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US Power Squadron - boater alert on Florida legisl

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5500 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/30/2016 : 16:31:12

I just got a message from the United States Power Squadrons regarding pending legislation on "anchor-free zones". I feel like a lot of boaters in that it's 1%ers trying to eliminate the Great Unwashed from obstructing their waterfront vistas. According to the notice I received reads:

The bill prohibits a person from anchoring or mooring a vessel from one half hour after sunset to one half hour before sunrise in the following recreational boating zones:
� The section of Middle River lying between Northeast 21st Court and the Intracoastal Waterway in Broward County
� Sunset Lake in Miami - Dade County
� The sections of Biscayne Bay in Miami Dade County lying between:
-- Rivo Alto Island and Di Lido Island
-- San Marino Island and San Marco Island; and
-- San Marco Island and Biscayne Island
-- Crab Island in Choctawhatchee Bay at the East Pass in Okaloosa County.

While I've visited the area many times I'm not completely familiar with all these landmarks. That said, it sounds like there's a lot of area where anchoring will be banned, which means that boater disenfranchisement will be rampant.

The problem is that landowners vote in much larger numbers than boaters. This is partially due to boaters are more often snow-birds or transients.

Seems a pity this is all but a done deal.

The email included references to the legislation.

Florida House Bill 1051 would ban overnight anchoring in several areas popular with cruising boaters in Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, and Destin Florida.

This bill is just in the early stages of consideration and has not as yet been reviewed or analyzed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission since it was just filed on 28 December 2015. All USPS members in the affected areas in Florida, and others who boat in those areas, should maintain awareness of this bill and any scheduled actions.

There are several websites that can be utilized including http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/bills.aspx and http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=56022. USPS Members in the affected areas should maintain awareness and status of the bill which may be changed at any time.

Can locals raise enough "ganas" to stop the bill? In CT we have a strong lobby group called the Connecticut Marine Trades Association who'd be all over something like this. Does FLA have a counterpart organization? And what's their stance on boaters' rights issues?

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.