ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 30, 2009 – With the May 27^th passage of Florida House Bill 1423, boaters across the state will no longer have to fear a visit from a law enforcement officer advising that their boat has “overstayed” its visit.  That’s because the recent legislation makes it clear that local municipalities cannot usurp state authority on regulating recreational vessel anchoring.  But what’s not so clear is who understands the changes, some of which came into effect on July 1 and others are due to take effect October 1, 2009. 

“BoatUS wants to get the word out that the local restrictions on where and how long a boat may anchor are not applicable,” said BoatU.S. Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich.  “As of today there are no enforceable anchoring ordinances outside of the marked boundaries of mooring fields anywhere in Florida,” she added.  Before the passage of HB 1423, boaters sometimes had as little as 24 hours before being told by law enforcement they had to depart or fear a written citation. 

In addition to working with a coalition of boating interests to pass the bill, BoatUS has created a new, easily downloadable two-page reference sheet, Anchoring Information for Florida Cruisers ( http://www.BoatUS.com/gov ), that shares the details of the new law. “Anyone boating in Florida should have a copy aboard in case any misunderstandings arise. Law enforcement officers may also find the document helpful,” added Podlich.

The free reference sheet points out four significant aspects of HB 1423:

“Live-aboard” definition:  Effective July 1, the definition of a “live-aboard” vessel has been substantially narrowed. Now, cruisers who reside on and move their boats are not considered live-aboards.

Local government laws on anchoring:  Effective October 1, municipalities may not enforce any ordinance regulating anchoring — other than live-aboards — outside of marked mooring fields.

Mooring field pilot program: In the next few years the state will work in five geographic areas to develop a mooring field pilot program to test new anchoring and mooring concepts with both live-aboard and non-live-aboard boats. While these local municipalities will be able to regulate by ordinance the anchoring of vessels outside of a pilot mooring field, it can only take effect after significant input from stakeholders and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).  It is expected to take several months before the first location is selected.

Boating restricted areas: As of October 1, for public safety reasons local governments will be allowed to create “boating restricted areas.”  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the US Coast Guard may use these areas to restrict speed or boat traffic. However, there are limits on where they may be placed and they are only enforceable after a uniform waterway marker is in the water.  (Laws of Florida Chapter 2009-86, section 13).

The 2008 version of the Florida law may be read online at:  http://www.flsenate.gov/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0327/titl0327.htm .  BoatUS notes that as of press time, some of this legislation is not yet posted to this website.

For a copy of Chapter 2009-86 as signed into law and filed with the Florida Department of State on May 27, 2009, go to: http://laws.flrules.org/files/Ch_2009-086.pdf . More information is also available at www.BoatUS.com/gov .

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About BoatUS:

BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 600,000 members with government representation, programs and money saving services.  For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.