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In Miami Beach, you can live on your boat, but getting to land is not so easy

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In Miami Beach, you can live on your boat, but getting to land is not so easy


More than 100 people live aboard sailboats and other vessels anchored just off Miami Beach. For years, some in the posh seaside community have not been happy about people just offshore.

Greg Allen/NPR


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Greg Allen/NPR

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — For Carlos Leon, living on a boat anchored off this posh seaside community, is the ideal lifestyle.

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The weather is good, except for the occasional hurricane, and the water is inviting. During the COVID pandemic, he and his girlfriend, now wife, bought a 41-foot sailboat and anchored it in Biscayne Bay. “It’s like 400 feet, 500 feet from Miami Beach land,” he says. They share their floating home with a long-haired German Shepherd.

But, because of some new policies adopted by Miami Beach, for Leon and more than 100 other people who live on their boats, getting to land for shopping, work or just to take a walk, is no longer an easy proposition.

To step on land in Miami Beach, Leon says, “I have to bring my dinghy with a paddleboard, tow it 150 feet from land.” His wife takes the paddleboard and “me and my dog swim to the dock.”


When he wants to go to Miami Beach, Carlos Leon leaves his dinghy 150 feet offshore and swims to the city-owned boat launch.

When he wants to go to Miami Beach, Carlos Leon leaves his dinghy 150 feet offshore and swims to the city-owned boat launch.

Greg Allen/NPR


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Under an ordinance recently adopted by Miami Beach, Leon and the other liveaboard boaters can’t leave their dinghies or even their paddleboards at a city-owned boat launch or they’ll face a $1,000 fine.

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This small community is anchored in state waters and legal, as long as they remain 150 feet offshore. Leon says. “Obviously, we have to have our tanks, our toilets, our anchors, anchor lights, everything, up to code. But if everything is up to code, we’re good. We’re legally here.”

But being legal isn’t the same thing as being welcome. For years, some in Miami Beach have not been happy about the small community boats just offshore.

In December, Miami Beach commissioner David Suarez spearheaded a move that cut off an essential lifeline for the liveaboard boaters.

At his urging, the commission voted to remove a public dock next to a supermarket. At the meeting he said, “I’m going to try to limit the amount of access that the people who live on these boats that come to the mainland. Because they can’t live on a boat forever. They have to come to the mainland to get food, water and necessary supplies.”

With their dock gone, liveaboard boaters began using a city-owned boat launch as a place to leave their dinghies while they picked up groceries or ran other errands. But the commission soon responded, banning dinghies and imposing a big fine for violators.

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That’s made things difficult for the liveaboard boaters, Leon says, especially those who are elderly or not up to swimming 150 feet to the only place where they now can legally come ashore. “Every other area is illegal to use,” Leon says. “So, I’m becoming a criminal just to get to land.”


Liveaboard boater Barbie Wynn can't leave her paddleboard at a city-owned boat launch for more than 20 minutes without facing a possible $1000 fine.

Live-aboard boater Barbie Wynn can’t leave her paddleboard at a city-owned boat launch for more than 20 minutes without facing a possible $1000 fine.

Greg Allen/NPR


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Suarez calls the liveaboards “boat squatters,” and in an interview said the regulations are “justified and necessary.”

Members of the West Avenue Neighborhood Association agree.

The group represents Miami Beach residents who live in the condominiums that line Biscayne Bay and look out on the community of live-aboard boaters. The association has raised concerns about pollution from boats that illegally dump their waste into the bay, about the damage their anchors cause to seagrass and about the cost of dealing with derelict vessels abandoned by their owners.

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Susanna Purucker, a condo owner active with the group, says liveaboard boaters are enjoying the benefits of living in Miami Beach without the responsibilities. ”You’re not paying property taxes. You’re not paying to even keep your boat in the water. It’s just, if I can use the word, free-loading, because it is.”

The liveaboard boaters have formed their own group, the Miami Beach Boaters Association. Carlos Leon says they’re considering suing the city for what they believe is a violation of their civil rights. He says, what’s at stake is a whole way of life. “Because if we move, then Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, everybody’s going to say, ‘Okay, let’s follow what this guy did because it worked.’ And then, guess what? No boaters will be able to get to land,” Leon says.

Miami Beach is in talks with the state over plans for a mooring field for boats in the bay. Depending on how it’s done, it could bring regulation to the liveaboard community or it could be used to drive them away.



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Miami, FL

American Airlines Eyes April 30 Return to Venezuela With Miami–Caracas Flights

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American Airlines Eyes April 30 Return to Venezuela With Miami–Caracas Flights


DALLAS — American Airlines (AA) announced today plans to resume daily nonstop service between Miami (MIA) and Caracas (CCS) as early as April 30. The restart depends on final government approval, security checks, and operational readiness. Envoy Air, American’s regional subsidiary, will operate the route with Embraer 175 aircraft.

The Fort Worth-based carrier continues to coordinate with authorities in both the United States and Venezuela to restore the route. In January, AA announced its intention to be the first airline to reconnect Venezuela with the United States, emphasizing that service would begin only after regulatory approval and security assessments.

American began serving Venezuela in 1987 and was the largest U.S. airline in the country before suspending operations in 2019. Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper described the return to Caracas as both a restoration of a long-standing market and a strategic extension of Miami’s role as AA’s primary Latin America gateway.

This announcement follows the U.S. Department of State’s March 19, 2026 update, which lowered Venezuela’s travel advisory to Level 3, “Reconsider Travel,” but continues to warn of risks such as crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and inadequate health infrastructure. Routine consular services in Venezuela remain suspended, with most services provided through the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá as the United States begins a phased resumption of embassy operations.

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Miami city officials are urging residents to prepare for planned implosion of Mandarin Oriental hotel

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Miami city officials are urging residents to prepare for planned implosion of Mandarin Oriental hotel


Residents of Brickell Key are being urged to prepare for the planned implosion of the former Mandarin Oriental hotel as if they were getting ready for a storm, according to the company overseeing the demolition.

City officials with Miami Fire Rescue and Miami police said they have been planning the implosion for about a year.

The demolition is scheduled for Sunday morning. The former luxury resort will be brought down to make way for a new residential and hospitality development. The structure now sits gutted with explosives attached to its concrete columns, which officials say will ensure a smoother implosion.

Ivy Fradin, managing member of BG Group, which is overseeing the demolition, explained the process. “The tower will come down first, the parking garage will come down second, but to the public eye, it will look like one carefully choreographed event,” Fradin said.

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Fradin described the collapse as a “cascading fashion,” where the floor above collapses as the column below it gives way.

For safety reasons, Brickell Key will be closed to residents and visitors from 7 a.m. to about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, with no access in or out of the island during that time. An 800-foot exclusion zone around the property will also be enforced.

For those inside the exclusion zone, Fradin advised, “If you’re located within the exclusion zone, we ask that you stay indoors with doors closed. If you’re not in the exclusion zone, keep your doors and windows closed. It’s obvious — if you have things outside, bring them inside”.

Some residents living within the exclusion zone expressed safety concerns. Brickell Key resident Ydais Laya said, “I have not seen anything to provide details regarding the city’s plans, if anything should go wrong during the implosion on Sunday, because in reality, no one knows”.

Other residents were less worried. Alejandro Barahona, another resident, said the required precautions were “reasonable,” adding, “Either you get out, or you stay in, but it’s too much of a liability risk for the explosion and all that stuff”.

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The company conducting the implosion has previously handled several high-profile demolitions, including the historic Deauville Hotel, South Shore Hospital, and the remaining structure of the Surfside condominium building.



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How to Watch Miami Baseball Series Against Wake Forest

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How to Watch Miami Baseball Series Against Wake Forest


The Miami Hurricanes are coming off a nail bitting nineth inning save from closer Ryan Bilka and remain undefeated in midweek compeition after defeating FIU 9-7.

Now the Hurricanes turn their attention to Wake Forest, a program that is known for baseball, and a programthat is rated higher than them on the RPI.

The Hurricanes have sat balanced between the 25-30 since lossing to Duke on the road, while the Demon Deacons currently sit rated No. 24. They nearly beat the No. 11 team in the country, Costal Carolina, as well during their midweek, 2-1.

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This is the perfect chance to the Hurricanes to show what they have learned since those losses, now boasting one of the best offenses in the country.

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Derek Williams continues to lead the team in hitting and home runs, followed by Daniel Cuvet, and Alex Sosa.

It also helps that the Canes have started to see Jake Ogden take off and get back into a rhythm. Moreover, this is the perfect time for the Canes to show that their starting rotation can battle against the better teams in the ACC.

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The Miami Hurricanes need to win this series if they want any chance of potentially hosting a regional this postseason.

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The Demon Decons are coming to take the series on the road, while the Canes are fighting to show that these past few weekends haven’t

How to Watch:

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Miami Hurricanes catcher Alex Sosa (13) and right fielder Derek Williams (2) against Lafayette | Miami Hurricanes Athletics

Who: Miami and Wake Forest

When:
Friday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 11, at 6:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, April 12, at 1:00 p.m. ET

Where: Mark Light Stadium, Coral Gables, Fla.

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TV: ACCNX

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Last Time Out, Wake Forest: Wake Forest baseball team (23-11, 8-7 ACC) dropped a tightly contested game to No. 11 Coastal Carolina (24-8, 11-1 Sun Belt) by a final score of 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Last Time Out, Miami: The Miami Hurricanes (25-8, 6-6 ACC) survived a late comeback by the FIU Panthers Tuesday night at Mark Light Field, 9-7. Miami reliever TJ Coats (5-1) earned the win, delivering a strong outing with 6.0 innings pitched, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits with two walks while recording a career-high seven strikeouts.

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