HELP NEEDED to protect Anchoring Rights in FL!

[Cathy Monaghan]

The following is an excerpted quote from the SSCA's latest bulletin:

[mailto:media@ssca.org]
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2016 4:18 PM
To: SSCA Coconut Telegraph <sscanet@list.ssca.org>
Subject: The February Bulletin is online, and HELP NEEDED to protect Anchoring Rights in FL!

"...A Call to Action: Protect Your Anchoring Rights
Your right to anchor in five Florida anchorages will be gone if HB1051 Recreational Boating Zones and its companion SB1260 pass. All overnight anchoring would be prohibited in Middle River in Broward County; Sunset Lake and the areas between Rivo Alto Island and Di Lido Island, San Marino Island and San Marco Island, San Marco Island and Biscayne Island all in Miami-Dade County; and Crab Island in Choctawhatchee Bay. More prohibitions will come if this law passes.

SSCA, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, and BoatUS, with support from the Marine Trawler Owner’s Association and the American Great Loop Cruisers Association are opposing these bills as written. HB1051 is scheduled to be heard in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Tuesday January 26 at Noon. We need your help now.

Please call or email the members of the Subcommittee. Click here to view committee members.

If you click on the member’s names you can get their Tallahassee office telephone numbers and email addresses. Please email them this weekend and call their offices on Monday. Your email can contain the following:

“I am a cruiser and Florida voter and am writing to express my opposition to HB1051 Recreational Boating Zones. This bill will restrict overnight anchoring in five areas that have historically been used by Florida cruisers and visitors from out of state.

The bills interfere with our maritime rights to navigation which include anchoring. Anchoring restrictions impact many Florida recreational boaters who regularly cruise the waters and rivers of the state by limiting places to safely stop for the night, re-provision and get out of severe weather. Four of the proposed areas are in Southeast Florida where thousands of boaters transit yearly. Many marinas in Florida do not allow transient docking or in many cases are full and unable to accept additional boats.

I urge to you vote against this bill.”

We have approached legislators in Tallahassee with proposed amendments which have not yet been adopted. We need your financial support to help with the cost of lobbying. Last year we defeated a similar bill by working against it in the legislature. Here’s what you can do:

1. Send the e-mail to your representative now.
2. Contribute to SSCA legislative efforts: by clicking here. This money pays ONLY for the expenses of our lobbying efforts.
3. Contribute to the Maritime Heritage Freedom Political Action Committee by clicking here. This money gives our lobbyists tools to recognize the support of legislators to the priorities of cruisers and other boaters.

Thanks, and happy February,
Seven Seas Cruising Association
10211 West Sample Rd. Suite 114
Coral Springs, FL 33065
Phone: (754)702-5068
http://www.ssca.org...

[tjr818]

"Please call or email the members of the Subcommittee. Click here to view committee members."

Unfortunately, that link does not work. Anyone know how to get it? SCCA does not allow access for non-members.

[Jim Davis]

These might help.

http://cruisersnet.net/anchoring-ban-in ... onsidered/

http://cruisersnet.net/wally-moran-spea ... da-hb1051/

http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/la ... ay-7540456

and

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/ ... TLmWBLFs=-

And a link to the legislative analysis, it looks like "Riparian View" is a concern and has viable rights as to the use of the water, Money Talks, peons don't count.

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/ ... ssion=2016