POLL - Florida Anchoring Limits

[rognvald]

In 35 years of cruising, 18 in Florida and the Bahamas, my belief based on personal experience is that the majority of long term boats anchoring in Florida waters are 1.) not cruisers, 2.) live in compromised/derelict boats with non-functional engines, 3.) are an eyesore to the locals, 4.) use unsafe ground tackle, and 5.) are usually in dirty, unsightly boats as used to be the case until Boot Key Harbor, Marathon put in permanent moorings with rules and regulations for everyone to follow. That's the reality. Whenever we are sailing in Florida waters, we anchor well away from these obviously derelict boats.
So, the reality is that we have a housing/homeless problem in America that neither political party wants to solve. I have sympathy for both the homeless as well as the property owners who didn't negotiate for this view when they purchased their homes. Perhaps, Florida will adopt a policy fair for all. Still waiting . . . Rognvald

[sailorboy1]

Only people in, or at least have cruised, Florida really understand this thread. I know read lots of these before getting t Florida and didn't really understand.

The only derelict boats I ever saw in Massachusetts were abandoned in marinas

[seandepagnier]

you could word the poll differently but have the same effective options and get completely different results.

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by rognvald

In 35 years of cruising, 18 in Florida and the Bahamas, my belief based on personal experience is that the majority of long term boats anchoring in Florida waters are 1.) not cruisers, 2.) live in compromised/derelict boats with non-functional engines, 3.) are an eyesore to the locals, 4.) use unsafe ground tackle, and 5.) are usually in dirty, unsightly boats as used to be the case until Boot Key Harbor,

1) not cruisers?? what does that even mean?
2) non-functional engine? I have never used an engine and sailed all over the world, up and down the ICW multiple times, and all over florida and 30 countries. Not having an engine is a good thing. Pollution is a bad thing.

3) eye sore ? Boats that are shiny cause eye sores because they are too bright. What does that mean?
4) So you dive under and check? Or you just think you are more knowledgable than someone based on appearance?
5) usually dirty? But not always dirty?


I am beginning to think you are the type of boat user that should not be allowed to anchor. Someone who has baseless assumptions about things that are irrelevant and have no consequence anyway.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by seandepagnier

1) not cruisers?? what does that even mean?
2) non-functional engine? I have never used an engine and sailed all over the world, up and down the ICW multiple times, and all over florida and 30 countries. Not having an engine is a good thing. Pollution is a bad thing.

3) eye sore ? Boats that are shiny cause eye sores because they are too bright. What does that mean?
4) So you dive under and check? Or you just think you are more knowledgable than someone based on appearance?
5) usually dirty? But not always dirty?


I am beginning to think you are the type of boat user that should not be allowed to anchor. Someone who has baseless assumptions about things that are irrelevant and have no consequence anyway.

Pretty sure @rognvald was thinking of boats like the attached liveaboard boats. Pretty sure they tag all the five bullets you cite, but hey, didn't mean to offend your neighbors.

These types of "liveaboards" that skirt the regulations are common in my neck of the ICW. Pretty tough for the average person to defend. But hey, they live on a boat - must be cruisers, right?

[Chotu]

i vote for a season. 6 months max.

Some people might want to visit somewhere for a while then move on

[NorthCoastJoe]

Local to me, San Francisco Bay area. Richardson Bay has been cleaned up. A few years ago there were countless floating dumpsters. If California can do it Florida can.

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/remova...ne-vessel-time

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by NorthCoastJoe

Local to me, San Francisco Bay area. Richardson Bay has been cleaned up. A few years ago there were countless floating dumpsters. If California can do it Florida can.

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/remova...ne-vessel-time

From August 2019 ➛ August 2020, a total of 62 abandoned and derelict vessels were removed from Richardson Bay, exceeding the project goal of 25 vessels. Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency disposed of more than 800,000 pounds of solid materials, and 820 gallons of fuel.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by NorthCoastJoe

Local to me, San Francisco Bay area. Richardson Bay has been cleaned up. A few years ago there were countless floating dumpsters. If California can do it Florida can.

https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/remova...ne-vessel-time

It took California over 45-years and the formation of a regulatory agency and dozens of lawsuits to clear Richardson Bay. It had been a disgusting anchorage for generations. Turns out the liveaboard community has enough money and more than enough time to litigate. Same pattern with many areas of Florida. What's interesting is some of the loudest and most vitriolic supporters of Florida's permanent liveaboards are Canadian citizens.

[Chotu]

It's interesting. Why don't we see this with old cars or old RVs? Where do they go?

[Leadfree]

I expect one difference between Floriduh and California has to do with red tape, that is, permitting-type issues.

AWA recall that 'cost of living' thing mentioned above. It takes time to get these boats out of the water and the cost of feeding and housing the crew in the Keys would be pretty steep, albeit on the mainland possibly not as expensive, however still not particularly cheap bc all the areas would be tourist areas

[Leadfree]

Originally Posted by Chotu

It's interesting. Why don't we see this with old cars or old RVs? Where do they go?

It's fairly easy to drag a car or RV to a landfill on land (Joe Tow with his Tow Mater), but in the water, it involves special permitting, barges with cranes and trained crane operators at concomitant pay, a base on shore to demolish, then trucking the demolished stuff to a landfill (which in the Keys would be on the mainland, hundred or so miles away). FTA: "Removal of these vessels costs over $800,000 annually, funded by the County and the FWC’s Derelict Vessel Removal Grant Program."

And before you cry 'salvage!' There is a. no money in salvage; and b. no interest in salvage because of a. Largely these derelicts were claimed to be 'salvage' or 'restoration' in the first place.

here is some info re post-IRMA:
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/loc...268002962.html

another article about derelicts in Floriduh:
https://www.tradeonlytoday.com/indus...ions-each-year


Monroe County on derelict removal:
https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/441/...ndoned-Vessels

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Chotu

It's interesting. Why don't we see this with old cars or old RVs? Where do they go?

I think it's a few factors. Fiberglass boats can last a very long time, so it takes longer to reach the point where nobody wants it at all. And at that point, a boat is harder to scrap than a car or RV and harder to restore. A boat is also less likely to end up rotting in someone's backyard out of sight (unless it's small and on a trailer), so we see more of the old, rotting boats.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

What's interesting is some of the loudest and most vitriolic supporters of Florida's permanent liveaboards are Canadian citizens.

Thats curious as Canadians are only allowed to stay in the US for six months.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Leadfree

It's fairly easy to drag a car or RV to a landfill on land (Joe Tow with his Tow Mater), but in the water, it involves special permitting, barges with cranes and trained crane operators at concomitant pay, a base on shore to demolish, then trucking the demolished stuff to a landfill (which in the Keys would be on the mainland, hundred or so miles away). FTA: "Removal of these vessels costs over $800,000 annually, funded by the County and the FWC’s Derelict Vessel Removal Grant Program."

And before you cry 'salvage!' There is a. no money in salvage; and b. no interest in salvage because of a. Largely these derelicts were claimed to be 'salvage' or 'restoration' in the first place.

here is some info re post-IRMA:
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/loc...268002962.html

another article about derelicts in Floriduh:
https://www.tradeonlytoday.com/indus...ions-each-year


Monroe County on derelict removal:
https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/441/...ndoned-Vessels

Thanks for that answer with the derelict vessel removal examples too.

Only thing is cars aren't dragged off to landfills. They are recycled/scrapped.

RVs seem to be the closest fit to boats. At end of life, they go... Where?

Granted, there are more complexities with boats, but the cars and RVs don't seem to be left around like people do with boats. They seem to somehow end up in the proper channels to be disposed of like in the video.

I'm wondering why we don't have those channels (and whatever financial incentives cause car/RV owners to get their old car into those channels) for end of life boats


https://youtu.be/co4mXUWIl6c?si=_AdwG7fOu1l80izd