I really don’t understand the preoccupation with moorings. I just don’t think they are nearly as reliable or safe as anchoring properly. Here is a very expensive Cabo Rico on the reef. It was on a nearby mooring and chafed through its lines yesterday.
A proper anchor (for the ground), all chain, and at least 6:1 scope, is the way to go, no rope guys! The problem with moorings is maintenance. Unless you dig up your mooring and inspect it every few months I’d stay off of them. And I wouldn’t take any marina’s word that they are “reliable”
I know “ship happens”, but the most damage I ever took to my boats was at the dock or on a mooring. I spend every day of my life on the hook and have a pretty good perspective on the situation.
When I was in Fort Myers the dock master tried to tell me I had to (by law) take a mooring ball as I was not allowed to anchor. We have already discussed that issue, but what I thought was really insulting is that when he (Leif) handed me a contract which clearly stated that they (City Yacht Basin) were not liable for any damage to my boat if the mooring failed or drug. The moorings in Fort Myers are just alongside a bridge that would easily take both of my masts if the mooring failed. Needless to say I didn’t take a mooring ball or move my boat within the “allocated” time frame as I was ( by federal law) allowed to anchor in where I was. They did nothing as it was pure harassment and they expect you to comply without question. They really seem to have a “take everything, give nothing in return” attitude. If your being harassed by the police or fish and game I strongly suggest voicing your concerns, get organized, and speak to Boat US. They seem to back up the legal needs of the US boating community. Get together with your friends and do something about it!
I’m really happy to not be harassed where I am. I know its tough on friends of mine back in the states. This is a real concern and the last thing American sailors need is to be stripped of their right to live in peace and travel.
I took a long walk in the country yesterday. Panama is really so beautiful. Most of my friends have bought property here over the years as you can still find 5 or so beautiful acres for about 20-30 grand. I’m not so into owning property but if I did I would want to own a little piece of land in this area and build a small, totally off the grid, home.
People here still ride horses to and from work, many don’t have electricity, and nobody hassles you about building things. There is also no property tax for 20 years and if you were paying tax it is so cheap it isn’t an issue.
I’m enjoying my long walks in the country and trying to get in better shape. I’m going to start walking for a few hours 
three times a week, and swim the other days. What great exercise walking in such a beautiful place. Treadmills seem as strange to me as mooring balls, I guess I just don’t get it?
After May I will have a real camera as that is how I’m being reimbursed for a charter. I’m going to focus on producing my next film and taking photographs again. It is hard for me to get excited about taking photographs with my iphone, or video with a rarely working flip after being a professional photographer & film maker. I’m looking forward to having a proper set of tools, some good glass, and camera.
Anyway, I’m at the bottom of my morning coffee and off to make some breakfast.
I borrowed a friends vacuum yesterday and today is a cleaning day. My shop-vac died a few months ago and things have become a bit dusty only using a broom and dust pan :(
My allergies and asthma have been bugging me and I need to wipe down Splendid’s interior with a mixture of bleach and water to combat the every growing boat mold. Today is a nice day to open everything up, blast some good music, swim and clean :)
Cheers
Peace, Love, and Coconuts
– Alex
Published in Alex Dorsey
Darrin, and other Florida residents.
Here is something you should read regarding anchoring in Florida.
http://www.barbcooklaw.com/uploads/Anchoring_Rights_under_Florida_Law.pdf
Cheers
Thank you Alex,
I have been fighting for our anchoring rights in FL since September 2010. The local governments keep trying to overstep the limits of their power and override state and federal law by harassing us who anchor and moor our boats. They need to know, we wont take it! We pay our taxes and we have rights!
alex….where can i find fed laws on anchoring?…….i’ll go to state and ask them how they void federal laws that alway supercede state laws? i know they have conservation zones…..but they have mooring zone and you can buy a private mooring……G
is this new?
After many years of new laws that were not very friendly to boaters, the new governor and Florida Legislator are being a bit kinder. Gov. Charlie Crist recently signed a bill preventing local communities from forcing boaters to leave an anchorage unless the boat is a liveaboard vessel. The law defines a liveaboard vessel as one that is used solely as a residence and not for navigation, one used as a place of business, or one that has been declared a domicile. In addition, the new law prohibits local governments from regulating anchoring outside of established mooring fields unless it is a liveaboard vessel.
The NMMA director issued the following statement “This law will not only have a positive impact on boaters in the area, but generate revenue for local businesses by allowing boaters more freedom to anchor. We are encouraged by this law’s effort to make Florida more boater friendly than ever.”
Hopefully this will help reverse the laws in many Southern Florida communities who had very restrictive laws in which there was an anchorage limit of seven days within any 30-day period. Or the really extreme law in Ft. Lauderdale that only allowed a 24-hour window for boaters anchoring there.
This new law follows a recent change in the law which will allow boat buyers in Florida to keep the boat in the state for up to 6 months without paying Florida sales tax.
Whiteaker Yacht Sales applauds these and any other laws Florida lawmakers see fit to help us make Florida waters more boater friendly.
Debbie Whiteaker
Co-Owner Whiteaker Yacht Sales
http://www.whiteakeryachtsales.com
Article Source: EzineArticles
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/2419926
The trouble with anchoring/mooring, anywhere, is the majority people who cant get it right, or dont check and maintain there hook. If your anchor line chafes through, it probably wasnt looked at for weeks, or was far too light in the first place.
When an anchor or mooring drags it does horrendous damage to the sea beds and the fisheries there.
People actively living on boats tend to check there gear often cause they dont want there bedroom going walkies during the night. But even so, the authorities if they want to have a friendly chat would do well to talk about scope, ratios, and holding ground (sand, mud, rock etc).
Does the Florida government run TV adds on how to anchor correctly, and pass laws about the minimum size and type of ground tackle? Why arent marinas and mooring owners responsible for the maintenance of same and the damage they may cause?
Unfortunately some corporate types latch on to the conection between poor anchoring practice, seabed damage, and the money to be made by making people pay for marinas. A little lobbying later, and laws preventing all anchoring rear their heads.
I used to have a maritime attorney friend who sent me a copy of the actual federal code pertaining to anchoring years ago. I got into to it with the police in Ft. Lauderdale; needless to say I stayed anchored in Lake Silvia for a few weeks despite their harassment and barking “24 hours” at me. I don’t have a copy of the code anymore and would like to track it down again. If anyone has good internet (I don’t) and wants to invest a little time I’m sure it could be found through a “code search” website. I’d like to post it as a PDF so others may download it, and use it accordingly.
In my humble opinion, first things first. Cities and states do not own federal water, even if they claim to, it is not their jurisdiction. How and where we anchor is really none of their business as long as we are not obstructing a channel, or are anchored in a mooring field. City ordinance or state law can not supersede federal law. Until they get the federal law changed we are allowed to anchor in all US sovereign water. Any manipulation of this by “local” authorities is just harassment, nice governors, or not. It’s just not their place.
Mark, lets not bring the sea bed into it. The impact that sailors have on the “environment” is negligible compared to that of the cities and states that try to enforce these “anchoring laws” while pointing the “environmental” finger at us. Fish & Game is trying to hide behind “environmental” issues, in order to manipulate federal law. What about the damage to “land-bed” every time a mall, road, house, or McDonalds is constructed? What about every 4×4 blazing off road? Let’s put things in perspective and not just regurgitate what Fish & Game has been trying to beat into our heads over the past decade.
Every living organism on the planet has the right to defecate or urinate where and when they must. It is an infringement of my human right to tell me I need to buy expensive plastic equipment in order to have the rite to relieve myself. This is a violation on our freedoms on the most basic of levels. The “environmental” problems on the Okeechobee waterway are biological and come from the mass amounts of runoff from the farms/cattle along the waterway. This over feeds the algae which blooms and in turn kills everything else.
If someone could find the code it would be cool. Let’s put together a package that one could easily download, understand, print, and educate your local “law” enforcement with.
Off in the dink to get laundry done (:
Cheers
On another subject I’m contemplating buying this dinghy kit as opposed to getting a motorcycle.
http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/wooden-sailboat-kits/passagemaker-take-apart-dinghy-wooden-boat-kit.html
I would have to figure out the shipping to Panama but I really want to make the move to a hard dinghy. I know it’s only a matter of time till it goes or the motor (Yamaha 9.9) gets stolen. I have to raise my dink every night and it’s kind of a pain. Nobody wants to steal hard dinghies and it would be nice to have such a sailing craft as a good solid life boat as well.
I had a nice long response to your previous post, but my computer froze up and I lost it……..so I will make this short. One question. What are you going to do when you come back into the states about your holding tank?
And, I agree with you, I feel a boater can anchor anywhere they want, at long as it’s not obstructing a channel, etc.
It’s all the rich condo owner who live on the ocean who complaine, at least here in Florida .
What a great site !!
You are breathing new hope into our now three year old dream to just go!
We are in our mid fifty’s with two years to retire. I don’t think we will make it.
Current affairs around the globe are telling us to pull our TSP and go before it is all gone.
Wish us luck and forward any thoughts on the ‘JUST DO IT’ mind set.
Celestial Sea is our 42′ Whitby Ketch – we just want to pull the plug an go NOW!!
Thank You and keep up the good work
Mark and Deborah
There is a marina here in Victoria that has been a marina for over 75 years. About 10 years ago some rich condos appeared over looking the marina. Year after year the condo owners tried to stop people from living on their boats. Every year they failed until one year they succeeded. Now there ares no livaboards aload in this marina. It is the same when it comes to freedom that the people once had. It slowly gets taken away by the appatetic public until one day the people will look around and say” what happened to our freedoms and rights.It is only a matter of time.
the sewage thing is debateable…you have to have a septic system for a house. marina del rey would be a mess without holding tanks and pumps..but then again the san blas does all right……hawaii is lax about pumping out, but legal liveaboards are rare except on ohau…..i know!!!! pull anchor and sail……………………G
I just don’t get pumping out in the ocean. I would feel horrible, and I just think it’s disgusting. Most boaters I know would not throw a leaf over.. But then again, I don’t live on a sail boat so possible I don’t understand this part of boating.
It just goes against everything I have ever been taught or though of.
Mitch,
I’m not planning on returning to the states for quiet a while. However if I was ever to live in a geographic area I thought boater sewage was an issue, like Marina del Rey, I would build myself a composting toilet for Splendid. I’ve seen them on a few boats and the owners are very happy with them. I think (my humble opinion) that more people in homes shoud take responsibility for their own waste:
compostingtoilet.org/applications/narrowboats/
Mark & Deborah,
Welcome guys, if you have any questions fire away. “Current affaires” certainly do make taking off appealing (:
Curtis,I must say I never understood the phenomena where “people” don’t enjoy seeing sailboats in their view, I can’t relate. Perhaps it makes them feel stuck in a box every morning as they go to work?
Gary,I lived in Marina del Rey most of the 90’s. There was one pump out station for about 5,500 boats. I can tell you the pump out facility was hardly ever used. The funny, well not so funny thing is there was a kiddy beach by the cheese cake factory in MDR. Parents (for whatever reason) took their kids to the stagnant waters of the beach by the masses. I never really understood it; I think it was to get away from the surf at the beach just a few blocks away?
That being said I always pumped out at the station or more usually dumped at sea on my way to the Channel Islands. It was hard to keep my boats in the slip in those days, I was a sailing maniac. I know that the water in MDR was often tested, and I never saw the kiddy beech closed.
Michele,
Do you think Mother Nature, or God if you prefer, designed man with modern sewage processing plants in mind? Of course we have over-population issues now like Marina Del Rey, and our cities. I’m happy not to live in either, but that is just a personal choice. If you don’t think there is “poop” in the ocean what about all of its mammal population? I don’t think all the seals, whales, otters, and every other citizen of the sea uses a “sanitation” device? Well actually they do, it’s called a lobster. I think its funny we pay so much money to eat them, a good example of the circle of life (: There is a delicate balance in nature we need to strive to understand and respect.
I’ve personally seen and smelled many land communities (in the US) dump raw sewage into the sea & rivers when processing plants are not able to cope with excess volume. I’m all about nature and living close to it. When it comes to “environmental” responsibility I live on what most peoples refrigerators consume a month.
What is disgusting is the copious amount of plastic I have to live with every day. Every time people buy a bottle of water, take a bag at the supermarket, or buy plastic crap it’s disgusting to me. It’s disgusting to me when people consume so much energy we feel the need to build mass goliaths of stupidity like nuclear power plants. My heart bleeds for Japan; I have friends there dealing with this now. I also lost family in the Chernobyl incident.
Boat sewage is not the problem in the world. If I were to live in a large community again where my lobster & filter friends wouldn’t take care on my sewage I would build a composting toilet, and actually its on my list. I feel the need to be environmentally responsible and liable for my actions, I wish more people would.
When I’m in the San Blas next I’ll take some not so pretty pictures of the windward islands to give you an idea where our real excess $hit goes.
I’m curious to know what the local villages here do for sewage, I’ll look into it. I know they don’t have “public” sewage or build septic tanks. I’m sure it makes its way into the rivers and streams. This is why the rule of thumb is to never gather/drink water from below a village, always above.
More cleaning today and hopefully spearing a fish. I hit my outboard pretty hard on a coral head yesterday, I have to check it out today, I hope I didn’t break anything. I really want to make the move to a rowing & sailing dinghy.
Cheers.
By the way, if anyone is interested in the charter raffle, I’ve only sold 12 tickets and the drawing is in May. I havent been selling it enough.
If you want a week Charter in the San Blas your chances of winning are Fantastic! If you want to buy a ticket please visit my store at :
neo.projectbluesphere.com/Store.aspx
Good luck to Donny B., Dave, Henery, Nathan (x2), Steve, Rich, Brad, Ewan, Donny R., Wayne (x2)
Cheers.
I know in th San Blas they have piers with a outhouse on the end that drops into the ocean….When i was in the galapagos i was on a ketch that was a converted northsea trawler, and behind the bridge was a daybed for the captain, and a head that consisted of a seat with a hole about 16 inches that droped aproximatel 20 feet to the ocean….no holding tank or pump so it is not regulated…..G
Gary,
No, not regulated down here. You know the drill down here, personal responsibility. If you slip in a store there is nobody to sue :)
I like it.
Alex, I purchased one of your raffles tickets via paypal on Dec 2, 2010. I notice I was not on your list of raffle ticket purchasers. Transaction ID #0NT90158GH111783D. Appreciate it if you could check it out. Thanks!
and Robert Moon
Rob,
Thanks, thats why I posted the names, good luck, I see your in Cali, say hi to her for me.
Okay guys, if your interested in anchoring rights here is some info:
http://www.flseagrant.org/images/PDFs/anchoring%20away_03_09_11_full_web3.pdf
Download and read this PDF. I havent had time to read much of it or digest what I have. If you are interested please read and comment.
Everything must be so complicated, eah?
Cheers.
Yeah. I know Vinnie. He got a huge settlement out of that.
Here is my humble opinion on the matter of the Pilot Program, although i didn’t go into as much depth as i originally intended. just ended up being yet another pissy rant:
sailboattrash.wordpress.com
2. The State’s Inherent Police Power
States have an inherent police power to protect the publicʹs health, safety,
and welfare through regulation.142 As political subdivisions of the state,143 local
governments in Florida share the police power,144 including the authority to regulate
anchorages. Local regulations affecting navigation have long beenupheld.145 The United States Supreme Court in 1858 addressed whether a local government could prohibit vessels from remaining in a “harbor thoroughfare” or
require those vessels to display a light after dark.146 The Court called such regulations
“necessary and indispensable in every commercial port, for the convenience
and safety of commerce.”147 The Court also noted that “local authorities
have a right to prescribe at what wharf a vessel may lie, and how long she may
remain there, …where she may anchor in the harbor, and for what time.”148
Local governments may only invoke their police power to regulate anchorages,
however, if the regulation is necessary to protect the public health, safety and
welfare. Anyone challenging such an ordinance has the burden of proving it is
not even “fairly debatable” that the ordinance bears a rational relationship to a
legitimate objective of the police power.149 Challenges of that nature are thus
rarely successful. In Dennis v. Key West, however, the court struck down a local
regulation that prohibited “live‐aboard” vessels that were not moored or docked
within a local yacht club or public dock.150 The Florida Third District Court of
Appeals ruled that the regulation was an abuse of police power because “there
was no discernible relationship between the regulation and the health, safety, or
welfare of the general populace.”151 The court upheld two sections of the ordinance,
however, that required approved sanitation equipment on all “live‐aboard”
vessels because of their clear relationship to public health.152 No other courts
have reached this conclusion, and in a subsequent decision, the same court
upheld a ban on “live‐aboard” vessels in the City of Miami.153 In Dozier v. City of
Miami, the court found from testimony before the City Commission and from the
language of the ordinance that it was designed to address problems of water pol‐
lution, navigational hazards and visual intrusion, thus justifying regulation under
the police power.
145
The trouble with anchoring/mooring, anywhere, is the majority people who cant get it right, or dont check and maintain there hook. If your anchor line chafes through, it probably wasnt looked at for weeks, or was far too light in the first place.
When an anchor or mooring drags it does horrendous damage to the sea beds and the fisheries there.
People actively living on boats tend to check there gear often cause they dont want there bedroom going walkies during the night. But even so, the authorities if they want to have a friendly chat would do well to talk about scope, ratios, and holding ground (sand, mud, rock etc).
Does the Florida government run TV adds on how to anchor correctly, and pass laws about the minimum size and type of ground tackle? Why arent marinas and mooring owners responsible for the maintenance of same and the damage they may cause?
Unfortunately some corporate types latch on to the conection between poor anchoring practice, seabed damage, and the money to be made by making people pay for marinas. A little lobbying later, and laws preventing all anchoring rear their heads.
The trouble with anchoring/mooring, anywhere, is the majority people who cant get it right, or dont check and maintain there hook. If your anchor line chafes through, it probably wasnt looked at for weeks, or was far too light in the first place.
When an anchor or mooring drags it does horrendous damage to the sea beds and the fisheries there.
People actively living on boats tend to check there gear often cause they dont want there bedroom going walkies during the night. But even so, the authorities if they want to have a friendly chat would do well to talk about scope, ratios, and holding ground (sand, mud, rock etc).
Does the Florida government run TV adds on how to anchor correctly, and pass laws about the minimum size and type of ground tackle? Why arent marinas and mooring owners responsible for the maintenance of same and the damage they may cause?
Unfortunately some corporate types latch on to the conection between poor anchoring practice, seabed damage, and the money to be made by making people pay for marinas. A little lobbying later, and laws preventing all anchoring rear their heads.
The trouble with anchoring/mooring, anywhere, is the majority people who cant get it right, or dont check and maintain there hook. If your anchor line chafes through, it probably wasnt looked at for weeks, or was far too light in the first place.
When an anchor or mooring drags it does horrendous damage to the sea beds and the fisheries there.
People actively living on boats tend to check there gear often cause they dont want there bedroom going walkies during the night. But even so, the authorities if they want to have a friendly chat would do well to talk about scope, ratios, and holding ground (sand, mud, rock etc).
Does the Florida government run TV adds on how to anchor correctly, and pass laws about the minimum size and type of ground tackle? Why arent marinas and mooring owners responsible for the maintenance of same and the damage they may cause?
Unfortunately some corporate types latch on to the conection between poor anchoring practice, seabed damage, and the money to be made by making people pay for marinas. A little lobbying later, and laws preventing all anchoring rear their heads.
The trouble with anchoring/mooring, anywhere, is the majority people who cant get it right, or dont check and maintain there hook. If your anchor line chafes through, it probably wasnt looked at for weeks, or was far too light in the first place.
When an anchor or mooring drags it does horrendous damage to the sea beds and the fisheries there.
People actively living on boats tend to check there gear often cause they dont want there bedroom going walkies during the night. But even so, the authorities if they want to have a friendly chat would do well to talk about scope, ratios, and holding ground (sand, mud, rock etc).
Does the Florida government run TV adds on how to anchor correctly, and pass laws about the minimum size and type of ground tackle? Why arent marinas and mooring owners responsible for the maintenance of same and the damage they may cause?
Unfortunately some corporate types latch on to the conection between poor anchoring practice, seabed damage, and the money to be made by making people pay for marinas. A little lobbying later, and laws preventing all anchoring rear their heads.