Have You Seen the Price of Mooring Balls in Florida Lately ?

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by dennisjay

Mooring balls are $35 a day here in Annapolis. St. Augustine charges what they can because it's a charming place to visit.

The mooring balls are less per day in St. Augustine than in Annapolis. The last time we were there the rate was $20/day and less at Vero Beach,- some weird number like $13.57 per day.

[JusDreaming]

Sunset Bay in Stuart, is 15 per night 275 per month. Great facilities and close to town. (it's the old Southpoint anchorage, just past the bridges)

[SVMorningStar]

You're right. I didn't think of the wildlife refuge across the way from Titusville. People come for all over the country to go birding on the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in the winter. Space Center's right there, too. No better place to watch a rocket launch, although any place along the ICW in our area is a front row seat. Even though the shuttle's no longer flying, they still put up other rockets from time to time. Guess it just depends on what you're looking for.

There's a park with a free dingy dock and boat ramp right at the Cocoa anchorage. I've always locked up my dingy there but otherwise a very nice area.

[capstan]

Titusville's new mooring field [opening Nov 1] is $15 a night and $220 a month.

No offense to Titusville, but they are all cheap the first season or two, to get the camels nose under the tent. Vero and Stuart were cheap to start. It doesn't take long for the city fathers to take the mooring fields into consideration in their revenue planning.

[Kettlewell]

Plus, they always underestimate the costs of maintenance and monitoring, etc. Marathon has just had to get something an extra $50,000 from boat registration fees in order to make something like 75 moorings safe again. The costs of maintenance there have been much higher than earlier thought.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

Boot Key Harbor , $275 per month which includes garbage and pump out once a week, dinghy dock, etc.

Don't know what's expensive about that, plus it's a protected harbor.

Outrageous for a non marina berth, sink your own ridiculously sized anchor and save.

[Soundtrackzz]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Outrageous for a non marina berth, sink your own ridiculously sized anchor and save.

In any of those cities with the pilot program going on you cant sink an anchor anywhere in county limits. its illeagal. City councils are trying to price out a way of life just because its not like theirs.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Soundtrackzz

In any of those cities with the pilot program going on you cant sink an anchor anywhere in county limits. its illeagal. City councils are trying to price out a way of life just because its not like theirs.

And yet a quick look at google maps shows boats all over the place on anchor.
I wonder how they do it?

[capstan]

And yet a quick look at google maps shows boats all over the place on anchor.
I wonder how they do it?

I think it has a lot to do with where you anchor, and who complains about it. Lots of laws on the books, with sporadic enforcement.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Soundtrackzz

In any of those cities with the pilot program going on you cant sink an anchor anywhere in county limits. its illeagal. City councils are trying to price out a way of life just because its not like theirs.

I am also concerned about keeping our anchoring rights, but presently it is still legal to anchor in locations within Florida counties that have mooring fields and in all Florida counties. For example, in St. Augustine people may anchor on the East side north of The Bridge of Lions; on both sides of the Tolomato River north of Vilano Bridge and in the area just south of the mooring field north of the Sebastian River as well as all the places outside the ICW channel south of the 312 bridge.

[Dulcesuenos]

Not sure if this helps but I keep a copy of the statutes on board it clearly states what the laws are in Florida and reading them basically local governments can only regulate anchoring or living aboard within marked boundaries of properly permitted mooring fields. Not outside of them. The relevance of "legal residence" has been removed from the other statute so basically if u live aboard they can't mess with u if u r outside the mooring fields.

[capstan]

Tis true, you can still anchor outside mooring fields. But the municipalities always put the mooring fields in the best anchoring spots, leaving the unwashed, penny pinching, freedom loving types to anchor in unprotected, poor holding spots no one in their right mind would anchor.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by capstan

Tis true, you can still anchor outside mooring fields. But the municipalities always put the mooring fields in the best anchoring spots, leaving the unwashed, penny pinching, freedom loving types to anchor in unprotected, poor holding spots no one in their right mind would anchor.

Always?
In the boot key harbour example the mooring field is probably the most exposed and unprotected spot there.

Better places appear to be in the channel to the south and in the creek where a few others already are.

Boot Key Harbor, Monroe, Florida 33050, United States - Google Maps

The same goes in Australia.
If mooring fields and marinas are the safest spots to be with best holding, why is it that people rush to the more protected better holding mangrove areas and small bays for protection if a cyclone or even bad weather is approaching?

[Hudson Force]

I used to anchor in St. Augustine back in the 70's & 80's, but I quit stopping there years ago because the anchoring in the swift current was too crowded and risky. After witnessing collisions and dragging boats, I began anchoring in Salt Run, but without easy access to downtown. With the cheap mooring rates in St. Augustine and rates throughout Florida lower than the rest of the US East Coast, I'm back to enjoying St. Augustine. I'm also pleased that mooring fields are placed in the most convenient areas to visit the town. Sure, anchoring was great thirty years ago in places like Fernandina and St. Augustine, but the crowded conditions and the risks presented by derelict vessels on frayed rodes kept many away. I remember meeting an owner of a 41' sloop anchored fulltime in St.Augustine ten years ago that added sharp stainless steel stock on his rub rails to defend his boat at the cost of his neighbors,- reminded me of the spike axles on the chariot in Ben Hur. So, yes, the mooring fields do exclude some and include others; just the same as parking in the big city. If I want to anchor out for days at a time I'm not downtown. It's interesting to notice the parallel on the streets. It's almost impossible to find a parking space in the downtown area of St. Augustine on a weekend unless you pay for it, but thirty years ago it was easy.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by cat man do

And yet a quick look at google maps shows boats all over the place on anchor.
I wonder how they do it?

Remember Google Maps can be up to 10 years old. There is a section down at the bottom that tells you how old is the photo.

Cocoa Village Anchorage is still free and use of the dinghy dock is also free - although you had better lock your dinghy. I noticed signs in the store windows "Welcome Cruisers". There are shops and eating places galore - and - "Travis Hardware" - an ancient hardware store with absolutely everything - if you can find it somewhere in their buildings. Across the bridge is Merritt Island with a West Marine, Home Depot, Publix grocery plus a hundred other stores and shops.