Laws are different for every state, so, in SC is it legal to anchor in the middle of the channel & go fishing? How about to the side of the channel, on the edge? What if the channel is at a convergence point between 2 large rivers and there’s a lot of room for a barge to go around? What if it’s getting late & the skipper is tired & needs to rest and the channel has the only deep water anywhere nearby?
Does it matter if you’re in a bay and there’s 7 different “signs” or red/green markers randomly placed all over the bay showing the different paths for the different rivers? If boat’s aren’t supposed to anchor & block those signs, well, anchoring in a bay like that has to block one of those signs from someone’s vision, but, with most moving boats, it would only be blocked for a few seconds.
Does SC law have rules on this? or is this covered by maritme law?
I’ve googled this & many sites say it’s legal to anchor in a chanell, but you have to get out of the way for the big boats & the shrimp-trawllers… Anyone know for sure? It would be nice to catch some deepwater fish w/out going 30 miles offshore.
How can there not be an answer? Has anyone heard of someone getting a ticket for being anchored in the channel, even if he was willing to move if a barge gave warning?
There are plenty of places where there is no anchorage deep enough, except the channel. & a few places where there’s plenty of room due to intersecting rivers, but the channel doesn’t seem to be clearly marked, almost as if all the deep water in the bay is the channel, yet there’s plenty of room.
If you can sleep easy at night knowing you are in the path of oncoming vessels, have at it. I don’t think any amount of laws saying I “could” anchor in the channel would be enough for me to want to do it. To each there own.
Common Sense should come before any law. Remember laws are written because some idiot didnt use common sense.
I believe it would be considered rude.
Proper charts will show you the channels so you know where not to anchor. I understand those pesky lights might keep you up at night if you anchor too close.
Why risk it?
What fish are you looking for that you can only get in the channel?
Final answer. This is a liability. If someone hits you because your anchored in the channel at night they will sue you or worse and win or worse. It’s just not worth it for anyone.
I have a deep keel and I could waste a lot of fuel going against the current, or, simply anchor for a few hours in daylight, and go with the tide when it’s in my favor. I try to anchor as close to the shallow that won’t ground me, but sometimes, there’s just no water deep enough anywhere nearby, and I have to anchor at the edge, or waste a lot of money, time & attention just to move 1 knot, when in reality, I’d have to move over to the very edge of the chanell as a big boat tried to pass me anyways. It’s not like there’s a huge difference if I’m anchored at the edge of the chanel, or I’m trudging slowly at the edge of the chanell. Either way, I’m getting out of his way and trying my best not to run aground. I don’t mean to be rude or offensive. Sailboats don’t operate as easily as motorboats. If I get diahreah, I can’t just move out of the chanel & take care of business. I have to anchor, lower the sails, maybe set a 2nd anchor to ake sure the boat don’t swing into the channel. I don’t mean to offend anyone, or put myself in danger. I got some bright lights for at night, I just can’t afford a ticket these days. Life is a risk. Not trying to put anyone elses life at risk, but, if it was really this bad, wouldn’t they put rest-stops every few miles along the way? I think anchoring in the very edge of the chanel should be OK. If it’s not, people are too judgemental and sensitive about stuff.
I have a deep keel and I could waste a lot of fuel going against the current, or, simply anchor for a few hours in daylight, and go with the tide when it’s in my favor. I try to anchor as close to the shallow that won’t ground me, but sometimes, there’s just no water deep enough anywhere nearby, and I have to anchor at the edge, or waste a lot of money, time & attention just to move 1 knot, when in reality, I’d have to move over to the very edge of the chanell as a big boat tried to pass me anyways. It’s not like there’s a huge difference if I’m anchored at the edge of the chanel, or I’m trudging slowly at the edge of the chanell. Either way, I’m getting out of his way and trying my best not to run aground. I don’t mean to be rude or offensive. Sailboats don’t operate as easily as motorboats. If I get diahreah, I can’t just move out of the chanel & take care of business. I have to anchor, lower the sails, maybe set a 2nd anchor to ake sure the boat don’t swing into the channel. I don’t mean to offend anyone, or put myself in danger. I got some bright lights for at night, I just can’t afford a ticket these days. Life is a risk. Not trying to put anyone elses life at risk, but, if it was really this bad, wouldn’t they put rest-stops every few miles along the way? I think anchoring in the very edge of the chanel should be OK. If it’s not, people are too judgemental and sensitive about stuff.
<Christ returned in 1844>
being that life is a risk, i would have a bucket or maybe even a support boat in case of diearrrheehaha, possibly a kayak with a really custom-shaped hole in the bottom.
I didn’t reply, because I couldn’t believe anyone living on a boat would actually ask that question.
Rest stops every few miles, you got to be kidding me
Anchoring in a commercial channel and going to sleep, you got to be kidding [:0]
You can’t afford a ticket? What you can’t afford is a 100 ton push tug, pushing a string of 3- 50 ton barges with the wind blowing one way and the tide going the other to run over your azz. It can’t stop, it can turn very fast and it’s drawing a lot of water.
As for the diareahahaha, if you would quit eating those menhaden, that will fix that:wink:
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I guess if you’re used to shallow draft motorboats, you probably can’t see where I’m coming from, & that’s OK, but, when you’re in a bay w/ 2 or 3 rivers joining up and there’s a lot of room, & I mean a lot of room, shouldn’t it be OK to anchor & go deep-sea fishing for a few hours while waiting for the tide to change?
As far as pulling someones leg, maybe just a little, about being too sensitive
Hey, I got almost no boating experience, & I appreciate all the advice. Thanks.
what does your boat draft? with a 5-6’ typical tide range around here I’m sure there are some “shallow” water areas around here, outside of the channel, that will accommodate your vessel…
quote:I guess if you're used to shallow draft motorboats, you probably can't see where I'm coming from, & that's OK,
Actually I’ve sailed and delivered large sailboats and motor yachts from Annapolis to South America, my wife and I have lived on sailboats for months at a time, and I see exactly where you are coming from
quote:when you're in a bay w/ 2 or 3 rivers joining up and there's a lot of room, & I mean a lot of room, shouldn't it be OK to anchor & go deep-sea fishing for a few hours
I’ve never been deep sea fishing in a bay. But yes, if there is plenty of room to get out of the marked channel it’s OK.
Capt. Larry Teuton
Cracker Built Custom Boats
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
Ya’ll got to try that Deep Sea fishing in the channel, he’s talking about! Maybe everyone has been going out to far! Sails and Blues, in the shipping channel. What more could you ask for. No more worrying and *itching about MPA’s
