Living on the HOOK sailboat W.Coast,Fla is it hard or they pushing people into marina

[videorov]

Wonder how its been working out for people and if they are getting pushed into marinas or mooring buoys. Watching sailors around the world that seem to live on the hook ok till they get close to parts of the USA, sad to see that.

Hope everyone is doing ok and going to have some nice holidays coming up.

[denverd0n]

Despite some recent bad publicity, and a lot of misinformation that is out there, there are actually very few places around Florida where you are not allowed to anchor. So, no, no one is going to "push" you into a marina.

[zboss]

Well... I disagree with denverd0n on that one. While he is right that there are plenty of places to anchor, the local municipalities has very slowly started taking away public access docks and limiting areas where one can anchor. The recent push to extend riparian rights to include all the bottom outside the deeded land is going to be a major problem for those that would like to anchor. We also have a move for cities to sell public marinas to private companies and then the private companies lobbying the state to introduce tougher anchoring laws. So while things are generally ok now... who can say what the situation will be in a few short years.

[Davy J]

In reality, if you want to live on your boat you may forced to live on the hook.

Almost all of the live aboard marinas here are full and have waiting lists. The only one that I found that had available slips was Regatta Pointe. However, since I actually sail my boat regularly, I didn't want to be that far up the river.

Most marinas on the west coast are not allowing live aboard's. I've seen some that did and then later changed that to no.

As mentioned there are a lot of places to anchor. In my opinion the problem is shore access. The municipalities have discovered that they cannot restrict anchoring.............. But they discovered they can restrict shore side access.

Makes it difficult to leave a dinghy anywhere while you are ashore.

[denverd0n]

Shore access can be an issue anywhere you go. No doubt about it, being in a marina would be more convenient. That's always a trade-off when you anchor out. But as far as there being someone out there who will "push" you to be in a marina... No. That's not going to happen.

[videorov]

I see a nice place around Cayo Casa Island and looks like there is a public dock to park dingy and Publix store walking distance or bike ride. To bad the state doesn't provide some more public docks for boat people. I see more people cruising in other parts of the world and not as many people coming to cruise the USA coast. Hmmmm
Many on Youtube seem to be sailing other places.

[sailm8]

I guess our town is bucking the trend. We have a public dinghy dock that is basically free unless you want to use it after dark. Then a permit is required. we have a free pump out boat that will visit you twice a week if necessary. There is a mooring field but a set of bridges keep ost sailboats from using it.


There is a marina with a fuel dock and shops and restaurants etc. Also free loaner bikes throughout the town. What we don't have is a shoreside shower room. At this time there are about a dozen boats anchored off the city park.

[skipmac]

Although it hasn't been put specifically in these terms in previous answers but reading between the lines and based on my experiences in FL it is extremely easy to live aboard at anchor IF you aren't too close to a city or town and don't need shore access.

Anchoring close to civilization and finding a safe and legal place to tie a dinghy can be a bit trickier. Some few areas it's almost impossible, others no problem, others ok if you don't mind a longer dinghy ride or you're creative about where to leave a dink.

For now, it can be done easily depending on your requirements and whether you are flexible on where in FL.

[Allied39]

One of the main problems is that there a lot of folk who use boats as floating condo's. They dont care about their vessels, don't maintain them and when they eventually sink they walk away. There's also a great many folks who just leave their boat on anchor and go away and do whatever.

Both cases leads to sunken boats that the city has to foot the cost of getting rid of. Which, to be honest, sucks.

It is the same old same old, a few scum bags mess it up for the rest of us. Two prime examples are St Augustine and Marathon. I remember cruising through both places, and anchoring. No more now, $20 a night to stay on city mooring. I have seen it near everywhere.

While I can see why it ends up that way I would rather it go that way than the bean counters putting more and more regulations upon the masses, like they do in a lot of places around the world. URGGH! Need a licence to operate a boat, need a permit to anchor here,need this paper, need that paper, licensed gas installer, blah blah blah. Yes, there's many a folk who can put up pretty graphs and charts to prove regulation is good for you......mommy knows best !!!

It's enough to make an honest man puke!

[Jimroda06]

Or turn to drink!!!!!

[videorov]

Originally Posted by sailm8

I guess our town is bucking the trend. We have a public dinghy dock that is basically free unless you want to use it after dark. Then a permit is required. we have a free pump out boat that will visit you twice a week if necessary. There is a mooring field but a set of bridges keep ost sailboats from using it.


There is a marina with a fuel dock and shops and restaurants etc. Also free loaner bikes throughout the town. What we don't have is a shoreside shower room. At this time there are about a dozen boats anchored off the city park.

Yes your town sounds like they are doing some nice things for boat people.

[Moontide]

Some old info above. Florida went through a time when local cities could restrict but a year or two ago the state passed a law taking away most of the cities ability to do so.



Several boats anchored in St Augustine right now. I believe cities can petition for a limited exemption inspecial cases.



There are proximity restrictions but they don't seem that unreasonable l.


Can fund deta I ls online.


Bill

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Moontide

Some old info above. Florida went through a time when local cities could restrict but a year or two ago the state passed a law taking away most of the cities ability to do so.



Several boats anchored in St Augustine right now. I believe cities can petition for a limited exemption inspecial cases.



There are proximity restrictions but they don't seem that unreasonable l.


Can fund deta I ls online.


Bill

All true and I haven't been to a the areas to give see first hand but reports from boaters at a number of locations indicate that some cities have used the regulations that allow them to set aside dedicated mooring zones to take away the prime anchorages and make it all city moorings.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by skipmac

All true and I haven't been to a the areas to give see first hand but reports from boaters at a number of locations indicate that some cities have used the regulations that allow them to set aside dedicated mooring zones to take away the prime anchorages and make it all city moorings.

Some places are like this. Others aren't. Often you can also anchor outside the mooring field and use the dinghy dock they put up for the mooring field.

It really varies from place to place.

[Lihuedooley77]

Yep, here in our area of southern california...


Dana Point Marina is going to be totally rebuilt, docks, shops, bars, etc, and it look like the liveaboards will be highly curtailed, and there is a huge waiting list.

You can anchor overnight at the far west end anchorage, I do not believe in the old days that we had to pay for anchoring. If we wanted a guest slip, then we had to check in the with harbor dept and pay a slip fee. If you are a member of a yacht club, Dana Point Yacht Club honors recips and no charge.

We also have people who are illegally living aboard, some with power boats with no engines, and you know what happens to their human waist...since they cannot get to a pump out station, and want to be low on the radar so they do not have a pump out boat come by.

Newport Bay ....has a visitors anchorage about three quarters of the distance of the main channel....total 3.2 NM. Usually single hook, but that can vary. I do not believe there is a charge, but also they may be a time limit. The harbies patrol all of the different channels and keep close attention as to what is going on.

Due to our west coast shores being open to the prevailing westerly winds, generally you will not be anchoring in an open road stead.

Catalina Island... Some Anchoring in Two Harbors, out side of the mooring field. but it is deep, with the exception of a bit more shallow anchoring in LITTLE FISHERMANs.

Avalon....We did not allow our club boats, anchoring off the Casino, due to depth, rocks, kelp and anchors dragging. Plus the protected dive area. And the harbor dept is not resoponsible for anchored vessels dragging, and that does happen quite often.

Fact is, we used to anchor at Two Harbors , but in our old age we just do not want to mess with dragging anchors, late arrivals and not proper swing room..... We just pay the mooring fee, and have peace of mind, and no problems.

There are other anchorages not in Avalon or Two Harbors, along the down wind coast that you can anchor...but most are fairly deep .

Suggest you get a cruising guide or sailing directions and refer to those for the entire west coast of California ...and off shore islands, like the channel islands off Ventura .

Personally, we have been sailing these local waters for 35 years, and our interest has fallen off .....During those years, we also were bare boating Australia, Tahiti, Tonga, The Caribbean, and Greece an Ireland......

The last few years not much local sailing but we chose to bare boat internationally, and if were were cruising for an extended time on our own monohull , we would totally enjoy sailing the Caribbean, The Bahamas, The British and U.S. Virgin Islands, the Windwards and Grenadines, and the French West Indies and beyond.

Just our thoughts,

Denny and Erica