Anchor Outs: Living Rent Free on Boats – Government Wants Them Gone

People have been living on boats in an arm of San Francisco Bay for decades. Local governments and agencies have been trying to remove them for just as long.

The struggle of the Anchor Outs

A group of people known as anchor-outs live on boats in Richardson Bay, North of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, in Marin County.

Numerous boats can be seen anchored offshore from the City of Sausalito. Many people have lived on these boats for decades. The local authorities claim the boats are a floating homeless camp, while the anchor-outs portray themselves as bohemians and others wishing to live outside the norms of society. the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Government Crackdown

For the past few years, various local authorities have been confiscating and destroying boats anchored out in the bay. The Richardson Bay Regional Agency and others have labeled boats as derelict and marine debris, before seizing them, and crushing them with an excavator. The result of these actions have left many people homeless.

Where there were once over 200 boats, now sits about 60. The remaining anchor outs are fearful that their boats will be seized, but are adamant that they will not leave the bay.

Special Anchorage Designation and Conflicts

As if destroying people’s floating homes isn’t bad enough, some of the anchor outs have questions about the authority of the Richardson Bay Regional Agency to regulate the bay. Richardson Bay is a “Special Anchorage Area” under federal regulations.

Some of the regulations that the RBRA and others have adopted seem to contradict the federal rules. An example of this is the RBRA’s requirement to run navigation lights while anchored – this is in direct opposition to the Federal regulations for the Special Anchorage Area.

Another point of contention for the Anchor-outs is the RBRA’s restrictions on where boats are allowed to anchor. The agency has restricted where boats can anchor to a much smaller area than the federal regulations allow.

What Does the Coast Guard Say About the Conflicts?

I reached out to the Coast Guard regarding the conflicts between the federal and local regulations in Richardson Bay.

After several phone calls and email exchanges, I received the following response.
“The Coast Guard is committed to promoting safe navigation among all waterway users. Where there is an actual or perceived conflict between federal regulations and local ordinances, the Coast Guard works directly with applicable authorities to resolve the issue as quickly and effectively as possible.”

This response feels very carefully worded with the aim to neither confirm or deny the existence of conflicts between federal and local regulations.

What’s Next for the Anchor-Outs

Several of the Anchor-Outs are pursuing legal actions against the RBRA and City of Sausalito for various reasons.

The last I heard, all of the owners of boats anchored in the bay signed an agreement stating they would not stay past the 2026 deadline to remove all the boats. I know at least a few of the Anchor-outs are trying to fight this.

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