Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

For all Floridans familar with boating laws.
Ive been searching online, but cant find an exact answer.

My brother and I want to shoot some skeet, but there arent any skeet ranges in our county. We were wondering about the laws concering getting clays and throwing/shooting them, from the bow, obviously following gun saftey protocol.

We were planning on going a mile or two out into the ocean, not anything near anybody or anyone, but Im slightly concerned we'll be sitting there haveing a 'blast' and a few coast guard cutters will roll up on us, with a helo hovering over head.

Is anybody familiar with this, or where I might find some information that maybe I have missed? I've had plenty of friends and family tell me theyve done it off of house boats in lakes, or out in the ocean or what not, but times are different now, people see a gun and freak out and there isnt as much wiggle room with law enforcment.

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

I don't know what the laws are, but I wouldn't expect much privacy on any body of water in or around Florida. Not anymore.

Not even back in 2000. I damn near wound up in jail myself, then.

I lived on a nice big Chain of Lakes. My lake was, I think about 13 miles long and 3 to 6 miles wide. It even had Islands. One in which I used to camp on occasionally.
One evening I got some friends together and we boated out to the Island to camp overnight. A little caravan of a sailboat, a runabout and three canoes.

Somehow or other, one of the canoeists and his girlfriend had been paddling around the Island at right around dusk. Sunset time, but not quite dark before they came back in... well anyway, somebody in another fishing boat reported the canoe to authorities because it didn't have proper lights.
So here we were, camping on the Island, eating, drinking, young, happy, pleasant till late into the night. Earlier we had heard some helicopters, but were under thick trees and didn't really think much of it.
Till about 2:00am, when the police arrived by skiff.

I'm pretty sure I'd have gone to jail if it hadn't been for a couple quick thinking flirtatious very sexy young 23 year old women in our party who knew how to soften up a couple of ornery lazy cops.

Anyway, it's a kind of stupid story, but since then I know damn well there's no privacy on the water. Unless you get way out in the blue or something.

A mile or two out on the ocean isn't far. A few thousand feet. Gunshots can be heard quite a ways.

I don't really know what the laws are though.

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

Yeah, Ive had run ins on and around the water with dick cops too. This is exactly what I worry about. Theres no law saying you CANT do it, but that doesnt stop cops from tasing you, hauling your ass into jail, and impounding my brothers boat to make a quick buck.

Guess were gonna have to go 5 or 6+ miles instead.

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

Check out Marine Laws...Not sure if its 3/12/15 Nautical Miles but once you are out there, you are out of US territory and in International waters...I would be more concererned about some zombie pirate hijacking my boat than carrying a firearm at this point...VD51

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

Heimdhal, here is the club I shoot trap/skeet with. With over 100 acres it is plenty large enough. Plus it does not rock & roll while you are trying to shoot! I believe it is just up the road from you between Vero & Melboure(Palm Bay).

http://www.pmrpc.com/

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

Weekly 900 conventional pistol matches every Saturday morning? A 600 yard rifle range? Man I am so jealous.

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

Thanks! Ill have to look into that. Its a bit of drive (hour and a half at least) but at this point I'd welcome it for lack of any other option.

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

If you are a member of the club(as I am) you get a key to the gate and you are your own rangemaster. Also has parking for RV's on site with hookups(at no charge). Shooting starts a 8am until dusk. During the week there is hardly anyone around and I shoot by myself on the pistol range. They also have a action range with a mock up of a town. IPDA matches once a month. Stiff first time fee of 200.00 + membership but if you shoot alot it is worth it.

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

Ouch, 200 will to tough to swing. Do they let members bring guest? Maybe we could go shooting some time and I can see the range. Thatll probably convince me to pay 200 :P

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

Here is another option nearby for shooting in Indian River County. This is a well run public range for pistol/rifle/shotgun. Reasonable fees and a nice facility.

http://www.goshootingirc.com/

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

3 miles sticks in my head

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

The IRC range is very cool and very cheap, you cannot do any rapid fire, but I have shot all my assault rifles there. The staff is friendly and the prices are right. We go and shoot the pistols, rifles and shotguns all on one trip, it's great.

As far as skeet offshore there are several casino boats that do both gambling and skeet shooting, they go 24 miles off shore and point her into the wind, I don't know if that is what they are require or not. Territorial waters are 12 miles, contiguous waters are 24.

As far as getting boarded I have never had the coast guard or the local yocals ask to see my guns, last time i got boarded i told the guy i had 3 rifles, 4 pistols and one shotgun, he said "OK" and never asked to seem them, however if you are shooting anywhere near an inlet, other fisherman, etc, etc... I can promise you they will call it into the coast guard and you will get a visit, in short 2 to 3 miles isn't going to do it.

As far as pirates off of the atlantic coast LOL, there's nothing that goes on between the entire coast of florida and the bahamas all the way to Cuba that the coast guard doesn't know about. But by all means PLEASE stay on shore if you prefer :D Boating sucks, constant pirate attacks, horrible sunsets and sunrises and you often don't see anyone for weeks or even months, it really is a horrible way to live ;) ;) I got "escorted" by the USCG because I supposedly came to close to Cuba, I have no idea how they knew how close I got to Cuba as it was the next day that they informed my I had entered Cuban waters the previous evening and was going to be escorted to the nearest port for clearing customs. I've been sailing, chartering, fishing you name it in these waters, I have 15,000 miles in these waters alone (at least) and I've never run into anything other than Haitian refugees and they were in no shape to do any "pirating".

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

It is not against the law to go into Cuban Water. Technically, if you want to be anal about it, unless your boat touches another ship of different national registry, or any dock, sand, mud, etc of a different country, or takes on/discharges cargo or passengers then you are still on a "domestic voyage".

Re: Guns and Boats in Florida?
 

No it is not illegal and they never stated that it was, they did mention that I had entered cuban waters on my voyage, etc, etc... they just stated that I needed to clear customs in Key West and that I would be boarded, they ended up following me back to key west, they then boarded asked me a few questions they already knew the answer too and let us clear customs. I'm sure you know the drill. I had hoped to clear customs in Miami as that is where i was delivering the boat to, but obviously with a coast guard tail that wasn't happening. Anyhow, my point was you aren't getting away with anything off the coast of florida, these guys are watching 24/7.