In South Carolina, the public has rights to the beach 100 ft inland of
the high water mark, letting us use the beach at high tide without
stepping on some rich guys domain.

To counter this right, the "cities", gated waterfront communities like
Kiawah Island, Seabrook Island, Hilton Head Island, bought their way
into another state law letting the municipalities have domain over the
public's water out ONE MILE from that beach. So, they simply write an
ordinance preventing the public from getting to the beach in their
boats or some such nonsense.

I haven't seen any city gunboats protecting the billionaires from the
commoners, yet, but that is just a matter of time.

State law says if I want to take the jetboat into the beach at Kiawah,
I must do so in a no-wake condition. So, we went. Someone from the
beach houses came out screaming and yelling at us, threatening to call
the Kiawah Kops. I told him I'd be glad to explain to a cooler head
South Carolina law. The cops came, in force! I had violated their
"space". The cops threatened to arrest me if I didn't get in my boat
and get off "their beach". I pressed for an arrest, but seeing the
threat tactic wasn't going anywhere and not wanting to test state law,
they got back in their pickup truck and drove away. We stayed on OUR
beach for a couple of hours with the jetboat anchored off the sand
before going elsewhere.

Property owners think just because their property BORDERS on the
public's beach, the beach becomes their property. It's not true in
SC....(c;

I'm still here......



On Tue, 3 Feb 2004 21:57:46 -0800, "Steve" wrote:


"Rosalie B." wrote in message
.. .
x-no-archive:yes


I think in many cases, beaches are public from the high tide mark
seaward. And in some cases, all of the beach part is public.


I've lived in Rhode Is (beach property), Calif. and Washington state. The
laws of beach rights vary according to state laws.. In RI and Calif. the
public has rights to the beach up to the high water line (or something like
that) but can't cross private property.. In Washington state, a lot of the
beaches property owners own or have lease rights to the beach out to low
water (or something like that).

It has never been made clear to me how these leases work but I think it has
something to do with the the shell fish beds. The property owner will have
jurisdiction over the sea bottom but not the water..

I have heard some lease holder complain about boat anchoring near shore
because of their oyster beds.. I could understand that, especially if they
are paying for the lease rights.

I think it is all very complicated and verys from region to region..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions




Larry W4CSC

No, no, Scotty! I said, "Beam me a wrench.", not a WENCH!
Kirk Out.....