I live in S. Florida, a longtime boater here and yes, you are correct,
there are areas that are quite off limits. Florida Bay estuaries and quite a
few, "no anchor" zones in the Biscayne National Park come to mind.
Here in Florida, I would need to register the PSUB as a "vessel / boat"
with the DMV, electric power propulsion, hull material...etc. No big deal....
$30+ dollars annually,... just a little tax revenue for Uncle "Jeb".
Too much government intervention would cause me to abandon the idea of a
PSUB as I have aviation, so those who would advocate that should be careful
what they wish for.
Interestingly, post 911, there are now armed USCG boats guarding the main
channel to the Port of Miami when the cruise ships are in port, "off limits"
to pleasure boaters. There is no doubt that they have specific orders should
you gun the throttle and make a run for the ships. Sneak around there in a
PSUB....and you no doubt have a problem on your hands.
From what I have seen, those who successfully build a sub are quite
conscientious in it's operation. However, keep your fingers crossed that the
bad guys never pull off something big with a submersible!.....real potential
bad news for us!
Joe
From: ShellyDalg@aol.com
Reply-To:
personal_submersibles@psubs.org
To:
personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST]
Law and Sub
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2006 15:40:19 EDT
I have asked this question several times over the years, and found no
American agency which governs psubs. On the other hand, where you go with
your sub can make a difference. Some waters are protected by marine
sanctuary laws and even scuba diving is restricted. I know that Greece won't
allow anyone to dive in large parts of their waters. Mexico has some areas
off limits, and probably Florida as well. I read recently that Silvercrest
Submarines had one of their subs confiscated for diving near the Galapagos
islands. I think they leased it to some individuals and as I recall, the
Silvercrest people were being detained while the lessee was allowed to
leave. I'm also guessing that if you have a sub in the harbor, someone from
the government is going to ask a lot of questions. We need to make sure we
have all the required safety equipment and documentation available so we
don't get our subs impounded.
I think that the recent emphasis on port security will make it more
difficult to enjoy a psub. Surely they would be great for smuggling drugs or
immigrants or something, and that's bound to make the authorities curious.
These are just some thoughts I've had. Perhaps some of the more experienced
members have some first hand experience with this and will share any advice
or stories they have. If I hear of anything along these lines,
I'll post it.
Frank
D.