Anchor laws in key largo

cranker789

What are the laws for dropping anchor in key largo, thinking about doing some yellowtail snapper fishing down there but don’t want to break any laws. Looking to target between 50-90ft. Thanks. 

Jack Hexter

Look at the no take areas in the below link.  No take means everything, not even a ballyhoo or pilchard.  And I would not even think about anchoring inside the yellow balls marking these areas

https://www.keyssao.org/193/Florida-Keys-National-Marine-Sanctuary-R

cranker789

Thanks I didn’t know that. It looks like they are mapped out with dotted yellow line on my navionics app so I’ll make sure to avoid those areas. I also read that if you can see bottom only anchor in sand. Not sure if that’s law or just common courtesy. 

Throttle

It's both. Anchor damage to coral should be avoided, regardless of visibility and even in water over 40 feet.  If you can identify a good reef spot on your depth finder you really want your anchor planted upstream of it anyway. 

From FKNMS website

https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/regs/welcome.html?s=management

"With certain exceptions, the following activities are prohibited sanctuary-wide:

• Moving, removing, taking, injuring, touching, breaking, cutting or possessing coral or live rock.
• Removing, injuring, or possessing coral or live rock.
• Discharging or depositing treated or untreated sewage from marine sanitation devices, trash, and other materials.
• Dredging, drilling, prop dredging or otherwise altering the seabed, or placing or abandoning any structure on the seabed.
• Operating a vessel in such a manner as to strike or otherwise injure coral, seagrass, or other immobile organisms attached to the seabed, or cause prop scarring.
• Having a vessel anchored on living coral in water less than 40 feet deep when the bottom can be seen. Anchoring on hardbottom is allowed.
• Except in officially marked channels, operating a vessel at more than 4 knots/no wake within 100 yards of residential shorelines, stationary vessels, or navigational aids marking reefs.
• Operating a vessel at more than 4 knots/no wake within 100 yards of a “divers down” flag.
• Diving or snorkeling without a dive flag.
• Operating a vessel in such a manner which endangers life, limb, marine resources, or property.
• Releasing exotic species.
• Damaging or removing markers, mooring buoys, scientific equipment, boundary buoys, and trap buoys.
• Moving, removing, injuring, or possessing historical resources.
• Taking or possessing protected wildlife.
• Using or possessing explosives or electrical charges.
• Harvesting, possessing or landing any marine life species except as allowed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Rule (68B-42 F.A.C.)."

keylargo359

Hard bottom and a living coral reef are two different things. Do not anchor on a living coral reef or you will be sited by the man.

cranker789

Thanks for the information. I don’t have a depth finder I only use my phone with navionics as I am on a motorized kayak. I’ll use the reef shading option to do my best to avoid the reefs.  

cranker789

So I’m thinking about fishing outside the elbow area, was wondering if there are many buoys to tie off to there? Any way to see where the buoys are located? I’m not about destroying reef but don’t have the tech to see bottom. Thanks

dvnelson72

Do any of you use the zip tie quick release method when you anchor?  

Saw my dad over Xmas, and he told me it was the best thing he learned before he got too old to have his own boat.

cranker789

https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/mbuoy/maps/elbow_buoys.html

Looks like there’s a couple outside the sanctuary. You’d have to get lucky or really early to get one probably. 

When you say zip tie method, you mean when you zip tie the chain to the top of the anchor? I do that just in case on my kayak with a grapnel anchor. 

Dodger

dvnelson72 said:

Do any of you use the zip tie quick release method when you anchor?  

Saw my dad over Xmas, and he told me it was the best thing he learned before he got too old to have his own boat.

I have rented a ton of boats in the keys and they all have zip ties on their anchors.  It works!

bigfinn35

dvnelson72 said:

Do any of you use the zip tie quick release method when you anchor?  

Saw my dad over Xmas, and he told me it was the best thing he learned before he got too old to have his own boat.

Use it all the time. Works super well if you get stuck in a wreck or reef.

Schweidee

Zip tie method works and I recommend it.  You can either attach your chain to the tail-end of the anchor and zip the chain to the top end of the shank or if want better anchor setting run a small stainless cable fro the top to the bottom of the anchor which makes it set better.

John McKroid

Schweidee said:

Zip tie method works and I recommend it.  You can either attach your chain to the tail-end of the anchor and zip the chain to the top end of the shank or if want better anchor setting run a small stainless cable fro the top to the bottom of the anchor which makes it set better.

We call that the trip release and use seizing wire in place of zip ties on larger vessels.

tankered

Would one be able to put enough pressure to break the anchor free in a kayak? 

I'm not convinced that would work. 

dvnelson72

What do you do with the same anchor if you are diving?  I wouldn’t trust an unattended boat to zip ties.  Would you move the shackle to the normal position, or add a second one in place of zip ties?

gogittum

tankered said:

Would one be able to put enough pressure to break the anchor free in a kayak? 

I'm not convinced that would work. 

This is a new thing to me, so I've been noodling it some and had the same question.  As said above, I wouldn't trust it for an overnight anchorage, but I've had to dive on stuck anchors a couple of times and can see the worth of it.  In cold water, that ain't much fun.  

For overnight, as said, just shackle the chain to the eye and let 'er go.

I think you'd want to set it up in the back yard and pull on it to find out just how much you can break with the limited leverage in a kayak.....in fact, I'm Very Sure you'd want to.

A couple of times, way, way back when, I tied a separate line to the tail of the anchor and put a float on it so's I could pull it out backwards if need be, but it was pretty awkward.  Never did have to test it, but this "zip tie" method would be about the same thing.....but easier to rig. 

I'm going to set mine up like that.  I like it.

cranker789

I actually set up my anchor at first with too strong a zip tie and couldnt break it free from the kayak. I let the pressure go then it got free luckily.  Since then i looked for 50lb test zip ties. pretty sure i could break it from the kayak but to be honest i haven't been stuck since then. 

tankered

dvnelson72 said:

What do you do with the same anchor if you are diving?  I wouldn’t trust an unattended boat to zip ties.  Would you move the shackle to the normal position, or add a second one in place of zip ties?

1. It's generally good practice to have someone aboard the boat while there are divers down, but if not...

2. It's not nearly as easy to break free as one might think. There's been many times we were hung hard and had to power up and circle the anchor to get the ties, string, or mono to pop (yes people use all 3, some use wire too).
Which is why I have my doubts that it could be done from a kayak or similar small vessel.

Think about the geometry here, there's really not a whole lot of pressure on those ties just sitting at anchor. We've overnighted plenty of times, even as far and deep as the middle grounds, never broke loose once. You have to really try, and it has to be hung hard. 

gogittum

tankered said:

dvnelson72 said:

What do you do with the same anchor if you are diving?  I wouldn’t trust an unattended boat to zip ties.  Would you move the shackle to the normal position, or add a second one in place of zip ties?

2. It's not nearly as easy to break free as one might think. There's been many times we were hung hard and had to power up and circle the anchor to get the ties, string, or mono to pop (yes people use all 3, some use wire too).
Which is why I have my doubts that it could be done from a kayak or similar small vessel.

Think about the geometry here, there's really not a whole lot of pressure on those ties just sitting at anchor. We've overnighted plenty of times, even as far and deep as the middle grounds, never broke loose once. You have to really try, and it has to be hung hard. 

Good point.  I automatically assumed a 90º pull against the zip tie, but it would usually be a straight line pull, wouldn't it ??  No matter, I think, still hafta break them.  Hmmm.....??  Easy to over-think a simple thing like this, but it's best to be right the 1st time, eh ??  

I did as threatened and set my anchor up like that this afternoon and secured chain to eye/shank with 3 standard zip ties, with one more keeping chain tight to shank.  Drilled a hole in the base and used a standard 1/4" shackle there.  I think I'll cut that 4th zip tie loose.

I can't pull hard on anything yet (doc says 10# max) and don't have a scale that would work.  Maybe someone could take a standard hardware store zip tie and break it with a scale attached, to see for real what the breaking tension is.....??

My motor is 25 hp.  Any idea what the thrust of that motor would be ??  I'm fairly sure it would be more than I can pull....which wouldn't help a kayak-er.  I did a quick google search and a 2013 forum says my motor should make over 350# of thrust, which should break quite a few zip ties.....but I have trouble believing that.

I realize different brands are going to be of different strengths, but should be able to get a ballpark idea of what we're dealing with.

CaptJ

dvnelson72 said:

What do you do with the same anchor if you are diving?  I wouldn’t trust an unattended boat to zip ties.  Would you move the shackle to the normal position, or add a second one in place of zip ties?

When diving we NEVER use zip ties! Just dive the anchor on entry to make sure it's really stuck, then return and remove when it's time to go up. The zip ties can break and even if someone's on the boat that might not end well. Happened to a friend and they had a long swim to the beach.

cranker789

Thanks guys you all have some good points…. 50lb test might be too much as well because it’s not likely you’d be putting direct pressure on that zip tie. Plus it’s hard to get leverage from a yak. I see there are 30lb test zip ties? 

Also for a dive solo from the yak maybe add a second zip tie? Or a carabiner? 

dvnelson72

CaptJ said:

dvnelson72 said:

What do you do with the same anchor if you are diving?  I wouldn’t trust an unattended boat to zip ties.  Would you move the shackle to the normal position, or add a second one in place of zip ties?

When diving we NEVER use zip ties! Just dive the anchor on entry to make sure it's really stuck, then return and remove when it's time to go up. The zip ties can break and even if someone's on the boat that might not end well. Happened to a friend and they had a long swim to the beach.

My habit is to get the anchor overly set on entry, then free into a normal set as we go up.

but, to your point, in my teens (80s) my dad and I lost our boat twice while diving.

the first time was in the keys and he wasn’t using chain.  The rope broke from rubbing on rock. Luckily the last boat at that reef thought it was weird our boat drifted away and waited around.

the second time was at Elliot key in 6 foot seas and no one else was there.  He didn’t check the anchor Bc his girlfriend was in the boat and she went to sleep.  It was a north wind and the boat moved fast away from us against the current.  No boats.  We were on our way to the reef tower for a long wait when an old man in a sailboat spotted me waiving our diving flag.  Scary as hell.

I dive with my 2 teen kids and do not want to repeat that at all.  I think if I do the zip tie thing, I’ll keep a second shackle on hand for dives