For those who live aboard their boat, anchoring restrictions can be annoying. Proposed changes by several coastal communities in the United States could make this lifestyle more complicated. In some areas they aim to limit the amount of time that a boat can stay anchored.
Erecting a mooring field has been tried in some places with mixed results. Attaching your liveaboard vessel to a mooring ball would supposedly give you a permanent parking space. Will you pay for the privilege of being anchored? Local entities cannot force any boat owner to sign up for a mooring ball, so why would you want to?
Local boaters who live nearby may feel safer if their vessel is in the mooring field. Keeping criminals out of your boat is paramount to all boaters, so joining a mooring field could reduce temptation. Losing a dinghy means loss of transportation when living aboard. Travelers staying one area for a short time and plan to move on will probably not use a mooring field.
A migrant liveaboard will probably continue anchoring just outside a mooring field boundary just like they always have. Renting a transient dock for a month or two could be a better idea to avoid anchoring restrictions. Law enforcement has gone so far as harass liveaboards in an illegal manner. Some cases have gone to court when boaters have fought back with legal help.
It’s understandable that coastal towns are leery of long-term anchored boats not being cared for. A sunken boat that’s close to a busy boating area could be a hazard. Sunken vessels must be clearly marked or better yet removed quickly. Even having insurance is a headache, as insurers could take months to pay out. Boat insurers won’t cover any vessel, so many boaters on older boats do without.