SSCA’s Position on FWC Anchoring Summary Released
The Seven Seas Cruising Association has long been a strong advocate for boaters’ rights, especially the right to anchor without undue restrictions. SSECN applauds SSCA’s publication of their position on FWC’s recent summary of anchoring rights, see /?p=146797, and urges Florida boaters to contact their respective legislators asking for support for anchoring rights.
PRESS RELEASE
For More Information Contact: For Immediate Release
Barbara Theisen, Editor 2/12/2015
Seven Seas Cruising Association, Inc.
2501 East Commercial Blvd., Suite 203
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
954-771-5662 ‘“ Home Base
editor@ssca.org
SEVEN SEAS CRUISING ASSOCIATION RELEASES
FLORIDA ANCHORING RIGHTS POSITION
The Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) has published its position on the new Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Anchoring Survey results. The FWC will propose legislative changes to anchoring rights. Some are positive, but some will prevent Florida boaters from anchoring, only to preserve the waterfront view of a very few landowners. Every Florida Boater needs to contact their elected representatives to preserve their Florida anchoring rights.
SSCA approves the following FWC proposal: (Numbering preserved from the FWC Executive Summary. )
3. The storing of vessels on the water in deteriorating condition would be prohibited. (However, SSCA’s position is that Florida legislators must approve funding for the regulation and removal of these `derelict’ boats).
However, SSCA does not approve of the following FWC anchoring rights proposals as reasonable concepts:
2. A setback distance where anchoring of vessels overnight in close proximity to waterfront residential property would be prohibited.
5. If authority was granted to local governments to regulate anchoring in their jurisdiction, an allowance could be created for other anchoring regulations where need is demonstrated.
Florida anchoring rights are important to all boaters. Florida is a bellwether state for water rights, and if
Florida restricts federal rights of boats to travel and anchor on public waters, just to preserve the view of a
few landowners (residential setback), other states may follow. Also, proposal 5 (approval of local regulation) would create an impossible patchwork of differing regulations across the state, subject to the whims and enforcement of local cities and counties. This is what the current mooring field regulations were enacted to eliminate. But SSCA agrees with FWC’s proposal to define and remove derelict boats, if funding is also approved for this regulation and removal.
Seven Seas Cruising Association, Inc. is the oldest and largest non-profit organization of voyaging cruisers
in the world. SSCA has nearly 8,000 members sharing the dream of sailing the seas as a lifestyle. The goals of the original founders are still the goals of SSCA today: sharing cruising information, camaraderie, and leaving a clean wake. For more information, go to www.ssca.org
See: Executive Summary of FWC Anchoring Survey Results at:
http://myfwc.com/media/2981012/Anchoring-Survey-Executive-Summary.pdf
Comments from Cruisers (1)
The arguments around so-called “derelict” vessels are disingenuous. The FWC already has a detailed and effective plan in place for identifying and dealing with truly derelict vessels. There is even funding available for this, but it is often used up with several really expensive problem vessels each year–sometimes commercial vessels that are abandoned. It is not a problem of lack of laws and regulations, but a lack of will and enforcement. Unfortunately, the smoke screen of derelict vessels has been used to negatively impact cruising boaters who locals don’t like the look of for one reason or another. By the way, Seven Seas was a strong supporter of the trial anchoring and mooring program which has been used to essentially outlaw anchoring in communities that install mooring fields. This was exactly the result that some of us predicted when the anchoring and mooring plan was hatched. It had nothing to do with improving access to waterways, and everything to do with outlawing anchoring.