Public Response

John J. Kettlewell
Limiting or prohibiting anchoring directly conflicts with one of the stated goals of the Pilot Program, which this ordinance is supposed to comply with: "b. Promote public access to the waters of this state." Since the stated anchoring distance requirements eliminate almost every legal place to anchor, this is in essence an ordinance prohibiting anchoring in St. Augustine. Since this ordinance is highly unusual, and anchoring is universally considered a normal part of navigation in the rest of the USA and Florida, how are transient boaters supposed to know that there are such limits? Extensive waterway markers will be required to detail the various distances, no anchoring areas, time limits, etc. per FS 327.41. This ordinance conflicts with the Pilot Program statute, reduces boating access to the waters of the state by eliminating most anchoring, unfairly burdens boaters with confusing and unusual requirements found nowhere else, requires extensive and complicated waterway markings to be viable, and will be difficult and expensive to enforce.

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Chris Gruno
I'm about ready to just boycott the whole damn state! Caribbean has always been the goal anyway. There's probably no better time than now.

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Anne, on the meeting in St. Petersburg
Lee when I told the same city official that just before the meeting I spoke with two friends who are, at this moment, coming down the ICW and invited them to st pete..they both told me they were leaving directly from NC and SC for the Bahamas...neither Captian knows the other, but they both said the exact same thing... "florida doesn't want cruisers so my boat and my money are going to the Bahamas"..that same gentleman shrugged as an indication that he didn't care one way or the other...that is also a bottom line they just don't care.
I have long gotten the strong impression that the state and cities see boaters as a necessary evil and one that they would do away with if they could.
Our biggest problem is that we are NOT a big voting block... and many of the cruisers don't or cannot vote in Fla.. If were were a proven voting block it would make a lot of difference.

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Anne, on the boycott
The powers that be ONLY take notice for two reasons.. a lawsuit or the business community howling at lost income.
I have a counter suggestion.. it requires some effort, but then so does bitching into a mike at the marina office...
Bypass St. Augustine.. then the next stop when you spend money keep the reciepts, copy and send with a letter to the Chamber of commerce and the City Commision with an explanation this is the revenue you just lost due to your anchoring ordinance and pilot program. One or two won't make much difference but if they get say, a hundred plus that equals major money they do take notice. THIS WHOLE ISSUE IS NOT ABOUT ANCHORING IT IS ABOUT MONEY... keep that in mind...