Do Old Boats Go To Heaven?

Today was a bittersweet day for boaters in Miami. The state of Florida has a serious problem with derelict boats abandoned in anchorages, and others in mooring fields and marinas. What to do with them? Who pays the bill for whatever happens? How do we feel on both sides of the issue?

Personally, we don't feel safe anchoring near an obviously abandoned boat, one that lists or has no mast or has open windows. There is always the concern they are abandoned but occupied by squatters or vermin. Will they break loose and drift into us during the night? You have to wonder about the fate of the sailors who own them, is this a temporary "bad time" or not?

The state is adding more mooring fields in many towns, either directly or by grant. That puts "loose" boats on notice, and offers some level of security to all. It also generates needed revenue, helps control water quality issues from illegal dumping and removing the boats removes a hazard to navigation, whether or not the boats sink, which is only a matter of time. The revenue from mooring fees help pay for dingy docks and facilities for boaters like showers, laundry, pump outs, and wi - fi access. Some boaters welcome additional mooring opportunities, but there are times an anchorage is really peaceful and one hates not to have that option.

So where do old, abandoned boats go? When a boat is observed unattended for a long time, notice is posted on the boat and efforts are made to locate the owner through the registration. Then on an 80 degree, cloudless day like today, several boats are towed in to the city marina, and lined up for demolition in the teeth of a giant crane on a barge. Dumpsters line the parking lot of the launching ramp, and one by one, the boats lose their identity in dozens of loud crunches. They fill the row of dumpsters. A single outboard is retrieved; the masts are collected for salvage. The pleas of a sailor who states he just came home from the hospital, saying it was all he had, this pretty blue hull with rebuilt engine and personal possessions, lost to regulations and the missing authority. All gone in a few dozen chomps, a chain saw hack to a stubborn transom. No boat names to recall, no sailors to acknowledge, just a job to be done today.

I remain conflicted but I couldn't take my eyes off the event. Rick was so sad to see any boat meet this fate, he couldn't watch today. Do old boats go to heaven?



This boat couldn't wait for demolition.
She sunk in the waiting line a few weeks ago.



A containment boom traps the pollutants.

The best part of my morning walk,
seeing this little boat again in a new spot.

Haulover Beach 3, Miami

The lifeguards at Haulover Beach have a huge office
and this observation tower.

Guard stations come in blue as you move south on the beach.

But when you turn around and go north, clothing is optional.
It made getting the shots a challenge.

 



 



The outdoor showers are enclosed in this Miami Modern scupture.



Haulover Beach 2, Miami

If you prefer, lifeguard stations
come in green, too.

Haulover Beach, Sunny Isles, Miami

 

 

 

 

 

Photos From Dinner Key Marina

 

Scotties is a no frills hamburger within walking distance and it's on the water.
If you don't live on a boat, it's a great view and a good place to relax.
They have lost their lease and will close after this season.
The City of Miami is hoping to attract a higher end restaurant.

 

Meet Lucille. Word is she has just had a baby but we haven't seen it yet.
Lucille lives in the marina and we see her sunning herself like she did yesterday.
She weighs somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds.  

 

 

Sadly, Lucille bears the scars of many boat encounters, as do most manatees. They are difficult to see as they hover just below the surface, sticking their snout out occasionally to blow and breathe. If we see one, we make a radio announcement for other boats in our area. Since they move SLOWLY and are basically a huge cow in the water, they don't get out of your way, you must avoid them. The fines for feeding or watering manatees are significant!

 

Happy New Year, Ft. Lauderdale, January 30, 2012

We apologize for the technical difficulty we've had lately. Time to catch up!

 

 



Constructed of water bottles to prove a point
on Ft. Lauderdale Beach.
The "save the earth" message is lost in the thousands
of new plastic bottles used!



The beach was waiting for us but the winds were howling on New Years Eve day.
Temps, high 80s. High seas, no ocean passage for us for a few days.

Everyone has to eat sometime, might as well be fried food on the beach.

The sign says it all.



Outside of the Bahia Mar Resort where we rode out a windy three days.
The marina sits on highway A1A, across from the beach.  



Flag Reading 101: Moderate swim risk, high shark risk

 

More cameramen than wedding guests so we all stepped in!



Check out the size of his mast towering over his beach house!
This was just as we left the Ft. Lauderdale inlet to make our
run on the outside to Miami on Jan. 2, 2013.



Welcome Home in Miami! Mile Marker 1095

It's time to retire the Waterway Guide for a few months and get back to relaxing, Miami style.

The morning of January 2 dawned so quiet as to tempt us with a Bahama crossing, but we followed our plan and left for Miami mid-morning, playing the tides for the inlet this time. Our three hour ocean trip was quite unremarkable, a two foot chop and no wind, no sailing either. We were tied up and seeking a park bench by three o'clock.

It's been nice to reconnect with a few familiar vessels and owners, and nice to meet a few new sailors near us on Pier 5. Just when I was lamenting not being with last year's cruising friends we ran into Dan and Kath on Majiks. It was fun to have dinner with them in Coconut Grove, talk a mile a minute about their adventures and each of our plans. There's hope we'll see other friends this winter now.

Rick is watching the winds and they seem to be picking up a bit, actually more than a bit, just like last year. We are quite content to stay here and make short sails from Key to Key this year, with some fishing and sightseeing mixed in.

We did have the boat hull waxed in Lauderdale as we were there long enough to hire a local who did the work on New Years Day. I know, it's not how you spent New Years, but we slept through the noise in that raucous town (welcome college swim, football and basketball teams- half with families) and concentrated on our final run of the trip.

Miami was equally as busy when we arrived because there was a bowl game here as well. We have rented a car and provisioned. We also joined the Dock Watch Program here at Dinner Key Marina. It's a two mile walk if you walk all seven gated piers (yeah) and we log in our dates and observations, or call security if we don't like what we see. The networking and the walking are really good for us and I think it would be a great plan for any marina with live-aboards.

We are happy to be here, grateful for the weather and just working on our Jimmy Buffet attitudes!