SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/boat-dont-anchor-in-channel

Where does the Coast Guard warn boaters not to stop or anchor?

Under bridges or in shipping channels; law enforcement may ask you to move.

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  1. In a designated anchorage
  2. Under bridges or in shipping channels ✔
  3. At a marina slip

Why: Rule 9 says vessels should avoid anchoring in a narrow channel when they can. The Coast Guard guide adds: do not stop or anchor under bridges or in shipping channels, or expect to be moved or boarded.

Huh, didn't know that: The same guide also warns: do not raft up in a channel.

The dad joke
What did the anchor say in the channel? Sorry, I'm just passing through.
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References

Answer: Under bridges or in shipping channels. Rule 9 says vessels should avoid anchoring in a narrow channel when they can. The Coast Guard guide adds: do not stop or anchor under bridges or in shipping channels, or expect to be moved or boarded.

  1. A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (USCG) www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf
    Do not stop or anchor beneath bridges or in shipping channels.
    Checked 2026-10-09.
  2. 33 CFR 83.09, Narrow channels (Rule 9) www.ecfr.gov/current/title-33/section-83.09
    Any vessel shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid anchoring in a narrow channel.
    Checked 2026-10-09.

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