Where to find anchoring regs in FL????

[Sumner]

I didn't want to muddy up the thread on "Florida Anchoring Legislation" so I'll ask this on a separate thread."

I can see when you live in an area and sail there and read the local papers and talk to other boaters you learn what the local anchoring regulations are, but....

We live 2200 miles away and when we arrive are out on the water with limited access to local knowledge and usually always go some place new. How do we find out what the local regulations are? We buy the popular cruising guides, but they aren't current and it seems even the info on the internet is confusing to say the least.

We are always anchored out. Are we pretty safe in assuming that the worst that will happen is that we will be told to move on if we are someplace we are not suppose to be? We do check charts for things like cable and other 'no anchoring' areas that are on the NOAA charts.

Am I understanding right that with these new or proposed mooring fields that once they go in or if they already are in that no anchoring is allowed within so many miles of them? If so where do you find the information that explains all of that?

Thanks,

Sum

 

[soling42]

Southwinds magazine is a regional sailing mag that has taken a strong position in defending anchoring rights and awareness of what you can/cannot do in Fl. Hit this link and look into their archives of the last few months for anchoring rights and the law.

http://www.southwindsmagazine.com/

For the most part, anchoring in Fl is a non event unless you're unlucky enough to back up to the wrong guys house or are dumb enough to be an eye/ear sore of a neighbor.

Another very serious "current conditions heads up" is to hit the Redtide update link for what may be coming our way on the west coast of Fl this season. This is a serious bummer if it heads your way. You will NOT want to stay aboard if there is ANY redtide bloom around. Serious respiratory distress will come from prolonged exposure to the algae bloom toxins. Last time this happened here we had to trailer our boat to inland lakes for the entire season. I was just about to launch the boat for our upcoming season in a few days and this mornings paper had a redtide headline for the coast. A new plan may need to be formed.

http://myfwc.com/research/redtide/events/status/statewide/

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110928/ARTICLE/110929532/2055/NEWS

Hope this helps, Mike

 

[PaulK]

IMHO that a lot of the anchoring "regulations" may depend on what you anchor, as well as where. If you show up in a beautiful classic 80' schooner with newly done varnish and holystoned decks, you're not as likely to find out about the "two day max" rule as a guy in a chaulky pop-top fiberbox with an oily transom and a scrungy dinghy behind him. You have two boats.... which do you think is likely to get the warmer reception in FL?

 

[Bill1565]

Horse's mouth

I didn't want to muddy up the thread on "Florida Anchoring Legislation" so I'll ask this on a separate thread."

I can see when you live in an area and sail there and read the local papers and talk to other boaters you learn what the local anchoring regulations are, but....

We live 2200 miles away and when we arrive are out on the water with limited access to local knowledge and usually always go some place new. How do we find out what the local regulations are? We buy the popular cruising guides, but they aren't current and it seems even the info on the internet is confusing to say the least. If so where do you find the information that explains all of that?

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/ Section XXIV Chapters 326-328 deals with vessels. 327.4105 specifically deals with the pilot program. Currently there are no 'local anchoring regulations'. Each of the 5 pilot cities held open meetings that were poorly attended by boaters. To my knowledge there was much discussion, there have been no actions.

if you really want to wallow in Florida Anchoring, Florida Sea Grant www.flseagrant.org has prepared a 50 page study called "Anchoring Away".
Reads much longer than 50 pages. History, UN vs Federal vs state vs local rights, responsibilities, authority.

 

[Bill1565]

OOps

 

[Benny17441]

I think PaulK has hit the nail in the head but I would go a step further and say that a boat does not have to be new, big or expensive but just to look tidy and clean. All it takes is some common sense to be able to travel in Florida relatively hassle free. Have your boat and yourself look presentable, be curteous and considerate with those in the community and you are likely to be treated with respect. Don't take it personally if you are asked to move as any city ordinance in effect pertains to disputes logged long before your arrival. If asked to move don't argue as these officials are just doing a job and likely tired of hearing rants about personal and navigational rights and could care less. Just move on down the coast and you are likely to find a more welcoming community. It is the actions of a few boaters and a few capricious property owners that have ruined it for everyone else. I personally blame our city officials that find it easier to restrict the actions of everyone instead of singling out and punishing the offending ones. They should agree to promptly remove those boats that are an eyesore and boaters that behave unruly and after that tell any complaining property owner to suck it up. It should not take the Supreme Court to define what constitute an eyesore and what is petty behaviour. Come on down, is not nearly as bad as activists on both side of the issue make it sound.

 

[med2463]

Been boating in FL since 1995, don't recall being asked to move, although we don't stay most places more than a few days. Here is more info on anchoring. http://www.cruisingworld.com/how-to...estrictions-proposed-from-maryland-to-florida

 

[Sumner]

....a chaulky pop-top fiberbox with an oily transom and a scrungy dinghy behind him. You have two boats.... which do you think is likely to get the warmer reception in FL?

We won't be in the 'junkie' boat that you referred to and we don't ever anchor in front of someone's home anyway. Sorry that it doesn't meet your standards,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Tori Taylor]

I have a current PDF of the regs on my computer I can email to you

 

[Sumner]

Thanks for the links guys. They were helpful in understanding the mooring fields. Tori I'll PM you an e-mail address for the PDF, thanks,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Stu Jackson]

Well said, Benny

thanks

 

[Merlin Clark]

IMHO that a lot of the anchoring "regulations" may depend on what you anchor, as well as where. If you show up in a beautiful classic 80' schooner with newly done varnish and holystoned decks, you're not as likely to find out about the "two day max" rule as a guy in a chaulky pop-top fiberbox with an oily transom and a scrungy dinghy behind him. You have two boats.... which do you think is likely to get the warmer reception in FL?

Sumner's Mac is a well kept boat and welcome on my dock anytime. I don't make this offer to many people.

 

[CanuckSailor]

Here's the rules - you can anchor anywhere outside of a mooring field without restriction. No municipality can legislate anchoring outside of a properly permitted mooring field. No one - period - can ask or request that you move. (FL statute 327.60) Not the police, the FWC, or any private citizen, although some might try or have tried, such as the idiot at Sunset Lake in Miami Beach. The police there have told him he'll face charges if he continues to interfere with boaters who are legally anchored.
Now, the pilot program states that five cities (four actually and Monroe County (the keys)), can make ordinances outside of their mooring fields. Said ordinances will remain in place as a test until early 2014, at which time they are annulled unless the Florida state legislature ratifies them. Then they apply to the entire state.
Right now, St. Augustine is looking for a ten day anchoring limit, plus a buffer zone around its mooring fields. That will pretty much end anchoring there I suspect, unless you're happy being way out in the boonies and well away from the reasons you want to go to St. A.
Sarasota is expected to request a major buffer zone. They tried for a five mile zone but it got tossed out in court some time ago. That would prohibit anchoring in that area from the first marina south to the next marina north from what I can see.
The Keys are about to set up a 'managed anchoring' area - 45 miles from the nearest mooring field, in Sunset Cove. What that means is that you likely won't be able to anchor there without, believe it or not, a pumpout log and a USCGA safety sticker, and if the FWC doesn't like the look of your boat - you're outta there.
Key West is likely going with the same rules.
You asked. Florida is about to go back to the pre 2006 rules where every damn municipality was telling us to move on. Even the nice boats, because you never know when some bum boat will come and anchor beside him/her.
The scary thing is, Florida boaters don't seem to understand that their rights are being cut out from under them.

 

[zeehag]

tori has em ... southeast sailors, also...

 

[Tori Taylor]

I will email them to whomever needs them tomorrow I have the OPs email already.

 

[CanuckSailor]

Each of the 5 pilot cities held open meetings that were poorly attended by boaters.

Bill, the public meetings are still ongoing. Stuart has one next week and, to my knowledge, Sarasota has yet to begin. There is still time for the boating public to be heard on this issue. Boat US will be speaking to the FWC about better public noticing, as was promised by them...eg, the Stuart meeting had less than ten day's notice.