City takes aim at improperly anchored boats

Pirate ships are wreaking havoc on Sarasota’s waters.

Or, at least what some residents are referring to as a “pirate mooring field” — boats that are improperly docked in Sarasota Bay near Marina Jack. 

“We have derelict, abandoned, unregistered boats,” resident George Parker said. “These unregistered boats are three or four registrations, three or four owners behind what anybody knows about.”

The problem isn’t limited to the downtown bayfront area. Mike Sullivan, a resident of Harbor Acres, said drifting boats damaged docks and seawalls on the neighborhood’s waterfront because they weren’t moored correctly. Robert Biallas said he regularly saw boats anchor indefinitely near Harbor Acres, creating navigational hazards and never moving to properly dispose of their sewage.

“We cringe when we watch tourists walking on the sandbar ankle-deep, knee-deep, jet skiing, paddleboarding in our backyard,” Biallas said. “I’m sure they’re not aware of the pollution in the water.”

On Monday, the City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance designed to improve the regulation of boats moored in local waters. The ordinance prohibits the anchoring of “live-aboard vessels, floating structures or commercial vessels” within city limits unless the boat is docked in a properly permitted mooring field. The ordinance includes an exception for commercial fishing vessels.

During Monday’s meeting, officers with the Sarasota Police Department’s marine patrol unit affirmed the problems residents detailed in their testimony to the commission. Officers said boats dumping raw sewage produced levels of fecal bacteria in water quality tests that were 30 times higher than random samples from elsewhere in the bay.

Commissioners agreed about the need to address issues related to safety and environmental damage, but they questioned staff about the enforcement of any regulations related to problematic boats. Commissioner Hagen Brody said he had some hesitations about making noncompliance with the ordinance a misdemeanor offense.

“If they don’t show up [to court] or take it seriously, then they have a warrant out for their arrest,” Brody said. “That’s a lot.”

Officer Mike Skinner said the police department would seek to educate boat owners prior to enforcing the regulations, informing them about the resources available for waste disposal and vessel repair at the Sarasota Bay Mooring Field.

Mayor Erik Arroyo expressed hope the mooring rules would have a tangible effect on the marine environment.

“Make sure there’s follow-through and it’s not just another one of those ordinances that we don’t enforce,” Arroyo said. “It’s allowing one person, one person’s living situation to affect the environment and everyone else.”