More on Florida’s Restrictive Anchoring Legislation by Jim Healy
Anchoring restrictions imposed by Florida’s legislators have been increasing for years with legislators pressured by wealthy landowners to remove all visiting vessels. See AGLCA Confronts More Anchor Restrictions in Florida. Our thanks to frequent contributor, Jim Healy, for this information as posted on AGLCA’s Forum.
There are two new bills in Florida that have the potential to become common practice up and down the East Coast. (That’s one reason our coalition has struggled over the years to get this “right,” whatever “right” is.) One is a bill that limits the amount of time a boat can anchor in any one place to 30 consecutive days in any calendar year. After 30-days, the boat has to move at least one mile from where it was. I would like to have seen that a larger distance, but one mile is enough. This involves “Anchoring Restricted Areas.” ARAs can be defined bu local municipalities, with narrow waterways crowded with private and commercial docks and lots of traffic. The amount of territory they can occupy is also limited, so it can’t be the entire available water course.
The other bill creates a new category of “nuisance boat.” If a boat gets flagged for conditions that the law states lead to becoming derelict 3 times in 18 months, it can be declared a “nuisance” and can be seized by the authorities. This, to “prevent it” from becoming derelict. I am personally convinced that the water police in various municipalities know the problem vessels and their owners, so again, I think this is a positive step forward.
Both of these bills are in response to the growing awareness that boats that are long term stored on the water tend to deteriorate and devolve towards becoming derelict. That probably isn’t what the owner originally wanted, but we see that on land, too, with rusting old cars in back lots that the owner once though would get around to “fixing’ up again.”
Making boats move is good because it means that owners will have to inspect ground tackle and make the engines run at least once a month. Or, will have to move that long-term stored boat to a mooring field and comply with the regulations of the field operator. And the waterfront property owners will see that movement occurring. And yes, municipalities that have whined long and loud about long-term anchored boats will have to step up with enforcement. None of that affects the AGLCA/MTOA/SSCA/DeFevers Cruisers population of member/cruisers, so it is good for us. Why? It will lead to keeping anchorages open and anchoring available to our members as they cruise, visit points-of-interest, and move on. And, it seems likely that it will open some anchorages that are currently clogged up with long-term stored boats.
Stay alert, though. There are things happening that may not be as favorable…
Jim
Monk 36 Hull #132
Comments from Cruisers (4)
This sounds like a good collection of regulations.
Thanks for the update Jim!
To begin with I am a liveaboard in S Fl who was born and raised here and have been boating my whole life (so has my mom, and grandparents). I’ve lived aboard/cruised for the past 4 years now.
I’m down for the derelict classification and anything that makes remove all easier, in fact I’ve rushed it three times this past year to remove boats from the anchorage I am in. It is already relatively easy to remove them with the derelict/at risk vessel reclassification laws that passed 2 years ago, you just call FWC and they do an inspection. They will literally be there within 48hrs at most. The problem is people in FL don’t want to pay taxes and already this year S FL has used up their allocated budget to remove derelict boats. If they want the derelict boats gone it is simply a matter of money allocation.
Now the concept of making a boat move after 30 days is ridiculous.
Just because I don’t want to move my boat every 30 days does not mean it is derelict. Often I work on boats that have more than 30 days worth of project work and this would make it unfeasible to work in them and get them in working shape.
If I am doing extensive work on my boat having to franchise every 30 days is a huge nuisance.
What if I own and permitted my own mooring ball? Which yes you can actually do. What happens then?
Also many anchorages don’t have more than a mile away to move to so this effectively blocks people from using the same anchorage that they were initially in.
Access to things like fresh water, and dinghy docks can be limited to a certain area and moving a mile further will make it quite difficult for many sailors who can’t afford dinghies with a 30hp on the back.
This is awful legislation.
Boating shouldn’t be just for the rich.. The minimum dock space in WPB is about $1500 a month for a 37’ which means the average working individual would need to make $25 an hour min to make that work, in a state where minimum wage is $7.25 and most workers make less than $15 an hour.
It costs over $500 a month just for a mooring ball in dinner key which is just outrageous (it’s also incredibly uncomfortable as it’s wide open to prevailing winds and you’ll for sure have things stolen from your dinghy)
Again boating shouldn’t be only for the rich and that is where this legislation is ultimately heading.
I can certainly live with this. Anything that gets the derelicts off the water, yet allows those of us who cruise responsibly in well maintained boats, is good.
Jim has it absolutely right – these bills are a good answer to the problems caused by "derelict" boats. I have never understood why it is such a problem to identify abandoned boats and take the into custody before they become hazards to navigation and to the environment. Track down the owner while the boat is still afloat if it appears to have been abandoned. There are many such boats still floating here in Brevard County Florida in the Banana River and Indian River Lagoon. Go get 'em.