Has the St. Augustine Mooring Field Been Completed ?

[Kettlewell]

I hear there have been efforts by some to make anchoring anywhere between the bridges in St. Augustine illegal--where did your friends anchor?

[kiper204]

Less than 3 weeks ago the city marina told them to anchor on the north side near the fort. There were several boats there, and the "patrolies' never gave them a second look

[sak54757]

we almost stayed at the mooring field. I say almost because evidently the city has no problem with high speed boats zooming thru what is left of the anchorage and mooring fields. The final straw for us was when several pwc waked us and the cannon from the fort kept scaring the @#$%^ out of us. The city did refund the mooring fee. We have sailed 12,000 miles and this was the most obnoxious spot in recent memory...

[dennisjay]

It must be the time of year. We've stayed there in the spring and fall and not have had any problems with other boats. And I believe the cannon only went off on weekends. There are two other mooring fields further away from the action.

[Kettlewell]

For any cruisers in the vicinity, St. Augustine will be holding another hearing (5-6 PM) on proposed additional anchoring restrictions in the area. It sounds like some folks basically want to outlaw any and all anchoring within any sort of reasonable distance to town, and/or put so many restrictions on it that it would be unpleasant for transients to drop the hook for a night or two.

[kiper204]

Originally Posted by sak54757

we almost stayed at the mooring field. I say almost because evidently the city has no problem with high speed boats zooming thru what is left of the anchorage and mooring fields. The final straw for us was when several pwc waked us and the cannon from the fort kept scaring the @#$%^ out of us. The city did refund the mooring fee. We have sailed 12,000 miles and this was the most obnoxious spot in recent memory...

You must have had just a bad experience. We stay there every fall and spring and never have a problem. As a matter of fact we were upset they put balls in until we stayed on them this year. They are new and easy to grab even in bad conditions (which we know first hand) Yes the cannons go off on weekends and there is a bit of traffic this time of year but the town itself can be worth the aggravation. Stay on the south side and close to the marina if you want to make the best of it. I dont see how they can out-law anchoring there ..... but it is Florida, and they just kinda make their own laws as they go along. Sigh

[brianontheroad]

I'm about as cheap as they come but in popular places that have a strong current, a wide relatively deep unprotected river and lots of other boats I'd much rather be on a mooring that taking part in the "does that guy know how to anchor properly?" game -- check out Charleston, South Carolina's anchoring area in the Ashley River during a frontal system -- it seemed like a boat sunk, dragged or broke free from it's home-made mooring

We stopped at the mooring field in st augustine for two nights -- enjoyed it and were happy with the staff/marina area -- I agree with everyone's complaint about $20/night -- kinda steep, maybe $15 a night wouldn't hurt the pocket quite as much for longer term stays

My boat hasn't bee in a marina in over a year and only a handful of nights on moorings, but I'm happy to have them in popular areas that have poor anchoring options, I think Salt Run area shouldn't be a mooring field.....but right in front of town between the bridges seems like a no-brainer

[Lowcountry]

I think cities like St. Augustine want to put restrictions on anchoring and mooring due to the high number of derilect/abandoned boats that end up in their waterways. St. Augustine is a good example of this. I can't tell you how many run-down and neglected vessels I saw anchored/moored there just south of the Municipal Marina.
The Ashley River in Charleston is another great example. There are at least 25-30 derilect boats moored there that have never moved, and likely never will. They are indeed an eyesore and at times a hazard to navigation.

[Kettlewell]

However, there were existing laws on the books that could have been used to remove derelict vessels. The real reason, as usual, is a money grab. Somebody got upset that all these cheap boaters were anchoring for free and they decided that something needed to be done about it. I bet 99% of the citizens in these towns couldn't care less if boaters anchored there, but a small, well-connected minority of business owners decides what happens in these towns. The derelict boat issue is just a handy excuse. I repeat, there are many laws that could have been used to remove vessels that were truly a hazard.

[Lowcountry]

Actually, you run into issues with regard to jurisdiction. Is it the city, the Coast Guard, or is it the Corps of Engineers' jurisdiction? This has come into question multiple times here in Charleston. Most recently, a 50' ferrocement sailboat (derilect, of course) sank in the Ashley River with 500 gallons of diesel onboard. NOBODY wanted to claim jurisdiction on it and take steps to have it raised and removed.
As for business owners, I'm not so sure I agree with you on that one, either. Those are the people who profit most from having transient boaters anchored nearby. Those boaters are going downtown and spending their money in the local eateries and boutiques. The problem, again, is people in neglected boats that are an eyesore who drop anchor and "squat," not going anywhere, and not spending any money downtown.

[Kettlewell]

The problem, again, is people in neglected boats that are an eyesore who drop anchor and "squat," not going anywhere, and not spending any money downtown.

So, the solution is to chase away all of the legitimate transients who would like to anchor and visit, while at the same time incurring large costs to install, maintain, police, and manage a mooring field? In other words, is it better for the community to let someone anchor for a few nights and spend some money in town, or is it better to have a marine patrol boat go out and tell them they can't anchor and must leave unless they pick up a mooring for the night. Even then, the person who spends $20 on the mooring is likely to spend $20 less in town, and they are likely to move on sooner, spending even less.

In any case, I would guess that a legitimate accounting of the costs of a mooring field vs. allowing anchoring would often show that the mooring field only makes money for whomever runs it, while the surrounding community loses out.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Lowcountry

Actually, you run into issues with regard to jurisdiction. Is it the city, the Coast Guard, or is it the Corps of Engineers' jurisdiction? ... The problem, again, is people in neglected boats that are an eyesore who drop anchor and "squat," not going anywhere, and not spending any money downtown.

We had a 90kt squall recently that overturned, then disintegrated a two-story bit of floating ugliness. Now, the debris is littering the shore. Several years ago, we had a sunken houseboat just off the shore. It bothered me daily. Finally one night at 0 dark thirty, I hooked up my Jeep, and dragged it smack in the middle of the boat ramp. The city had removed it by 0700. I solved the jurisdictional problem for them.

"If the people lead, eventually the leaders will follow."

[Lowcountry]

I don't pretend to have a solution at all, I'm just trying to explain why there is opposition to anchoring in front of cities like St. Augustine and Charleston.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

However, there were existing laws on the books that could have been used to remove derelict vessels. The real reason, as usual, is a money grab. Somebody got upset that all these cheap boaters were anchoring for free and they decided that something needed to be done about it. I bet 99% of the citizens in these towns couldn't care less if boaters anchored there, but a small, well-connected minority of business owners decides what happens in these towns. The derelict boat issue is just a handy excuse. I repeat, there are many laws that could have been used to remove vessels that were truly a hazard.

You make an excellent point. Several years ago, Key Biscayne wrestled with this exact same problem in Hurricane Harbor. They considered anchoring regulations, but cooler heads prevailed. Instead, they insisted that local authorities enforce current regulations. In a short period of time, the local boats were all gone and anchoring in Hurricane Harbor is not a problem today. No new regulations were required. Chuck

[kiper204]

[QUOTE=brianontheroad;718264] I'd much rather be on a mooring that taking part in the "does that guy know how to anchor properly?" game -- check out Charleston, South Carolina's anchoring area in the Ashley River during a frontal system -- it seemed like a boat sunk, dragged or broke free from it's home-made mooring.

We stayed in Charlestons anchorage just across from the Megadock in the fall and wind picked up to 25 knots and BOOM 3am we were hit by another sailboat that drug anchor... luckily there was no damage and the guy was on the boat. We will use the City Marina from now on. But they are talking about putting a mooring field in there and I have no problem with that. The holding is ***** out there.