Save our Anchorage at Davis Island

My name is Tony and i've been a resident of the Seaplane Basin on Davis island for almost ten years.

I'm rasing money to help keep our anchorage. To understand the meaning you must go back 20 years.
Twenty years ago somebody in the City of Tampa decided to obtain exclusive use of the Seaplane Basin and that person has persisted over 20 years to do so ...Unsucessfully.  We have now  come to the point that the City Marine unit is trying anything to get us out; ..They have lied  many times trying to make us believe that we were breaking the law; They have Towed boats that they had no right to bother, they have cut our anchor markers so we could not retreive our anchor after returning from a Sail.
They continue to tap our funds with towing charges and having to hire an atorney to tell them that it is the same statute over and over and it doesn't apply.
We have to hire a maritime lawyer  to try to stop this from continuing  any further they have quoted us $2,500 Dollars for the injunction and $3,500 lawyer fees But we all know that is never the end so ,we are asking for a buffer to pay extra expenses from the lawyer.
This money will be used for defense of our right to live  where we choose. There are about 20 cruisers here that live aboard when in port most of us are on Social security ..not much income. 
We need the funds as soon as available as this is a last ditch effort to stop the police from the hassassment and save our anchorage and homes.This means very much to me because we have bonded together as a community an have worked together to keep what  we have and not let the city continue to try to force us out without the law on their side.
And of course i would  be very thankfull along with 19 others and we  unfortunately can only give you our utmost thanks  for saving our anchorage But we are very happy that you didn't mind helping . In advance I thank you each and every one of you.
Sincerely,
Tony


Alot of people know nothing about us;

* We are a group of sailors  cruising from a small basin on the southern tip of Davis islands in tampa.
* We have been here through storms and hurricanes.
* We have cleaned out the broken and sinking boats that have been left by their owners for who knows what reasons as they break loose from their anchors.
* We have raised several sunken boats and cut them up and hauled them away with little or no help from the city.
* We have watched the Tampa Marine Unit unsuccessfully try to raise three sunken vessels doubtlessly costing the taxpayers thousands of dollars, when we would have gladly done the job...all we ask is that they haul it away, they will leave the cut up boat for weeks to make us look bad.
* We do our job here and that is to keep our vessels safe in a storm, several of us go out in the storm to retrieve boats that break loose in the storm and put it safley back where it belongs.

In other words "We have put our blood our sweat and our tears into this basin, because sailing is our passion and a safe port is nice to have.

Please give us the chance to fight for our right to anchor here.