Need info on Jacksonville FL Area

Zach312

Zach312

Active Member
SILVER Sponsor
Jan 23, 2011
826
Nashville, TN
Boat Info
2008 Sea Ray 47 Sedan Bridge
Engines
Cummins QSC-600
All,

My wife and I may have a chance to relocated from Hudson, WI to Jacksonville, FL. Since it is -5 here at the moment this sounds very tempting. However we know nothing about Jacksonville! We have been doing some online searching and were very pleased to see marina's on the river. We are very familair with boating on the upper Mississippi river.

Questions I have about the St. Johns River.

1. How "fresh water" is the river
2. How far up river is safe to travel with a 380 sundancer or larger?
3. Are there transit slips available up river to explore other towns?
4. Please let us know you opinions of boating on the river.

*We have never seen the area so really looking for opinions.

Questions about Marina's
1. What are slip fee's. Have found some listed at 600 per month? is this average?
2. What marinas are best? We like an active marina, very much enjoy a good group of people, activites, weekend trips, etc.
3. Are all marina's in the river?
4. Is there an advantage to slip in river vs salt?

Any Jacksonville opinions/info are needed. Non-boating included.

Would you transport a 01 380 sundancer or sell and buy in Jacksonville?


Thank thank thank you in advance!
 
Zach, you may want to reach out to Rusty Higgins @ Sea Ray (also on this forum) as he can tell you all about boating in the area. With a 380DA the St. Johns is one option for your boating, but the ICW and the Atlantic (near coastal) gives you a ton of access up and down the coast. I'd keep the 380 and ship it, you know your own boat and most likely it is in the condition you want it in, and when you measure shipping costs vs. bringing a bought boat up to snuff, it may be pretty close. Jax has an easy airport, and lots of great places to eat. For a bit of entertainment try Clarks Fish Camp....the gators hang out down off the deck just hoping for food
 
The St. Johns river is navigable from the mouth in Jacksonville all the way down to Sanford, FL. Large barges go that route all the time.

Since the river flows north, it's fresh water almost until you get to the Atlantic. There are a lot of smaller towns along the river and within JAX itself, there are a bunch of really neat waterside restaurants (look up the Jacksonville Landing) as well as a bunch of marinas. I've seen marina prices from $7/ ft on up but I'm not too sure how active the marina life is in that area.

Further into the heart of Florida on the St. Johns you will find clear springs on the side runs.

Downtown Jacksonville is a bustling area. From there it is less than an hours drive to Amelia Island, St. Simons Island in Georgia, Jekyll Island, GA and St. Augustine.
 
-5....No brainer and St. John's is great!
 
and a CB installed in your car. The bigger the antenna the better. Make sure you stay on the right side of the glue factory. It has an unpleasant odor if your down wind.
 
The saint Johns is a magical waterway; it's beautiful and diverse. There are fresh water springs all up and down it. The wildlife is spectacular and, for the most part unfettered. I have spent fifteen years discovering it in small boats and houseboat rentals and it still draws me. With all that said, the northern end of the river is big and much more developed than the southern areas around Astor, Palatka, Sanford, etc. This year I plan to have the DA moved from Merritt Island and put in at Sanford then make the run up to Jacksonville and back south in the ICW. You can assuredly ignore the last two posts, I've never had but good experiences with the folks up and down the river.
 
I have nothing bad to say about Jax. Both statements are very true. The Landings is a nice place as well as the poeple but the old saying holds true, the father north you are in Florida the farther south you get.
 
ttmott said:
The saint Johns is a magical waterway; it's beautiful and diverse. There are fresh water springs all up and down it. The wildlife is spectacular and, for the most part unfettered. I have spent fifteen years discovering it in small boats and houseboat rentals and it still draws me. With all that said, the northern end of the river is big and much more developed than the southern areas around Astor, Palatka, Sanford, etc. This year I plan to have the DA moved from Merritt Island and put in at Sanford then make the run up to Jacksonville and back south in the ICW. You can assuredly ignore the last two posts, I've never had but good experiences with the folks up and down the river.
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I hope that you start a thread for that trip, I'd be very interested in knowing more.
 
Bucit said:
I have nothing bad to say about Jax. Both statements are very true. The Landings is a nice place as well as the poeple but the old saying holds true, the father north you are in Florida the farther south you get.
Click to expand...

I agree with this statement!

The “Landing” is okay as far as I am concerned, but I am not a big fan of it, especially after dark, too many panhandlers, homeless and thugs at times. So I choose to ignore it. During the day it is not so bad.

As to marinas there is what is known as the Marina Mile,” which starts at the Ortega River which flows into the St John’s River. This is about two miles south of the Fuller Warren Bridge over the St Johns River (I-95). All of the marinas located here are with walking distance of a number of restaurants, a few bars, Panera Bread, Starbucks, the Publix’s grocery chain store, a West Marine shop and other chain stores.

The Ortega Marina is pretty nice, no covered slips but has amenities, pump out at the slips, Pool, hot tub, club house, Ice machines, showers, etc. They have floating docks, the others do not. They also have locked gates which requires a key card fro entry.

I am further south at Lambs Yacht Center, there are a few other marinas in between Lambs and the Ortega Marina, Huckin’s yachts, who made the PT boats and Sadler’s have some covered slips, (Tin Roof). I am at Lambs under their concrete covered slips. I like their slips as they are pretty rugged and can withstand high winds pretty good, a concern during hurricane season. Lam’s does not have a pool or hot tub or even a club house. They do have a washer and dryer, and a night watchman

I mention this as there is a trade off. The covered slips save on canvas and gel coat maintenance to a degree. All are around the $500.00 to $600.00 a month range.

Heading South on the St John’s there is Doctor’s lake which also has a couple of marinas, one I know has covered slips cover slips

Further south down the St Johns River in St John’s County there is Julian Creek which also has Marinas. I hear that some of these marinas in the Julian Creek area have more social type functions, but I do not have any firsthand experience with this. Like which has been stated you can take the St John’s all the way to Sanford Florida.

At Lambs I have to have my boat dived about once a month on average for algae and barnacles, especially during summer months. I am not sure how bad they are at Julian Creek, but I would guess about the same.

If you just want to cruise the St John’s to Sanford it is mostly fresh water, but the one drawback going down the river is that you cannot cross over to the Inter-coastal waterway (ICW) anywhere along the way. You would have to cruise all the way back up the St John’s back through downtown Jacksonville to Mayport to connect with the ICW to go north or South.

From Lambs it is about an hour’s cruise or a little more time to the start of the ICW from Doctor’s lake maybe two hours, Julian Creek at a minimum two and one half hours or more.

I do not know about the tall antenna on the cars, but I do know about the concealed carry. In this day and age, if you can get a conceal carry permit, I recommend you do so.
 
Bucit said:
and a CB installed in your car. The bigger the antenna the better. Make sure you stay on the right side of the glue factory. It has an unpleasant odor if your down wind.
Click to expand...

More info please? Remember I have not been here before.
 
Pseudomind

Thanks for the detailed response.

Any issues with cost of living in the area?

Any info on the area from any one is welcome.

What is the cost to have some one dive to remove alge/barnacles
 
Zach312 said:
Is boat insurace more expensive in this area?
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Cost of living is not too bad.

What is the cost to have some one dive to remove alge/barnacles my diver charges $2.00 a foot. He also watches the zincs and changes as needed.

Insurance, depends on your boat value, but you should be good some where between $1500.00 - $2000.00 per year

There are a few marinas out on the ICW close to the beach, but I have no idea about barnacles and what it would be like during hurricane season, as you are only a couple of miles from the Atlantic Ocean, whereas where I am at, you are a good distance inland, which helps a good bit. However all of this may be moot depending on the hurricane and it's approach. Jacksonville is in an area which tends to be bypassed by direct in hurricanes for the most part, go to NOAA and look at their hurricane history but it can happen. Hurricane Dora in 1964 for example.
 
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