Sometimes—but there is no universal safe or legal distance from every buoy. In U.S. waters, you must avoid prohibited areas and must not anchor where you obstruct navigation or interfere with an aid to navigation. The buoy’s purpose, the exact location, local restrictions, traffic, and room for your boat to swing all matter.
Is it legal to anchor near a buoy?
Being near a buoy is not, by itself, enough to determine whether anchoring is allowed. Federal rules restrict anchoring in specified circumstances, including in a federal navigation channel unless authorized or directed by the Captain of the Port, and in an anchorage ground closed by the Captain of the Port, subject to a safety exception. Federal law also addresses anchoring near covered undersea pipelines and cables. These are specific restrictions, not a general distance limit around every buoy. Read 46 U.S.C. § 70007.
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You must not interfere with a Coast Guard aid to navigation. Anchoring so that you obstruct or interfere with range lights is specifically prohibited. A Coast Guard navigation notice also warns that passing close aboard a buoy risks collision with a buoy that is yawing or with the obstruction it marks. See the Coast Guard notice; it is dated May 6, 2023, so check current notices for present conditions.
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State and local requirements may add restrictions, and the Coast Guard’s federal regulations page says its list is not exhaustive. The rules for a particular location depend on its jurisdiction and the marker involved. Check the Coast Guard’s federal navigation regulations and the applicable state or local authority.
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What does the buoy mark?
Identify the marker before choosing an anchoring spot. Regulatory and informational markers can communicate hazards, directions, and restrictions, including shoals, swimming areas, and speed zones. A buoy may mark a channel boundary, danger, or restricted area; its appearance alone does not establish that anchoring nearby is permitted. Use a current chart and local information to understand what lies around it. The ANSI/NASBLA Basic Boating Knowledge standard advises boaters to refer to state laws for state-specific navigation requirements.
How to decide whether a specific spot is suitable
- Identify the buoy and the water around it. Consult a current chart and check Coast Guard Local Notices to Mariners and Broadcast Notices to Mariners for relevant updates. The Coast Guard advises mariners to use these sources for current information: Navigation Rules and related information.
- Check for prohibited or restricted areas. Determine whether the proposed spot is in a federal navigation channel, a closed or regulated area, a designated no-anchoring area, or a traffic separation scheme. Follow directions from the Captain of the Port and any applicable state or local authority.
- Allow room for the boat and its anchor rode. If anchoring is permitted, stay clear of the buoy, its mooring gear, and the hazard it marks. Account for your boat swinging with wind and current, and do not let the anchor or rode obstruct navigation. This is practical seamanship, not a federally prescribed universal setback.
- Match the gear and lighting to the situation. Use an anchor and ground tackle suited to your boat and conditions, and follow the applicable anchor-light rules. Requirements vary by vessel length, location, and rule exceptions. The Coast Guard’s amalgamated navigation rules include Rule 30 on anchored vessels and vessels aground; the boating knowledge standard covers anchor selection and procedures.
Extra caution around restricted areas and traffic routes
NOAA describes no-anchoring areas as defined places where anchoring is hazardous or could cause unacceptable environmental damage. Its guidance says anchoring there should be avoided except when necessary to address immediate danger to the vessel or people aboard. See NOAA’s explanation of no-anchoring areas.
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Under U.S. navigation rules, vessels should, so far as practicable, avoid anchoring in a traffic separation scheme or near its terminations. A buoy near a traffic route is therefore a reason to check the chart and traffic arrangement carefully, not an invitation to choose a spot based on distance alone. Consult the Coast Guard’s navigation rules.
What if anchoring is necessary in an emergency?
An anchor can be a safety device, but an emergency does not create a general right to anchor anywhere. Respond to the immediate danger, protect people aboard, and follow applicable law and directions from authorities. Section 70007 includes a safety exception for the stated anchorage-ground restriction; do not assume that exception removes other restrictions. Review the statute’s specific language.
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