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25-11-2014, 12:19
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#1
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Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Florida/Alberta
Boat: Lippincott 30
Posts: 9,901
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Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring proposals
Here is a letter I drafted to send to those I know in the marine industry. I would encourage anyone who uses Florida waters and has contacts in the marine industry to do the same. As the letter mentions, I am not a resident there and cannot vote, but my suppliers certainly can and do. We need to reach out and engage them.
Legislators do listen to voters, especially voters who supply jobs.
Dear .....,
I am forwarding this link to you of a video featuring Jack Nicklaus about the Florida marine industry.
Why?
There is currently a move underway to place constraints on anchoring for boats in the Florida legislature. I am not a Florida resident, and can not vote for a State representative, but you can. I hope you agree that the anchoring restrictions proposed can have a significant impact on your industry, particularly from visitors to Florida. Visitors are not only from out of state, but from another part of Florida... so this legislation can affect all.
I hope I can encourage you to do two things.
- Forward this video to your State representative and highlight that you are part of the marine industry and this may well affect you
- Forward this to others in the marine industry that you know, and encourage them to do the same
FWC is currently surveying boaters for input, and although this is a very skewed survey, it is important that as many boaters and affiliated industries contribute.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?...gyZ2vW8%2f4%3d
If you take the survey, you will see how intrusive some of the proposals will be.
Thanks for your consideration in assisting in lessening the economic and boater impact such legislation will have. I would also appreciate you letting me know any feedback you get from others in the industry.
Yours truly,
avb3
I'm sure many boaters will appreciate any help our vendors can supply.
__________________
If your attitude resembles the south end of a bull heading north, it's time to turn around.
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26-11-2014, 09:19
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: FL
Boat: 45' Aft Cabin Motor yacht
Posts: 87
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
I am torn on many of these issues. I grew up on the water here in Florida and have watched the changes over the past 30-40 years.
I now see derelect boats rotting away in places that used to be great for water sports. These same types of boats also clog "normal" anchorages around the state.
As an example, take a look at google earth of places like Crystal River, Anclote, Clearwater and every cove between Tampa and Marco Island.
These types of boats are what is causing the issue, not the transient that happens to anchor in a location for a bit of time.
How would you like it someone pulled a beat up rusty van next to the curb at your house and left it there?
There has to be some limitations.
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26-11-2014, 10:05
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: FL
Boat: 45' Aft Cabin Motor yacht
Posts: 87
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
That boat is just dirty, not derelict.
I'm talking about the ones that come in on a wing and a prayer only to spend the rest of their lives listing to one side or the other with absolutely no attention being paid to them.
Here are a few quotes from active captain from sailors that reported conditions in popular transient anchorages as you move down the west coast of FL:
"This area is getting choked with a lot of boats choosing to anchor here and anchoring is regulated between June 1 and August 15th which pushes a lot of boats into a small area"
"Three "permanent" sailboats were anchored closer to the barrier"
"There are 3 or 4 derelict boats here and the currents are fluky"
"Permanent sailboats now take up all the space in the anchorage. Very disappointing. "
"There are several non occupied boats in the anchorage as well as one very run down but occupied boat."
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26-11-2014, 10:29
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#5
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Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Florida/Alberta
Boat: Lippincott 30
Posts: 9,901
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
Quote:
Originally Posted by k9medic
That boat is just dirty, not derelict.
I'm talking about the ones that come in on a wing and a prayer only to spend the rest of their lives listing to one side or the other with absolutely no attention being paid to them.
Here are a few quotes from active captain from sailors that reported conditions in popular transient anchorages as you move down the west coast of FL:
"This area is getting choked with a lot of boats choosing to anchor here and anchoring is regulated between June 1 and August 15th which pushes a lot of boats into a small area"
"Three "permanent" sailboats were anchored closer to the barrier"
"There are 3 or 4 derelict boats here and the currents are fluky"
"Permanent sailboats now take up all the space in the anchorage. Very disappointing. "
"There are several non occupied boats in the anchorage as well as one very run down but occupied boat."
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But do you think new regulations, rather than enforcing existing ones, would make any difference?
__________________
If your attitude resembles the south end of a bull heading north, it's time to turn around.
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26-11-2014, 12:01
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SW Florida
Boat: FP Belize, 43' - Dot Dun
Posts: 3,823
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
Quote:
Originally Posted by avb3
But do you think new regulations, rather than enforcing existing ones, would make any difference?
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If the new regulations would allow munis to say "no wet storage", it would be a step in the right direction, IMO. Yes, there are derelicts that are live-aboards, but some of what is causing complaints are when someone without a clue acquires a 'sailboat' with all the best intentions, anchors it and then finds they don't have the means to make it that world class cruiser they dreamt about. Let it sit in one spot for 1, 2, 3 years and hmm, now the muni pays $20k+ to get rid of it when it's half sunk.
The problem with the current regs, the muni has to wait until the vessel deteriorates into a derelict, even if the owner hasn't been on the boat for months.
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26-11-2014, 12:23
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#7
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 49
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
The derelicts were either recycled or disposed of by the state of Florida back in the day when boats were built here. The factories are gone as well as their campaign money so now the state sees things different. The real estate developers are now supplying tax bases and campaign money so they are now in charge of laws and policy.
The old wooden vessels would rot away almost gracefully. Steel was scrapped. A fellow was grinding old fiberglass boats and filling concrete mix with it. I would love to bolt a wall of yachts together, put doors in the transoms with stairs, fill in the gaps with concrete, roof it over and call it a boataminium.
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26-11-2014, 13:25
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Port Clinton, Ohio
Boat: C&C Landfall 35 HiHo
Posts: 119
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
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26-11-2014, 14:06
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Lakewood Ranch, FLORIDA
Boat: Alden 50, Sarasota, Florida
Posts: 3,646
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
The issue here is being subverted into something it is not.
Before anyone else goes off the 'deep end', read the issues,not just the Boat US version.
The unintended consequence of restricting decision-making to a state legislature which usurps local considerations are many and always to the detriment of local needs and desires. This is one of those solutions to a non-existent problem.
Derelicts or other aesthetic concerns are ubiquitous especially here in Florida. Precluding local government to address these problems, which will result if we are not careful, is not beneficial to anyone and serves only to restrict authority to a non-responsive state government.
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26-11-2014, 14:13
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SW Florida
Boat: FP Belize, 43' - Dot Dun
Posts: 3,823
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
Quote:
Originally Posted by S/V Illusion
The issue here is being subverted into something it is not.
Before anyone else goes off the 'deep end', read the issues,not just the Boat US version.
The unintended consequence of restricting decision-making to a state legislature which usurps local considerations are many and always to the detriment of local needs and desires. This is one of those solutions to a non-existent problem.
Derelicts or other aesthetic concerns are ubiquitous especially here in Florida. Precluding local government to address these problems, which will result if we are not careful, is not beneficial to anyone and serves only to restrict authority to a non-responsive state government.
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Not sure I understand...you are proposing that local munis should be left to make whatever anchoring rules they want creating non-uniform regs across all of Florida?
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26-11-2014, 17:28
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: FL
Boat: 45' Aft Cabin Motor yacht
Posts: 87
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
I am personally against municipalities being able to enact any rules on navigable waterways. There is too much room for corruption and local money that could cause problems. Just look at what is happening with the various mooring fields.
If it's good in the back waters of some no name river it should be good in the Biscayne Bay.
I personally have an unattended boat that is anchored approximately 300' from the marina where I keep my boat. Given the wind and tides it becomes a navigation hazard when I go into and out of my slip. There are approximately 20 other boats in the area which cause a minefield when trying to depart the area.
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26-11-2014, 17:33
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Lakewood Ranch, FLORIDA
Boat: Alden 50, Sarasota, Florida
Posts: 3,646
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
Quote:
Originally Posted by k9medic
I am personally against municipalities being able to enact any rules on navigable waterways. There is too much room for corruption and local money that could cause problems. Just look at what is happening with the various mooring fields.
If it's good in the back waters of some no name river it should be good in the Biscayne Bay.
I personally have an unattended boat that is anchored approximately 300' from the marina where I keep my boat. Given the wind and tides it becomes a navigation hazard when I go into and out of my slip. There are approximately 20 other boats in the area which cause a minefield when trying to depart the area.
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What we have is a failure to enforce existing regs already on the books to address such instances.
That You think reserving enforcement only to the state is adorable
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26-11-2014, 18:45
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SW Florida
Boat: FP Belize, 43' - Dot Dun
Posts: 3,823
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
Quote:
Originally Posted by S/V Illusion
What we have is a failure to enforce existing regs already on the books to address such instances.
That You think reserving enforcement only to the state is adorable 
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Where does it say local LEOs can't enforce state regs? (They do it all the time.)
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26-11-2014, 19:33
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Lakewood Ranch, FLORIDA
Boat: Alden 50, Sarasota, Florida
Posts: 3,646
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
Quote:
Originally Posted by DotDun
Where does it say local LEOs can't enforce state regs? (They do it all the time.)
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You misunderstand, apparently twice.
The point here is no entity enforces the rules. Further limiting authority to just the state solves nothing esceptic centralizing control in a generally unresponsive agency.
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26-11-2014, 20:00
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SW Florida
Boat: FP Belize, 43' - Dot Dun
Posts: 3,823
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Re: Florida boaters: Engage your marine industry vendors to fight the anchoring propo
Quote:
Originally Posted by S/V Illusion
You misunderstand, apparently twice.
The point here is no entity enforces the rules. Further limiting authority to just the state solves nothing esceptic centralizing control in a generally unresponsive agency.
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1) There is no 'further limiting' of authority. State law has always controlled anchoring. It wasn't until individual muni regs were challenged that caused a 're-write' of state law so that it is unambiguous.
2) My experience cruising Florida waters, I see as many or more FWC boats on the water than any other LEO, but I do frequent outside the IWC.  USCG/CBP probably tie for second.
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