Listing of all "Special Anchorages" as designated by the USCG for the US and its Territories

Jul 27, 2011
4,990
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
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Jan 19, 2010
1,169
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
Just stumbled on the official listing of all Special Anchorages in the US and it's Territories.

This is not a discussion of whether you need an anchor light when on a mooring, just info on where the Special Anchorages, where you don't need an anchor light when less than 65 feet according to COLREGs.

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg...CFR-2019-title33-vol1-part110.xml#seqnum110.4
110.6A. is MY mooring field....In reading the associated posts, a check was made of the NOAA charts. There are MANY Special Anchorages on the list that are NOT illustrated on charts.

When I first got into boating, I subscribed to the CG Light List Publication. Bought the book of stickers to add new or cover removed ATONs.. What a waste of time. Charts became almost unusable... I came to the realization that there are NO new rocks or ledges..and we don't have shifting bars...
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
So if an area is a "Special Anchorage", does that mean the laws pertaining to that area are federal and not subject to local ordinances?
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,990
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
So if an area is a "Special Anchorage", does that mean the laws pertaining to that area are federal and not subject to local ordinances?
Could be. I’m sure Admiralty Laws would still apply generally. I know that there’s a General Anchorage area in Long Beach Harbor, which is marked on the chart, that is under jurisdiction of municipal harbor managers. That is, the [City of] Long Beach Marine Bureau says how it can be used. This is the “White Island” anchorage as known to the locals. The basic rule as we know it is that you can anchor there behind White Island on weekends, although I see boats there throughout the week as well. However, MOST of Long Beach Harbor inside demarcation is under jurisdiction of the Port of Long Beach (= commercial shipping).
 
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Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
So if an area is a "Special Anchorage", does that mean the laws pertaining to that area are federal and not subject to local ordinances?
If you read the notes that go with the "Special Anchorage" list you will see that there are copious references to "local" control of the use of the Special Anchorage and who must be contacted (if it is required) to put your boat there. From that I would infer that about the only thing a Special Anchorage imparts, at least for most applications, is an exception to displaying an all around white light if you are less than 65 feet. How it is identified and "designated" seems to be a collaboration between the Federal and Local authorities.
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
We always had this discussion regarding the Shelter Island Special Anchorages at West Neck and Coecle's Harbors. The Town SI would set the buoys to an impossibly small area. Then we would find that they were moved back to the familiar larger anchorage. We assumed the CG told them to go back to the specified dimensions. I noted on this page that the specific boundaries of those anchorages are listed. So I think with at least the size of the anchorage the CG prevails.
 
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Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
If you read the notes that go with the "Special Anchorage" list you will see that there are copious references to "local" control of the use of the Special Anchorage and who must be contacted (if it is required) to put your boat there. From that I would infer that about the only thing a Special Anchorage imparts, at least for most applications, is an exception to displaying an all around white light if you are less than 65 feet. How it is identified and "designated" seems to be a collaboration between the Federal and Local authorities.
Thanks @smokey73
So I'm looking at 110.72d (Ashley River SC) and there are no notes there. Would the safe bet be to contact the local CG station and ask about setting a morring? Or is it the wild east.:biggrin: Locals tell me there is not real regulation and I have found two other mooring fields in the are that are not on any list. Also stories of abandoned boats out in the marsh etc. Seems all very implausable to me. I'm coming from an area that was very tightly regulated.
 
Jan 19, 2010
1,169
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
In the State of Maine there is a Law known as the Submerged Lands Act. Basically it makes several things unmistakeable clear. First, the State owns ALL submerged land to the low water mark, and second waterfront land owners own to the low tide mark. Since our Club has floats and pilings, we are required to annually " rent" the land that is under the floats, from the State. There was a dockominium in the harbor. They OWNED the land under their floats because it had a concrete floor. It was a WWII Liberty Ship dry dock. Since the bottom is concrete is classified as RECLAIMED land. Our mooring field is 110.6A and our neighbors are the USCG Group Portland..
 
Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
Interesting. I see nothing shown for Puget Sound, Hood Canal, or San Juan Islands.
These areas include many anchorages, thousands of boats, major shipping ports, and multiple military areas.

Ken
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Hope this isn't a Hijack.
But there are areas in and around LI that were granted to loyalists in the Revolutionary War including bay bottom from King George. One property is Gardiner's Island.
We set up a mooring field in , I don't want to say where, and the town objected. We were about to have a fight with the town and someone else stepped forward and said that his family owned the bay bottom, going back to the 1600's as per King George, and the town had nothing to say about it. NY Courts have upheld those deeds or whatever they are in the past. So the town backed down fearing a costly battle they were likely to lose.
In the end Cormorants emptied the mooring field faster than the town ever could. I counted 13 on one small yawl.
 
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Feb 8, 2014
1,300
Columbia 36 Muskegon
Around here in Michigan a lot of the Special Anchorage Areas are so jammed up full of moorings you can't anchor there. Since under COLREGS a moored vessel is the same as an anchored vessel this is fine with the Feds. I'm on a mooring in a SAA and the City owns the moorings and they charge around $500 for the summer. They didn't fill the whole area so you could anchor there, but all the land surrounding the area is owned by the City so unless you paid the fee there could be a problem landing your dinghy. People do it, but there could be a problem of they caught you. I find that to be case pretty much everywhere, the Anchorage Areas are free to anchor in, but all private land so you can't get off the boat. Not many of the town's have dinghy docks and with the record high water we have now some of ones that do exist are unusable.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,990
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
110.6A. is MY mooring field....In reading the associated posts, a check was made of the NOAA charts. There are MANY Special Anchorages on the list that are NOT illustrated on charts.

When I first got into boating, I subscribed to the CG Light List Publication. Bought the book of stickers to add new or cover removed ATONs.. What a waste of time. Charts became almost unusable... I came to the realization that there are NO new rocks or ledges..and we don't have shifting bars...
So. This might explain why one could see, as reported, boats at anchor not showing lights or shapes, and yet not in a marked Special Anchorage. Those boats don’t get USCG citations b/c they are not actually in violation of any COLREGS, etc. Best that skippers traveling at night know where they are!:doh: Interesting, the things we learn here!;)
 
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Oct 26, 2010
1,883
Hunter 40.5 Beaufort, SC
So. This might explain why one might see, as reported, boats at anchor not showing lights or shapes, and yet not in a marked Special Anchorage. Those boats don’t get USCG citations b/c they are not actually in violation of any COLREGS, etc. Best that skippers traveling at night know where they are!:doh: Interesting, the things we learn here!
I know its been enlightening for me. I will probably still display an LED all around white light if I am near the edge of a Special Anchorage even though it might not be required. I've got the light and a solar panel so better safe than sorry.