Many bridges span the St Johns River in Jacksonville. Port of Jacksonville handles many types of cargo!Here is a safe way to cross an ocean in your express cruiser! (Rumor has it that this boat is heading to Puerto Rico.)The Jaguar’s home stadium, riverside in Jacksonville. The “free docks” at the stadium have been closed during this construction project. North Riverside skyline. No more “Wells Fargo” name on this landmark. Rail continues to be a major player in the transportation sector of this state’s economy. Jacksonville’s CSX building is evidence of that.
Rail opened up Florida to development in its early history. Google: Henry Flagler for more information on the man who made that happen!I’m less certain that dairy has the same economic footprint, but somehow murals like this one greet mariners as they head south (UP-river) on the St Johns River from downtown.
That’s correct! South = UP-River on the St Johns as it flows north from points south of Orlando and Sanford. It empties about 20 miles east of here through narrow Mayport Inlet to the Atlantic Ocean.Looking back at downtown after passing through more bridges. So, what’s new at our marina?A much needed dredging project has been underway for weeks.
Click on image above to see video. The slurry / dredge spoils get transported in two steps from the barge to trucks for hauling away. .A game of “Musical Chairs” has also been necessary for slip holders to make room for the dredge/barge.Above you can see Shellerina tied up on the A-Dock temporarily.No complaints from us! We are simply closer to Port 32’s amenities like the pool, hot tub, laundry, showers and the ice machine.This Ortega River (off the St Johns River) is very protected from hurricanes. It is over 25 miles to open ocean. The narrow Mayport Inlet means large ocean Storm Surges have an obstacle to impact us. However, that same narrow inlet means flooding from heavy rains can take a long time to egress to the Atlantic..
Fortunately, this marina has tall concrete pipings and concrete docks. Tall pilings have a characteristic of being more resilience to the high waters of big storms. Normally, the tide only rises and ebbs about 18” here. So the tall pilings are not usually necessary, rather they remind us of a sort of insurance that we may someday benefit from.
