[wayne williams]

What could or what do you think would happen if you were anchored in an area that was legal but the locals dont want you there and you were fishing. Do you think that they could make you move if you had a couple of fishing reels in use.

 

[capta]

What could or what do you think would happen if you were anchored in an area that was legal but the locals dont want you there and you were fishing. Do you think that they could make you move if you had a couple of fishing reels in use.

Well, you need a fishing license in Fla, in the first place. They are pretty cheap if you are a resident, but a bit more expensive if you are not, if I remember correctly.

 

[svHyLyte]

What could or what do you think would happen if you were anchored in an area that was legal but the locals dont want you there and you were fishing. Do you think that they could make you move if you had a couple of fishing reels in use.

In an area where it is legal to anchor, you could/would not be forced to move. You might be subject to a "safety inspection" by local marine authorities but so long as your boat is in conformance with legal requirements you'll be fine. Fishing is irrelevant provided, again, you are holding the proper licenses which can be purchased on-line or at most any fishing supplies vendor in the State. In most cases, if one is courteous and considerate of ones (involuntary) temporary neighbors, most will not have a problem with your passage.

FWIW...

 

[night0wl]

This could change in the upcoming florida legislative session. There are representatives that are fighting on behalf of (wealthy) landowners to have set-backs created. Expect it to be 150-300'...which essentially makes many anchorages (lake sylvia) untenable.

 

[123456Wannasail654321]

This could change in the upcoming florida legislative session. There are representatives that are fighting on behalf of (wealthy) landowners to have set-backs created. Expect it to be 150-300'...which essentially makes many anchorages (lake sylvia) untenable.

Of course they have to enforce that. Do you think they will?

 

[hellosailor]

Dunno about Floriduh, but in the more progressive northern states, if you're fishing without a license and you're in possession of something that's under or over the limits (too small, or too many, or too whatever) a REAL nice conservation officer can and will confiscate all equipment used in the commission of the crime.

Y'all can go ashore in your shorts and pick up everything else from the impound dock.

And they're being nice to you by letting you keep the shorts.

Word gets around pretty quickly, folks are more afraid of that than paying a fine.

 

[123456Wannasail654321]

Dunno about Floriduh, but in the more progressive northern states, if you're fishing without a license and you're in possession of something that's under or over the limits (too small, or too many, or too whatever) a REAL nice conservation officer can and will confiscate all equipment used in the commission of the crime.

Y'all can go ashore in your shorts and pick up everything else from the impound dock.

And they're being nice to you by letting you keep the shorts.

Word gets around pretty quickly, folks are more afraid of that than paying a fine.

I meant more about the anchoring in front of the expensive homes. Licenses are cheap.

 

[capta]

This could change in the upcoming florida legislative session. There are representatives that are fighting on behalf of (wealthy) landowners to have set-backs created. Expect it to be 150-300'...which essentially makes many anchorages (lake sylvia) untenable.

I believe there is a high water access law in Fla that insures anyone can access any beach no matter what the property owner desires, up to the high water line.
This should make any attempt by the legislature to limit anchoring illegal, if someone has the money and desire to fight it.

 

[Group9]

I believe there is a high water access law in Fla that insures anyone can access any beach no matter what the property owner desires, up to the high water line.
This should make any attempt by the legislature to limit anchoring illegal, if someone has the money and desire to fight it.

I agree with you (although not necessarily with your legal reasoning). However, the operative word is money.

Isn't it funny how people with a whole lot of money often end up controlling things they really don't have any right to control. Way of the world.

 

[travlin-easy]

When I was a kid, there was an old saying "Monty talks - bull$hit walks!"

Cheers,

Gary

 

[hellosailor]

Well, if you're anchored in an area that is legal, but they don't like it? You can expect them to use any leverage (coercion, intimdation, unrelated charges like illegal fishing) to move you.

Sometimes it helps to very gently and diplomatically say something like "Officer, I think you need to check with your watch commander on this, because you're in substantive violation of state law. And that could be a very expensive and embarrassing mistake for your department, and quite an expense for your taxpayers, and I'm sure neither one of us wants that."

Right back at 'em.

 

[JonEisberg]

I believe there is a high water access law in Fla that insures anyone can access any beach no matter what the property owner desires, up to the high water line.
This should make any attempt by the legislature to limit anchoring illegal, if someone has the money and desire to fight it.

Yeah, except there's generally not a whole lot of "beach" in front of most inland waterfront real estate in in places like Broward and Dade counties...

 

[miatapaul]

Of course they have to enforce that. Do you think they will?

Absolutely, they will enforce it with abandon. The police love to enforce things for those who make large political donations. And it is those wealthy land owners who are asking for the laws with the political donations.

 

[Group9]

Absolutely, they will enforce it with abandon. The police love to enforce things for those who make large political donations. And it is those wealthy land owners who are asking for the laws with the political donations.

Exactly. And, what is really disappointing, is just how small a campaign contribution it takes to get that kind of response from an elected official.

Or do people really think that a Florida legislator from a county or district with no navigable waters in it, would really care about this one way or the other, absent some greasing with campaign cash?

 

[PorFin]

.
Or do people really think that a Florida legislator from a county or district with no navigable waters in it, would really care about this one way or the other, absent some greasing with campaign cash?

Well, that may be true but remember that every one of those legislators has a vote that counts (whether they have a dog in the fight or not.)

I like to believe that those less impacted by the issue at hand tend to vote according to the most reasonable explanation they've heard recently, as well as one they can easily defend to their constituents.

As boaters, we are punching way above our weight in these fights. We are typically transients, with few ties to the area. If we do get annoyed, we usually move on.

We also have an image problem -- nobody notices (or really cares) about the 95% of boaters who take care of their boats and do the right thing. It's the 5% that are de facto maritime squatters that garner the headlines and serve as "examples" of how boaters are ruining life for the dirt dwellers. Derelict vessels are a big problem in FL, and there are a bunch of boats on the water around here that are one good storm away from being added to the list.

Realistically, all the feedback in the world from cruisers is going to be largely heard as noise. The people whose voices will carry the most weight are local businesses who benefit from recreational boaters. If the business owners pipe up, then lawmakers are much more likely to listen.

 

[hellosailor]

"I like to believe that those less impacted by the issue at hand tend to vote according to the most reasonable explanation they've heard recently, "
OK, gents, you're right to vote is hereby suspended for five years, or until you pass apolitical reality test with a score of not less than 96%.

The fact is "One hand washes the other". There's no water in my district, no beaches, no boats. So how am I going to vote? Well, my fellow Senator from Beach County tells me that if I vote along with him, he'll vote for an extra ten million on highway appropriations in MY district.

The hell with your logic, I'm going to wash his hand so he can wash mine. That's the way the game is played. City, state, or federal' If you didn't know that...that's why I'm revoking your voting privileges until you spend some time getting educated about how our fine system works.

Mssrs. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams were right: 80% of the public absolutely should not be allowed to vote!

 

[travlin-easy]

Where I'm at, there are some weird restrictions for anchoring and live aboards. The fines are horrendous in Key Colony Beach's City Limits, and I'm really not sure where the city limits are, and apparently, neither is anyone else. Do they end at the water's edge or somewhere out in the open water? according to the US Census Bureau, it ends at land's edge, but the local Gestapo may try to write you a ticket for anchoring in the open areas just inside the inlets. Gotta love it!

Gary

 

[Group9]

Well, that may be true but remember that every one of those legislators has a vote that counts (whether they have a dog in the fight or not.)

I like to believe that those less impacted by the issue at hand tend to vote according to the most reasonable explanation they've heard recently, as well as one they can easily defend to their constituents.

As boaters, we are punching way above our weight in these fights. We are typically transients, with few ties to the area. If we do get annoyed, we usually move on.

We also have an image problem -- nobody notices (or really cares) about the 95% of boaters who take care of their boats and do the right thing. It's the 5% that are de facto maritime squatters that garner the headlines and serve as "examples" of how boaters are ruining life for the dirt dwellers. Derelict vessels are a big problem in FL, and there are a bunch of boats on the water around here that are one good storm away from being added to the list.

Realistically, all the feedback in the world from cruisers is going to be largely heard as noise. The people whose voices will carry the most weight are local businesses who benefit from recreational boaters. If the business owners pipe up, then lawmakers are much more likely to listen.

I might have believed that before I had two friends who became lobbyists. According to them, the easiest people to buy/rent/whatever on an issue, are the legislators voting on an issue that they know their constituents don't care about one way or the other. Both have told me that the have had incidents, where a legislator was so open about his vote being tied to their campaign cash, they were afraid they were being set up.

One quit doing it. The other is married to my sister, and I'm waiting for the day I hear he has been indicted.

 

[JimMcGee]

I might have believed that before I had two friends who became lobbyists. According to them, the easiest people to buy/rent/whatever on an issue, are the legislators voting on an issue that they know their constituents don't care about one way or the other. Both have told me that the have had incidents, where a legislator was so open about his vote being tied to their campaign cash, they were afraid they were being set up.

One quit doing it. The other is married to my sister, and I'm waiting for the day I hear he has been indicted.

You may never see that day come. Recent changes to campaign finance laws basically make it legal to bribe politicians. Hell in many cases (if not most) it's the lobbyists not the politicians who are writing the laws today.

But getting back to the issue at hand, many communities have viewed "transients" as a source of easy funds. If you live a thousand miles away it's unlikely you'll show up for a court date to fight a "nuisance" fine.

As someone else said it only becomes an issue when local business starts feeling the lost revenue -- and the boater anchoring out isn't the one putting a lot of money into the local marina's pocket. That's the big power boat who takes a transient slip, pays for repairs and buys four figures worth of fuel.

Our best hope is BoatUS...

 

[hellosailor]

Gary-
"according to the US Census Bureau, it ends at land's edge, "
Understand that the key criteria behind all USCB actions is enumerating voters.
I had some discussion with them regarding the popular free TIGER maps that so many people relied on before Google Maps existed. Discussing the inaccuracies (often a mile or two) and the way roads and districts were drawn, they said, well, sometimes a new development or street was built and someone walked or drove down and said "yeah, that's about 1/4 mile, west by northwest" and that's all THEY needed to determine who lived in which voting district.
Their mapping was never intended for navigation or other purposes, just for census enumeration.
Now since no one can have a residential address in a municipality unless it is recognized by the USPS, and those are all ON LAND...you can see why the USCB really doesn't concern itself with what happens in or underwater.
Unless you're going to build a habitat anchored on the floor of Biscayne Bay, and then demand municipal trash collection and mail delivery. And pay real estate and sewer taxes on it.
Not their concern.

If you want the real facts? Somewhere, a municipal or corporate charter was filed with the State of Florida, for your municipality. In fact, the locals most likely have a Zoning, Building, or similar department, which actually has engineering plats (detailed topo & street maps) or at least maps of TAX PLOTS and building plots for the whole "city". They will clearly (and perhaps accurately) show the designated city limits, to make sure every cent that can be collected, is being collected, right up to the "town" line.

Got a "town hall" or "city hall" with a clerk in it?