HUNDREDS of anchorages in this bay alone with numerous villages along the way which can provide food, supplies, laundry, entertainment, etc.

There are no restrictions ANYWHERE that I know of, except in the inner harbors of some villages where mooring fields are set up. Even then, there is still plenty of room to drop a hook nearby.

The coastline of Maine has over 3,000 miles of shore area. When you add the islands we have, the coastline jumps to 7000 miles. That provides lots of nooks and crannies to explore and drop a hook for days.

Surprisingly, it is never busy out here in our waters. Even on holiday weekends you may see about 30 vessels sailing within a 15 mile horizon. That would be considered a busy day. Sure, some favorite anchorages can fill up when the area is small such as Pulpit Harbor but there is another anchorage just a beautiful around the next point.

The biggest problem for cruisers are the numerous lobster traps that you can almost walk on in some areas of our bays.

Surprisingly we have "snow birds" living here through the winter months. I don't know how they do it on their small crafts when the temps get down to 0 and the wind kicks up to 30 knts. I live near Belfast and I am always amazed to see the port windows lit up at night when I drive over the bridge that overlooks the harbor.

For the east coast, I don't think there is a more beautiful place to sail during the summer and living is cheap.

HERON

[Tnflakbait]

Some good anchorages in Southern California... No real strict rules. Best to move every two weeks. All the easy going anchorages are in the islands (But thats where you want to be anyway!)

Little Harbor Catalina Shown Here.

[Joli]

The great lakes are easy, never had anyone bother us when anchoring anywhere. Lots of fun places to visit, nice beaches, many wineries and eateries. If you fish the perch is very good, no crab or clams though.

Since the lakes border Canada you'll need to check in but it's quite easy to do by calling 800 canpass. Coming back is a bit tougher.

[swagman]

Portugual and Spain are not an issue either - provided you don;t chose to anchor in marked 'no anchor' areas as we've sometimes done for convenience.
Even in those higly visibly marked areas, one can usually chat nicely and defer any movement for perhaps a week. But they can get grumpy if you try to stretch the stay beyond that.
Cheers
JOHN