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I am relocating to Tampa for my work and have decided to live aboard until my house sells and I can buy a new one. I found the perfect boat but it is in Palm Coast and I need to be in Tampa. Is there a route across Florida or will I need to go around? I have sailed in freshwater my whole life but never saltwater.
You can cross on the Okeechobee Waterway IF the boat will fit. If a sailboat there's a bridge the limits air draft. If I recall about 45' or so. Also water depth can vary seasonally depending drought or flood conditions. I think 5-6' is doable.
The Port Mayacca bridge clearance is listed at 49 feet. You can have Billy the Tipper heel your boat over enough to clear the bridge up to height of about 55 I think. Used to cost $150.00 probably more now.
Good time to be selling a house in Florida but not such a good time to be buying one. Prices are just going nuts.
Your best bet an less headache. Buy your boat in Tampa. Plenty for sale. Look for one in a marina where you can take over the slip. Now to bust your bubble...there is no anchoring in Florida any more. New laws. Stop dreaming on pregnant little piglets. You be a lot happier taking my advice.
Now to bust your bubble...there is no anchoring in Florida any more. New laws. Stop dreaming on pregnant little piglets. You be a lot happier taking my advice.
There may be certain areas where anchoring is prohibited but I'm pretty sure that there isn't a state wide moratorium on anchoring. That would be about the stupidest thing that the state could do and while I know they do some pretty stupid things I don't believe it has gone that far yet. My boat is anchored out right now along with several others while docks are being rebuilt.
GFWP (formally Marine Patrol ) will write tickets for no or improper anchor lights or derelict vessel notices and harass liveaboards but haven't heard of anyone being cited for anchoring.
I believe certain cities are keen on reducing anchoring but many have been tied up in litigation in trying to do so. I would be interested in seeing the statute being referred to here.
Thanks for the update. You are right in that I don't keep up with the politics. Just a quick look at the proposed bills seems that these are directed at long term anchoring and liveaboards. Part of the problem it seems that they are trying to address is all of the derelict boats in Florida waters and it looks like the legislature is going to take action on the issue. Probably at the behest of local municipalities. The bayou where I keep my boat has several eyesore liveaboard boats that have been there for some time. The problem for these folks is that multi million dollar homes are being constructed on this bayou now and the folks that are purchasing them don't want to look out over derelict boats, no matter that the boats were there before they ever started construction. Seems pretty obvious who will have the political sway in this arena.
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