Archive For: EASTERN FLORIDA – All Cruising News

It’s a 13 mile cruise up the St. Johns River from the AICW to the Jacksonville waterfront, where mariners will discover Jacksonville Landing, on the north side of the St. Johns, midway between the Main Street Bridge and the Acosta Bridge. This complex is a downtown shopping mall/food court with a stage area for special events and concerts, featuring its own dock for visiting pleasure craft.
Skipper Burnhams’ experience with the Main St Bridge illustrates the navigation headaches that Jacksonville boaters have suffered the past year. For a recent posting on the Main Street Bridge, go to http://cruisersnet.net/?p=140564

Additional info: At the Jacksonville Landing the “No Wake Zone” is often ignored and smaller cruisers can be rocking the night away. If overnighting at Jacksonville consider the more comfortable floating berth at the Metropolitan Park Marina. Also there is a free “light rail” Central station just north of the Jacksonville Landing that will give to a ride every 30 minutes over to the south shore where you can visit the MOSI museum and fall asleep for a short nap in the comfort of the planetarium…:D
A note about the Main Street Bridge: It was recently under repair with 2-4 hour reservations required for openings. I called 904-891-2191 at 0345 on Sunday morning and was given an 8am reservation at the bridge…maybe she thought it was a hoax because when I called the bridge tender on Channel 9 at 7am to let them know I was tied up at the Jacksonville Landing, HE told me that as no one was working on the bridge on Sunday that he was opening the Main Street Bridge on demand, of course!
David Burnham

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Bridge Directory Listing For Main Street Bridge

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Jacksonville Landing and Main St Bridge

Mill Cove is east of Jacksonville, 4 nautical miles upstream (west) of the point where the Waterway crosses the St. Johns and lies on the south side of the main shipping channel. This anchorage should not be confused with Mill Cove in Doctor Lake south of Jacksonville.

Anchored here last month and again last night in our 54′ motor yacht with 4.5′ draft. We found a spot about 200 yards back from the entrance near the charted 14′ area on the west side. Holding was good in 10-15K winds and one 180 degree tidal swing. Not much small boat traffic or waking from the main river channel, but still pretty exposed. Fun watching the container ships loading/unloading across the river. Could easily accommodate vessels to 60 feet. Anchor came up clean as a whistle in the morning.
Bill

Click Here To View the Eastern Florida Cruisers’ Net Anchorage Directory Listing For Mill Cove Anchorage

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Mill Cove

Green Cove Springs Marina – Click for Chartview

Green Cove Springs Marina lies on the St. Johns River’s southwestern shores, in the heart of the old Navy Base, upstream of the Green Cove Springs City Dock, between Jacksonville and Palatka.

Someone else mentioned Green Cove Springs. My recommendation there is only if you want to store the boat ashore as their in water slips are not nice at all. They have a ton of boats out of the water there and it is more of a
working yard than a true marina. The facilities there are terrible and transportation from there will be much more difficult. There is very little within walking distance there. This is more of a storage facility or working on the boat out of the water facility. Plus, it is another 20 or 25 miles downriver and there is not much to see in this part of the river.
Dave & Nan Ellen Fuller

The river may not be much, but gorgeous black creek is just north of Green Cove Springs. South of the Shands bridge are Trout Creek and 6 Mile Creek. Not only is there good food at Outback Crab Shack, but if your boat will clear the bridge, you can go a ways up the narrow creek. Dinghy rides up both are recommended from this local resident.
Carolyn Frazier

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida/St. Johns River Marina Directory Listing For Green Cove Springs Marina

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Green Cove Springs Marina

Ortega Landing Marina – Click for Chartview

Ortega Landing, the first facility you will encounter upon entering the Ortega River from the St. Johns, only a mile or so upstream from downtown Jacksonville, is indeed a fine facility.

I can VERY highly recommend Ortega Landing Marina off the St. John’s River in the Ortega River just past downtown Jacksonville. This recommendation is based on several factors. First, you are about 20 or so miles inland and that provides a nice
buffer for storms coming off the ocean. Second, our boat insurance (Boat/US)
considers this inland waters as long as we remain upstream of the I-95 bridge in downtown Jacksonville about three miles away. Our insurance is SUBSTANTIALLY less expensive here and was a nice surprise. Third is the marina itself. It is one of the nicest marinas we have stayed in and will rival or beat many Yacht Clubs. They have regular monthly social events – some free- some low cost, but always fun. They have free washers and dryers, deluxe showers, free ice, a nice pool and hot tub, and a terrific clubhouse for gatherings. Security is pretty good as well. The best part is a brand
new Wi-Fi system on the docks. The signals are strong, blazingly fast and good enough for streaming. I have conducted video conferences on this system and watch movies in the slip. The tide here is about a foot and a half and the water brackish, but on the floating concrete docks, tide is not an issue at all. You do get some slime on the bottom of the boat, but little to no hard growth.
Publix and West Marine are about two blocks away and there are several nice restaurants also within walking distance. There are a large number of nice restaurants in every category just a short drive away in Avondale, West End, and Riverside if you have a car.
We chose this marina because of the facilities, the people, and the area. It is about 6 hour drive from our home in Atlanta. If you need to fly somewhere, the Jacksonville airport is about 20 minutes away. The marina can arrange for an Enterprise rental car for you as they have an agreement with Enterprise, but they have no marina car to loan you. You can almost certainly find another boater with a car to take you for errands if you ask around. A very friendly and accommodating group of people here. They do not have fuel or services other than a pumpout, but there are multitudes of mechanics and craftsmen in Jacksonville. If you need a haul out or fuel close by, you can take the boat to the other side of the bridge to Lambs for a haul out.
By the way, we had no ice in the marina last winter in spite of one of the coldest winters on record there. We have an automatic bilge heater to keep things from freezing and leave the cabin heat turned on at 60 degrees. If you take the boat out
of the water, you will need to winterize it, but if you leave it in the water, just drain any water lines above the decks in areas that could freeze (hoses and sinks, etc.) and you will be fine. Be sure to close up the air vents to the bilge and the surrounding water will keep things from freezing.
Dave & Nan Ellen Fuller

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Eastern Florida Marina Directory Listing For Ortega Landing Marina

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Ortega Landing Marina

The Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net is very pleased and honored to welcome veteran cruiser, Captain Jim Healy, aboard as our first “Salty Southeast Cruisers’ Net Contributing Editor.” Many of you know Jim from his participation in MTOA and various on-line nautical forums. Many are the cruisers who have sought Jim’s advice about computers, networking and wi-fi aboard.
It also occurred to the SSECN that Jim is just a really GOOD writer as well. In fact, one of the best we’ve come across in quite some time. So, after some conversation at the recent MTOA Rendezvous in Fernandina Beach, Florida, Jim has joined the SSECN team, and it’s really GREAT to have him aboard.
In his first SSECN article as “Contributing Editor,” Captain Healy guides us from the AICW/St. Johns River intersection upstream to the sprawling city of Jacksonville, and nearby Ortega River with its impressive collection of marinas and repair yards!

Captain Jim Healy

Imagine the portion of the St. John’s River – between the ICW crossroads at Sister’s Creek/Pablo Creek and the intersection of the Ortega River southwest of the City of Jacksonville – as shaped like a hockey stick. Imagine the handle oriented mainly east/west and the paddle turned south. Imagine Jacksonville city located at the transition from the handle and the paddle.
This 24-mile stretch of the St. John’s River offers an eclectic mix of vistas which include expansive bridges and overhead power lines, a coal-fired electric generating station that has cooling towers resembling those of a nuclear power plant, large scale military and civilian shipping/seaport infrastructure, large southern mansions, residential neighborhoods with docks lining the shoreline, and undeveloped marshlands. Quite a mix.
Between the AICW crossroads and the City of Jacksonville, virtually all of the commercial seaport infrastructure is on the “north” shoreline. This includes cargo terminals and fuel terminals with docks that extend well into the river. By contrast, the “south” shore has very little large-scale commercial development. Jacksonville city itself occupies both sides of the river. Beyond Jacksonville city, the river turns south, widens and shallows.
The current in the St. John’s can run to 3 knots at ebb, which can be of significant help or hindrance to slow and/or low-power vessels. Navigation of the river can be very easy. Along commercial channels, Sanctuary and crew prefer to operate just outside the shipping channel lateral markers. On the St. John’s, we chose to run the “south” shoreline. That keeps us well away from the various security zones along the commercial “north” shore. However, on the south side, we did encounter numerous crab pots, some in as much as 40’ – 50’ of water.
Concentration and situational awareness are essential. Vessels encountered on the river will include open rowboats, kayaks and canoes, all variety of pleasure craft, large and small cruise liners, very large tows, research, military and commercial cargo vessels. The large Crowley barge tows accommodate 3 levels of tractor-trailer and RR freight car-sized vehicles. These very large barges are managed by multiple towboats, with one tug pulling the barge, via cable, and one or more tugs handling the stern swing of the barge. On AIS, these tows appear as a tight cluster of slow-moving vessels, but they definitely occupy a lot of river.
As might be imagined, there are many law enforcement swift boats from several agencies, including US navy and USCG patrol boats, Customs & Border Protection, Immigration and a plethora of state and local authorities.
On the north shore of the St. John’s, approximately 7 miles east of downtown, is Trout River. This creek offers anchorage and marina options to cruising boats. Just east of downtown, there is a public marina with floating docks, power and water. Dockage is free; power is $8.50/day. The stay limit is 72 hours.
Downtown at Jacksonville Landing, cruisers can tie up to a free wall. This location is a no-wake zone. There are no services, but it’s fine for the self-sufficient cruiser. Local attractions at the location include Chicago Pizza, Hooters and a variety of local eateries.
Just to the west of Jacksonville Landing is the Florida East Coast (FEC) railroad bridge. This bascule bridge is normally open except when a train is approaching. Virtually everyone will need this bridge to be open. There is a lighted sign that tells boaters the approximate wait time. If that time is long, tie up at Jacksonville Landing and “stretch your legs.”

Proceeding southwest through the FEC RR bridge, the St. John’s turns south and the character of the river changes. It’s just a short 2 – 3 mile run to the Ortega River. The Ortega River is reached by turning to the southwest (260°) at approximate position 30°17.35’ N, 081°40.6′ W. There are no obvious landmarks except for a large, square building on the western shoreline. The Ortega is marked red-right-returning, and boats coming from the St. John’s are “returning.” Honor the markers.
The Ortega River boat channel carries 10’ – 12’ and is well marked. There is a road bridge (Ortega River Bridge) that most boaters will need opened. The bridge is not restricted.
Depending upon final destination, there is a CSX/Amtrak railroad bridge that boaters may need opened. The RR bridge is normally opened except when a train is approaching. The RR bridge is an old single-track bridge that carries the classic Amtrak east coast passenger services, like the Silver Meteor, Silver Star and Auto-train. The RR bridge periodically experiences operational problems. Plan accordingly.
There are several large marina and boatyard operations along the Ortega River. Note particularly Lamb’s Yacht Center, which has a 100-ton boat lift and a large, well stocked onsite chandlery. Lamb’s allows liveaboards, and the folks there – staff and residents – are very friendly and helpful.
I would suggest that this area is not truly a “destination” in itself, but if planning to have work done or needing to take cover from nasty weather, it is a good, safe, secure refuge. There is a full-scale shopping center within walking distance. The shopping center boasts a Publix, CVS, UPS Store, West Marine, Belks, and several restaurants. The “Metro restaurant” is especially good for breakfast. “Tom and Betty’s” is great for home cooking at reasonable prices.
There is a large marine consignment operation (“Sailor’s Exchange;” http://www.sailors-exchange.com/) and a large “used book” store operation (“Chamblin’s Book Mine;” http://www.chamblinbookmine.com/default.aspx) in that immediate neighborhood. Bus service is available to downtown Jacksonville. US Rt. 17 is less than 5 minutes from the Ortega River marinas.

That was a nice informative post concerning the Jacksonville and Ortega area. I have a couple of voyage planning tips to add for those of you transiting the downtown Jacksonville area that may save you some fuel, time and engine wear:
As strange as it may seem, slack water does not occur in this area at high or low tide. It can be as much as 2 hours later. So, if you want to transit at slack water or “ride the tide” to save fuel, consult the Tidal Current Tables not the Tide Tables. If not, you may be bucking the current for a while with much frustration.
Also, the Main Street lift bridge in downtown Jax will be under rehab for all of 2014. So, read the weekly USCG Local Notice to Mariners online for updates, restrictions, reduced clearance and Bridge Tender contact info.
Dave Chappell