Living on the hook??

[Carbonbody]

This is something that I don''t fully understand. I know what it means, but can you really live anywhere on the hook without paying fees? I know that in USVI''s you have to pick up and pay for a mooring if there is one available. How does it work in Florida, BVI''s, Bahamas, and Puerto Rico? Do you just find a spot and throw out the hook and live there as long as you want without fees? Forgive my ignorance, but I have never done it and want to know what to expect when the day comes I cast off to liveaboard on the hook.

[Eliasg3]

Well it aint like it used to be, even here in the US. Check out this article- http://www.business.uiuc.edu/orer/V12-2-1.pdf
Federal law, using law that was established when our founding fathers promoted freedom for their citizens, where ships were granted freedom to anchor free of charge, and the law stated that they will always have that right, well federal law still supports that right and there have been Anchorages established through most of our water ways, and the Coast Gard over-sees compliance and safety. However, our rights in many ways are slowly being taken away from us, and specically these "rights of anchorage" have been taken away. I''m not trying to get political here, but state/local governments are more concerned about "protecting" the water view of it''s land owning citizens than "protecting" your rights to anchor freely. Home owners place pressure on local government, and that is slowly leading to not only more and more restrictions, but fees that we cruisers must pay if we want to stay at certain achorages. (what was promissed to us by the founders of this country, is slowly being broken) As to how it''s handled internationaly, you would have to look up the rules there. Some places allow you to stay for free, for a certain amount of time, after clearing into their country. Some places have a 1 time entrance fee for a specific amount of time, and that''s the only fee you have to pay. As to those specific places you asked about: Fla- has both, free and duty anchorages with restrictions, BVI''s- I chartered there, and you had to pay some nominal fees to stay in those waters, but after that, anhoring was free; I haven''t looked at the other 2. From many things I''ve read in current times, this is becoming more and more of a problem in the desireable places to stay, since there is a higher concentration of boats, it bothers the locals who own big houses by the water, that you can share the same view as they do, but you dont have to pay the taxes they pay for that house.... maybe they should spend some time in the cramped, rolling quarters you''re in, and really see if it''s something to be jealous about.

[Carbonbody]

Thank you, the pdf doc was a good read and you answered my question. I see that I must research each area beforehand to determine if there is a fee or regulation.

[Carbonbody]

Anyone know if I could live on the hook around St John USVI in bays that are NOT in the state park?

[svdragonseeker]

There are still places in St. John to anchor, such as Coral Bay, but it is crouded. If it is in a national park you can pick up a mooring with a fee of $15/night with a limit of 15?days per place.
In St. Thomas they try to get you to pay a monthly anghoring fee if you don''t move from place to place occasionally.