The reality of finding a place to anchor or moor

[puffcard]

SE Fla is at a whole different level than the rest of the East Coast. In NC on just the Pamlico Sound there are ten towns that have free docks, some greet you with flowers and gifts. Anchorages are usually not a issue. I know some towns have limits on stays. FLA has a problem with the derelict boats, they need to do something. It's costing them millions to clean them up after storms. They should charge an extra $500 to register a boat in Fla, put that money towards vessel cleanup. I hate those derelict boats, causes issues for cruisers.

[Mithril Bham]

You can still live at anchor in the San Juan Islands without paying. A few years ago the rules were changed in Bellingham Bay. The powers that be cleared out the boats that had been anchored there for years. More people, more rules. I'm sure you could still spend a week at anchor in B'ham Bay without being bothered.

[Mike OReilly]

This is all a bit of a thread drift, so I apologize to the OP, but I want to respond to the questions. Perhaps we need a new thread...

Originally Posted by Boston Blackie

Ahoy Mike,

We too love Canadian Maritime Cruising! Sailed Marion to St John's Nfd early July, then Trinity Bay, the south shore to Port aux Basques, and across to Sydney, the Bras d'Or and on to Marblehead mid Sept. Where were you?

We found ourselves lonely at times and really excited to see another cruiser! And the typical $10 or $15 overnight fee to tie alongside the government wharfs including electricity and water in the snug harbors too small to anchor in was delightful. The gifts of fresh cod and capelin from the local's weekends Home Fishery were amazing.

Gotta have a good furnace though. 42 deg F water in Trinity Bay chilled by bergie bits made the Espar essential. The water on the South Shore fjords was in the 60's due to the Gulf Stream.

We plan a NFD circumnavigation next summer. Love to see some other CF friends there.

Hi Bill, we’re in Corner Brook (Bay of Islands Yacht Club). We really haven’t seen anything of NF yet. We spent the season slowly travelling down the St. Lawrence, exploring as we went. We followed the north shore of the mighty river till Havre St. Pierre (Mingan), and then sailed across the Gulf right into the Bay (in the grip of a nasty gale … another story).

Next season we have a few repairs to get done. Then we just plan to meander our way around the western shore, up past Gros Morne, perhaps as far north as the Strait of Belle Isle. We might hop over to Bras d’Or and/or Îles de la Madeleine … or we might not. No firm plans. Basically just plan to take it easy next season and do some exploring.

Would be great to connect somewhere, somehow.

Originally Posted by tmason

Mike, did you go back upstream on the St. Lawrence? How was it? We are in Maine after going out the river from Lake Ontario and were planning to continue south, but circumstances have changed and we either come back to Lake Ontario or sell our beloved Southern Cross 35 where it is.

It has been a one-way trip for us so far tmason. I have no plans to return up river. But if we ever did decide to make the return journey I’d probably take the Hudson/Erie Canal route. As you know, the currents are pretty ferocious at times, and in places. And the prevailing winds would largely be ahead of the beam. I think this would make the return journey a lot tougher.

[kapnkarl]

Originally Posted by Mhwalker

Usually 30 a night for moorings
Anchorages are always free for me in Toms River, Nj

shhh... somebody might hear you.

[1Sunseeker]

There are a lot of places here in the San Juans where you can anchor for free. Even between the mooring balls in front of the big hotels. If you are a disabled Vet as I am, all state parks and national parks are free even the mooring balls. Now BC is a great place to cruise there are so many free anchorages there that I can't count that high. Second only to their great pubs.


Never been to Florida but there is a lady down there, "Janice aboard Seaweed" that lives on the hook. I follow her blog and she seems to get along quite nicely. She says on $14.00 a day. But shucks my bar bill is greater than that.

[Vasco]

The anchoring problems in SE FL are overblown. If you're not a derelict you should be OK.

[Boston Blackie]

Hi Mike,

Not sure how to start a new thread and keep all the yarns attached? Please do so or advise your PM.

We plan a clockwise circumnavigation of NFD leaving SE Mass for offshore delivery last week in June bound for Port aux Basque. So we will likely be passing though the Bay of Islands early/mid July. Sandy Weld says cruising in Notre Dame Bay on the North Shore is some of the best there is. Warm wind off the island without fog. We just need to wait til the pack ice clears. (It was right thick in Trinity Bay on the East shore the second week in June this year.)

Lets plan a gam!

Cheers,
Blackie

[Olddan1943]

Originally Posted by Vasco

The anchoring problems in SE FL are overblown. If you're not a derelict you should be OK.

My boat is in almost perfect shape. I am pretty much a derelict.
What to do, what to do.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Vasco

The anchoring problems in SE FL are overblown. If you're not a derelict you should be OK.

I think that’s correct, especially if anchored a “reasonable” amount of time

[MarkusK]

Originally Posted by DMBOS

Provincetown on Cape Cod in Massachusetts is now $2.50/foot for a mooring

Transient slip at Burlington Boathouse in VT was $2/ft last summer. Dropped to $1/ft after Sept 20. Incl 30 A power and water. Hot shower was $0.50 for 5 min. Walking distance to everything!

[Sailormantx]

There's many places to anchor for free on the east coast of the USA, but if you want to get off the boat for shopping or marine supplies there's usually someone with their hand out or a water cop wanting you to leave. The bigger the town, the more troublesome it can be. The last two times I went north I sailed right past the USA without stopping. In Newfoundland and
Labrador $20 a night is considered an expensive dock and there's a lifetime of anchorages to explore. One can pay a months wharfage in downtown St John's for less than a few nights in a USA marina! The Canadians have given me until the end of June to leave the country, and I will likely head north again where it gets even better. Stay on the road less traveled and you will find what you are looking for.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I’ve never paid to anchor....unless you count park fees.

Mooring fields are a whole other thing entirely.

The day is coming quickly. Already you hear about many countries (like panama) asking you to pay to anchor.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Sailormantx

The Canadians have given me until the end of June to leave the country

Wow ! What'd you do ? It takes a lot to piss off a Canuck

[Sailormantx]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Wow ! What'd you do ? It takes a lot to piss off a Canuck

Unfortunately, I am not Canadian. They let me stay 6 months at a time, but to leave the boat unattended it's required that it registered with customs with a defined departure date. Their concern is that I am not illegally importing the boat. Newfoundland is a great place that I plan to return to again, so I am careful to follow their rules. Their customs people are friendly and easy to work with and I want to keep it that way. In the meantime I have a good place to wait for the winter weather to settle down and easy access to my native USA to refill the cruising kitty. And a couple thousand miles less to sail to the Arctic than if I had left early enough to winter somewhere warm.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Sailormantx

Unfortunately, I am not Canadian. They let me stay 6 months at a time, but to leave the boat unattended it's required that it registered with customs with a defined departure date. Their concern is that I am not illegally importing the boat. Newfoundland is a great place that I plan to return to again, so I am careful to follow their rules. Their customs people are friendly and easy to work with and I want to keep it that way. In the meantime I have a good place to wait for the winter weather to settle down and easy access to my native USA to refill the cruising kitty. And a couple thousand miles less to sail to the Arctic than if I had left early enough to winter somewhere warm.

The Newf's are not quite Canadians, They are a separate species altogether and a wonderful one at that. I once read an article somewhere many years ago that reviewed a study of the sex lives of different societies. It concluded Newf women had more sex than any other group of women on the planet
Not at all sure about what that says about Newfy men