Florida Anchor Ban Still Unsigned by governor

[SURV69]

I find it rather curious that one of the loudest complainers, in reality has no complaint about boats anchoring, or that the boats that do anchor, are generally not sea-worthy, since he has taken it upon himself to cheapen his own scenery by filling in "his", anchorage with lots and lots of un-seaworthy, basically abandoned sailboats.

Kinda like carappin in the saucepan before making spaghetti ...

[Sailor Jer]

Originally Posted by newhaul

Tomfl in case you didn't notice I am from Washington state about as far away from Florida as you can get in conus. Washington is the number three when it comes to coastline we have an anchoring law here that seems to work quite well for everyone. Paraphrased here it nasicly says you can anchor in any legal area for up to thirty days at'a'time then you must move your vessel a minimum of 5 nm . With a maximum of total 90 days in a year in any one location.

...ordinances, laws like Wash St's are nice, but Wash St's weather makes that law work as it's not "paradise" like Florida is during "season" with all the migratory boaters which is how florida came to the terms with it's overcrowding anchorage issues...like D-day invasion (Florida during season) and Panama 89 operation just cause (Washington St year round)
Washington St. just doesn't have the volume Florida endures year round much less the invasion during season...

This people without means I feel is your focus/culprit, they can't afford to go ashore, much less spend $$$ doing business ashore/pay local fees. And people wonder why locals don't want them or their eye sore/questionable seaworthiness vessels in the harbor discouraging/detouring those with means, the Hinckley, Kadey-Krogen & Leopard crowds with their deep pockets and desire/willingness to spend money at local restaurants, tourist trap stuff...no rocket science there...

Wasn't long ago (2006ish) city of marathon florida realized how to fix their problem with the boot key harbor Wild West with it's derelict vessels/boat people without means...
They built a mooring field to assume control of the harbor...came at a cost which they shared with the state, did a percentage of balls to be deemed "city balls" (like 20%) where people wouldn't have to leave indefinitely, could assume city residency unlike the state mooring balls (80% of the mooring field) where after 180 days squatting are forced to leave the mooring field system for minimum 90 days before being able to lease a state/city mooring ball again...there is also a designated anchorage area to support the mooring field for those wishing to anchor legally in the harbor and or in season those waiting for a mooring ball when there is a waiting list or even those selecting to swing on their own hooks and use facilities possibly indefinitely for a 1/3ish discounted rate...but some of those boat people sneak ashore other places, mangroves etc...and show up at city marina after hours and steal water, ask people at city marina to open a shower door after hours when city marina staff isn't there etc...

These mooring field systems with dink docks/parking lots/mail services etc. seem like the sensible answer providing a viable solution to overcrowding and Wild West of lawless pirates IMO...it's people without means and without connections/friends that lose out access in these scenarios which in most cases is the desired effect for the greater good, leverage to get rid of squatters, undesirables, derelicts and loiterers (all subjective terms)..not a nice answer but a viable solution to overcrowding like what happened in marahon Florida's Boot Key Harbor...corruption begins to be the problem then, and the municipal dock master becomes city councils puppet like a lot of city projects in city public works...like marathon florida and it's pawn shop owner now mayor in public office...he essentially sets the tone for the city's municipal mooring field (city's biggest money maker cash cow) which manages said mooring field.
Lotta power...

The marathon mayor (then vice mayor/city council member) when Florida's anchorage ban/law was being crafted was very very attune to the laws intent/implications....even then he was in the process, keeping the city's director of ports and harbors (dock master) well versed about implications and outcomes of the law...and still is, as marathon florida is ahead or the game now, they have their mooring field in place and able to regulate legally who can squat, even in a derelict vessel on a city mooring ball (generally city trash workers and others seemingly connected business wise/socially to the harbor in town-local harbor clique) while yet others seemingly use the mooring field as wet storage conveniently? (which is against the rules) but hey, it's OK as the city dictates who, where, how long...works as long as people don't make an issue of the corruption, right? (southern and good ol boy system the south knows so well)

As progress moves on, the poor and those with limited means lose more and more as Marathon is losing a seasonal campground in the next year (re gentrification becoming condos which local business didn't like as condo owners won't outspend those $100K plus motor coach crowd now there) and they're losing the ghetto trailer-hood to RE gentrification (something local property owners wanted to see gone as it is a haven for those without means or contribute to local economy/hardly any residents there work n town, but use local do gooder orgs for substance/means)....so I assume miami dade transit will subsidize yet more commuter buses outta florida city to marathon Florida for upper keys workers displaced for lack of affordable housing....something marathon florida isn't keen on since what they have is a haven for anti social behaviors...never forget the one section 8 lady who came to city council meeting begging to have the bus shelter returned outside the section8 housing as the sun was too hot she said? The sheriff took the podium and explained the sheriffs dept won't allow it as that shelter was the scene of. 300plus calls for service in one year (911 calls) as a scene of criminal activity and after the shelter was removed the calls for service dropped to less than 60 for the year (next to the shelter is one of marathon Florida's lowest of lowlife bars)

To me that's what the anchorage law is about, limiting and controlling access...it's essentially part two of two tier problem...part one was the trailer house neighborhoods (trailer-hoods) which are so far and few between now in Florida...i met a lot of boat people who went and became "yachties" ( boat people) out of need for housing when their trailer park closed...

[Island Time O25]

This situation is akin to someone buying up at a hefty discount a property next to the large pig farm and later on complaining about the smells etc and trying to put the farm out of business to "improve" their property' ambiance and value.

[SURV69]

Island Time 025:

It happens ... I've seen it ... but I've never seen(or heard of), a landowner who bought land next to an existing pig farm, attempting to "outsmell", the pig farmer as part of his defense against the pig-farmer's smell.

I don't understand how a landowner justifies an attempt to lay claim to a picturesque view by making the view even worse with a bunch of plastic toy boats ...

And I have never heard any sort of proof that boaters, in this one particular problem area, who did anchor there, have ever spotlighted his house, play obnoxiously lout noise, or threaten the inhabitants ... unlike what this one individual seems willing to do to anyone who's found themselves anchored.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by SURV69

Island Time 025:

It happens ... I've seen it ... but I've never seen(or heard of), a landowner who bought land next to an existing pig farm, attempting to "outsmell", the pig farmer as part of his defense against the pig-farmer's smell.

I don't understand how a landowner justifies an attempt to lay claim to a picturesque view by making the view even worse with a bunch of plastic toy boats ...

And I have never heard any sort of proof that boaters, in this one particular problem area, who did anchor there, have ever spotlighted his house, play obnoxiously lout noise, or threaten the inhabitants ... unlike what this one individual seems willing to do to anyone who's found themselves anchored.

Where in my post did you find an attempt "to outsmell" the pig farmer?

And if the property owner did not do his due diligence when buying that waterfront property and either did not notice the party boats and derelicts or did not investigate the laws pertaining to the right to anchor in front of his property that should not be the problem of those who have so far had the right to anchor there. Nor should the state be assisting such property owners to trample on the rights of others. Especially if those rights are federally based.

Basically what the anti-anchoring crowd is cynically saying - f/u poor anchoring shmucks, we have the $$ to wrest your rights from you and so just buzz off and move on.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Sailor Jer

...ordinances, laws like Wash St's are nice, but Wash St's weather makes that law work as it's not "paradise" like Florida is during "season" with all the migratory boaters which is how florida came to the terms with it's overcrowding anchorage issues...like D-day invasion (Florida during season) and Panama 89 operation just cause (Washington St year round)
Washington St. just doesn't have the volume Florida endures year round much less the invasion during season...

This people without means I feel is your focus/culprit, they can't afford to go ashore, much less spend $$$ doing business ashore/pay local fees. And people wonder why locals don't want them or their eye sore/questionable seaworthiness vessels in the harbor discouraging/detouring those with means, the Hinckley, Kadey-Krogen & Leopard crowds with their deep pockets and desire/willingness to spend money at local restaurants, tourist trap stuff...no rocket science there...

Wasn't long ago (2006ish) city of marathon florida realized how to fix their problem with the boot key harbor Wild West with it's derelict vessels/boat people without means...
They built a mooring field to assume control of the harbor...came at a cost which they shared with the state, did a percentage of balls to be deemed "city balls" (like 20%) where people wouldn't have to leave indefinitely, could assume city residency unlike the state mooring balls (80% of the mooring field) where after 180 days squatting are forced to leave the mooring field system for minimum 90 days before being able to lease a state/city mooring ball again...there is also a designated anchorage area to support the mooring field for those wishing to anchor legally in the harbor and or in season those waiting for a mooring ball when there is a waiting list or even those selecting to swing on their own hooks and use facilities possibly indefinitely for a 1/3ish discounted rate...but some of those boat people sneak ashore other places, mangroves etc...and show up at city marina after hours and steal water, ask people at city marina to open a shower door after hours when city marina staff isn't there etc...

These mooring field systems with dink docks/parking lots/mail services etc. seem like the sensible answer providing a viable solution to overcrowding and Wild West of lawless pirates IMO...it's people without means and without connections/friends that lose out access in these scenarios which in most cases is the desired effect for the greater good, leverage to get rid of squatters, undesirables, derelicts and loiterers (all subjective terms)..not a nice answer but a viable solution to overcrowding like what happened in marahon Florida's Boot Key Harbor...corruption begins to be the problem then, and the municipal dock master becomes city councils puppet like a lot of city projects in city public works...like marathon florida and it's pawn shop owner now mayor in public office...he essentially sets the tone for the city's municipal mooring field (city's biggest money maker cash cow) which manages said mooring field.
Lotta power...

The marathon mayor (then vice mayor/city council member) when Florida's anchorage ban/law was being crafted was very very attune to the laws intent/implications....even then he was in the process, keeping the city's director of ports and harbors (dock master) well versed about implications and outcomes of the law...and still is, as marathon florida is ahead or the game now, they have their mooring field in place and able to regulate legally who can squat, even in a derelict vessel on a city mooring ball (generally city trash workers and others seemingly connected business wise/socially to the harbor in town-local harbor clique) while yet others seemingly use the mooring field as wet storage conveniently? (which is against the rules) but hey, it's OK as the city dictates who, where, how long...works as long as people don't make an issue of the corruption, right? (southern and good ol boy system the south knows so well)

As progress moves on, the poor and those with limited means lose more and more as Marathon is losing a seasonal campground in the next year (re gentrification becoming condos which local business didn't like as condo owners won't outspend those $100K plus motor coach crowd now there) and they're losing the ghetto trailer-hood to RE gentrification (something local property owners wanted to see gone as it is a haven for those without means or contribute to local economy/hardly any residents there work n town, but use local do gooder orgs for substance/means)....so I assume miami dade transit will subsidize yet more commuter buses outta florida city to marathon Florida for upper keys workers displaced for lack of affordable housing....something marathon florida isn't keen on since what they have is a haven for anti social behaviors...never forget the one section 8 lady who came to city council meeting begging to have the bus shelter returned outside the section8 housing as the sun was too hot she said? The sheriff took the podium and explained the sheriffs dept won't allow it as that shelter was the scene of. 300plus calls for service in one year (911 calls) as a scene of criminal activity and after the shelter was removed the calls for service dropped to less than 60 for the year (next to the shelter is one of marathon Florida's lowest of lowlife bars)

To me that's what the anchorage law is about, limiting and controlling access...it's essentially part two of two tier problem...part one was the trailer house neighborhoods (trailer-hoods) which are so far and few between now in Florida...i met a lot of boat people who went and became "yachties" ( boat people) out of need for housing when their trailer park closed...

Her I just posted our states law as an example of something that work. You could concert any timeframe you wanted in it. Say 5 days seems like long enough for the cruiser/tourist to see and get bored of the area.

[Sailor Jer]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I wonder why other places that don't allow anchoring don't get the uproar on forums that Florida does.

They aren't "paradise" LOL

They don't have 1000K plus miles of shoreline where it's easy/comfortable to be a less means (if any?) irresponsible boat person disguised as a respectable/responsible yachtie/boat owner/cruiser LOL.

Imagine the uproar if a bunch of uninsured gypsies pulled their ill looking Winnie's and trailers & squatted in front your house, in your town, didn't buy much if anything locally, trespassed thru your yard used your water spickets, swam in your pool, were loud even shooting black powder firearms at nite, exploited all the churches for their kindness/food shelves/manipulated do good ers for money for their schemes etc...wandered off with personal property and when caught said "I thought it was free cuz it was by the end of the driveway" or like the clown who tried to steal my kayak explained "I thought they were throwing it away cuz it was near a dumpster" (kayak, lifejacket & paddle were scratchless as they were 10 days old, the thief scratched them more than I did as he was stealing the items)

this is the problem in Florida, they've legislated the gypsies from freeloading on land in campers/trailers and now they're working on the boats/boat people crowd who selfishly think they're owed the opportunity of squatting/loitering & freedom means "freebies/entitlements" LOL
Freedom requires responsibility, many Americans don't understand this as they have idea of freedom entitles one to be careless...

Some of these people need to learn the term "progression" and realize it's long past time in Florida...much like embracing the idea there is no more middle class in USA, there is the haves and have nots...still room for all, just not all inclusive like when there was a middle class...

time to evolve and adapt...much like no direct discharge in some areas and holding tank-y-valve...can still direct discharge just not near shore...and people not being responsible getting pump outs and wonder why they're being hassled???

[SURV69]

Island Time 025 ...

sorry, that was just something I'm hooked on.

Somewhere on the East Coast, I think, near Miami somewhere ... a landowner has issues with boaters invading his seemingly private anchorage.

This guy has gone so far as to anchor many plastic toy-like sailboats to ensure no one has room to anchor. To me, this is like attempting to smell out the existing pig farmer who has operated his farm for many years ... long before a person was stupid enough to buy the land next door, not realizing the smell he smelled the day he bought the land would be the same smell after paying for the land and in addition ... thinking that out-smelling the pig farmer is a really viable defense to that pig-farmer's smell. Of course this type thinking is very juvenile and nonsensical.

Evidently, it's possible for a boater anchored in his private, picturesque bay, to see him, or his wife walking naked(or something like that), past un-curtained picture windows ... or something lie that.

So the chosen defense to this, is to blind any anchored boats with extremely bright lights, play extremely loud music(or noise), and otherwise threaten the occupants of any anchored boat ...

Very sad situation which will likely be resolved by politicians guided with threats, a little money and a wink and a nod ... the good ole boy way ...

Another segment of the silent majority being silenced... and more rights being withdrawn ...

[Sailor Jer]

SRV said above...

"So the chosen defense to this, is to blind any anchored boats with extremely bright lights, play extremely loud music(or noise), and otherwise threaten the occupants of any anchored boat ...

Very sad situation which will likely be resolved by politicians guided with threats, a little money and a wink and a nod ... the good ole boy way ..."

I LOL at this Cuz this actually happens in Boot Key Harbor to the mooring field city marina self appointed mayor of the city marina clique...

His cat is on one of the finer positioned mooring balls (less dingy passerbys-breeze-nicest condos for scenery) and the condo in front his mooring ball has spotlights pointed on their docks pointed at the mooring field, he's tried feverishly to get the condo to remove them but they remain steadfast LOL
Pretty funny ongoing battle/drama...

On the note of people anchoring boats to take up space mentioned above & make anchoring unavailable...seen that done in anchorages like Boot Key Harbor when season starts up about mid November, been part of that actually...
I made a mooring for my 17ft racing sailboat near friends anchored trawler (which I partied on almost nightly) to limit anchoring space around his trawler so others coming around during season wouldn't be intrusive to "his space"...He watched my racing sailboat in return. He also anchored his 14ft runabout in position which severely limited others ability to anchor near him LOL.

All these little games & life's lessons about trying to be cheap is why I'm firm believer in the rent a slip at a marina now...
too much drama when you try being the liveaboard on a vessel by cheapest means i.e. Anchoring/squatting long term/municipal mooring fields vs private marina slips/private quay...less public B.S. As well as kooks/undesirable experiences.

[SURV69]

Since back in the mid 90's, I've "anchored" at a dock ... sometimes I change marinas, and I expect to change marinas this year too.

But 2 things really get tiring

1)... I'm in Ohio. I like the spring and I even have a sorta perverse liking of winter. Fall is really nice and summer is when I feel the healthiest.

2) ... I'm in Ohio

oops ... maybe 3

3) ... I'm in Ohio and I stay at marinas. I can't get my tongue around the thrill of taking the boat out for a few hours and returning. I have been to the islands a couple of times on overnight ... but it just doesn't do it.

This year I hope to buddy up to Lake Huron for a while. Maybe this trip will change my attitude about being in ... Ohio ...

What I really want to try out is a little like the camping I used to do, where I'd go out and stay here and there for a month or two ... I would like to do some sailing without touching too much land ... at least for a while.

But, I don't want to run into some yahoo, who feels I don't have a right to do this. If I'm anchored somewhere legally ... I really don't want to be bothered and/or harassed for enjoying myself.

I don't know the whole picture in Florida, but it doesn't look pretty ... and it doesn't seem right.

I do believe that this individual that owns waterfront land doesn't want ANYONE anchoring in his sight. I don't think it's just vagabonds, Gypsies or what-have-you in dilapidated boats ... He wants to maintain control, as he sees fit on this land he doesn't own(or the water above it).

In all seriousness, this is class warfare to the nth degree, and this person seems willing to ruin the solitude of this area to the detriment of everybody ... E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y ... including his own friends and neighbors and boaters who are legally out trying to enjoy themselves.

It borders on lunacy ...

[dwedeking2]

Gonna stress yourself out.

This trend is happening in a lot of facets in American life and will continue. Take some of your money and support the organizations that are attempting to slow this down. They will ultimately fail, but it may slow the monied beast down some.

Then do like Tomfl states and find remote locations away from the nightlight of the city and enjoy those remote spots while they're still available. Move on when they go away.

This has been the rule of nomad living for centuries.

[SVNeko]

Did he sign the dang law yet!?

[Sailor Jer]

Originally Posted by dwedeking2

Gonna stress yourself out.

This trend is happening in a lot of facets in American life and will continue. Take some of your money and support the organizations that are attempting to slow this down. They will ultimately fail, but it may slow the monied beast down some.

Then do like Tomfl states and find remote locations away from the nightlight of the city and enjoy those remote spots while they're still available. Move on when they go away.

This has been the rule of nomad living for centuries.

Big Amen on that!

If one doesn't have the fortitude to put up with kooks, crackheads, bossy know it alls trying to force their ideas-conditions on you, selfish self centered people with little if any regard for others, antagonists you aren't gonna like Florida...place is a convention of them and filled with them all trying to out do the next guy or a scam trying to separate people from their coin...we had Berrie Maidoff and Barnum Bailey some of the best conmen ever...biggest threat in Florida, C o n m e n ! ! !
"Mn Nice" or that Midwestern nice guy hospitality doesn't exist in Florida-like vegas everyone has an angle...preying on people who get took and leave fast (tourists-"tour-on" rhymes with moron) or become numb and practice solace with little interaction with others so as their kindness isn't mistaken for weakness.
Do good ers/bleeding hearts are seen as a social menace to floridians, they are "enablers for those who haven't earned their way/place in Florida" is a Floridian mentality...I'm a Californian, NorCal mentality who likes weather of SoCal but not the superficial/fake/phonies/opportunists of SoCal and even friends back home say I'm getting too cold/hard they hardly believe I'm becoming "normal" compared to when I left west coast/best coast...probably appreciate SoCal now and I can see what they mean, though I'm spoiled by Atlantic warm water, so much cruise-able area here I couldn't imagine cruising pacific again-boating their is so limited as well as cold water whaaa..

Land owners on water in Florida see any all boats they don't own as a nuisance as well & wonder what B.S. Is your angle & what you're gonna try and take from them period!!!
Rightfully so IMO, nothing worse than having a BBQ, trying to have quality time or impress someone and here comes a random boat trying to anchor. Oh great now the view is spoiled, the couple aboard is arguing about something already, their halyards are slapping on the mast all nite, or they're idling the motor polluting the air and making noise pollution, they throw trash which washes ashore on property or dump their MSD and that washes ashore. Smells of their stove impending on the property driving our domestic animals nuts, the birds circling around the unwanted vessel eating the Cheetos outta the jerk boaters hand cuz he thinks it's cool to feed the wildlife while his wife videos. All this is easy stuff..fun starts when/if the random boater motors up & tries to be friendly and be bothersome trying to come ashore looking for who knows what? "Hey bro, we ran outta beer can we tie up and run to the store?" Or "can my GF use your bathroom, she needs to go potty"
My fave when they try the friendly act and come ashore for water or the typical new to florida and boating "can we park our dink on your beach for a few hours cuz we wanna see your area/fido needs to run some he's jumpy cuz he can't run so much on the boat?"

You'd be surprised how many new to florida/new to boating boaters just land a dink in someone's dock/yard like its a free public launch LOL ...never ceases to amaze me...why florida and especially the keys has so many arrests for trespassing..look up monroe county sheriffs dept website, look up arrests/mug shots and see for yourself it's crazy how many people go to jail for trespassing...

Crime as well, vessel makes the perfect getaway in Florida..no tracks, usually no witnesses, no road blocks...they all look alike seemingly when asked for identifying traits...a lotta break ins by kooks forging for food/shelter...never forget a Saturday nite, 22:30hrs beginning of season mid December 2014ish my first season Boot Key Harbor, I'm below kinda napping off another early party, can hear the music from dockside bar in boot key harbor and I feel a "thud" so I scramble topside to see some random 17ft center console kinda ghetto looking, I says "yo brah, if you're too smashed to not run into peeps should keep it in the channel not cheat through the mooring field" and Jethroe won't make eye contact? I assumed he was ashamed but then my SoCal mindset kicked in...I looked and my kayak was half hanging off the bow. If it wasn't tied to the deck by its painter it would've come off when Jethroe tried pulling it off my stansion missing bow into his center console. Course I have good intentions and quickly learned a lot of people in Florida do not real fast...or that is what the asst dock master told me in the morning when I briefed him/looked for advise on the issue..he was impressed I lashed the kayak secretly to the deck, I told him I didn't wanna lose it if it fell overboard...he said "your safety line showed that creeper"

A better acquaintance of mine in boot key harbor inherited his dads place in a canal in boot key harbor...he's a boater, has a marine business and he despises boaters especially pompous cruisers though he makes mad money off them...that's the mentality of Florida, seemingly little if any integrity, consistency or sincerity/honor...or that's my opinion as I am now a florida resident for last 19 months, 16 of which I wasn't on the mainland/didn't go to mainland at all but lived on either my liveaboard vessel during season or on land off season in a military campground with my spot on the water for Paddleboarding-fishing-had my dink for lobstering/running around sigsbee bay side to friends anchored boats. You wouldn't believe how much jetski B.S. I endured, I hear them skis coming and they love to be close to shore (which they're suppose to stay 100ft off) so I got me a 10ft shore casting fishing rig with big ol lure and cast out...jet skis tour guides got the hint...so much B.S. Outta those jet skis made me wanna move back aboard my vessel...

Florida very seductive for the first week-30 or so days you really think you're in paradise then reality sets in if you interact with others, move about and aren't like some hermit hold up on some deserted gated community, maybe you sober up/maybe not but maybe you start seeing all the corruption, favoritism, discrimination, pointless bickering by bored people needing drama, lawlessness etc. or maybe you're inept & never do or just don't care so it doesn't bother you or affect you...

Paradise (Florida) will always be that place in the news though...cuz it's got drama!

[Blue Crab]

"The water's always bluer on the other side of the ocean."

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by dwedeking2

Gonna stress yourself out.

This trend is happening in a lot of facets in American life and will continue. Take some of your money and support the organizations that are attempting to slow this down. They will ultimately fail, but it may slow the monied beast down some.

Then do like Tomfl states and find remote locations away from the nightlight of the city and enjoy those remote spots while they're still available. Move on when they go away.

This has been the rule of nomad living for centuries.

Not sure this is about a "monied beast".

First off contrary to what some others have posted BKH Marina is not really a money maker for the city. In fact by its opponents it loses money. First off it gets big bucks from the federal and state grants that are often overlooked in determining if it is in the red or black. Next there are some real hidden costs. A lot of the long time year round folks living in the harbor are on some type of disability. Not to mention a significant number have an alcohol problem (and drugs as well) resulting in the need for emergency services. More than once I have seen LEOs called to take some one off their boat for a trip to Fisherman's Hospital, often billed at five figures and not paid for. But compared to what BKH was before this is an improvement. Tax payer funded pump outs have improved water quality and anchoring is mostly limited to the far end of the harbor. Anyone who has ever been at the dinghy dock after 6:00PM knows there is a huge influx of tenders who don't have a sticker. They come in to go to bars, shop, dump trash, beg a shower card, steal wifi, and steal water.

What ever one thinks about the cost of a ball there it is a lot less than a room at a local hotel/motel. As a rule folks in a hotel/motel will eat out more often and if they have a kitchen will buy more food that will be more expensive at stores. Fishing trips, dive trips, buying toys and such is much more common on tourists living in hotels than on boats.

It is all too easy to point a finger at rich guys living in waterfront MacMansions, but that ignores the fact that the huge majority of folks in Florida see their tax bills increasing to pay for things they never use to prevent things like pollution from the things they will never use.

Pump outs are a classic example. In many crowded places in Florida they are free to the boater (but paid for using federal and state grants). There are also a lot of boaters who seem to think there is nothing wrong with dumping directly in the ocean if they think they can get away with it. Same goes for throwing trash overboard. Not to mention the number of folks who think water should be free.

In the past folks could get away with ignoring pumpouts and freely dumping trash. Problem is not there are so many more folks both on boats and on land that not only is there more trash, but also more folks to catch bad actors dumping. Sad to say I only see that getting worse due to even more peeps.