Some members of South Florida’s sailing clubs have been shocked in recent months when local police have shown up, informing them that law enforcement will cut their mooring lines. In Palm Beach County, the issue came to a head on November 12, when members of the Palm Beach Town Council cast their final vote about the fate of anchoring and mooring on Lake Worth Lagoon.
At the November 12th meeting, the new mooring laws were upheld for Lake Worth Lagoon, an Intracoastal Waterway. Despite some boaters’ protestations, the law will still limit anchoring for no more than thirty days within a 6 month period to protect what authorities claim is a bid to restore the lagoons’ health.
The law also limits which boats can moor within the town’s waters and where they are allowed to moor. This can include marinas, mooring fields, and private residential docks…