Enhancing the Tourist Experience of Jax - Use the River!!

[Ocklawaha]

Ah the memories of the years spent at my parents marina, and my affection for paddling into the smallest creek or most obscure river wreck I can find.

It was one of those weird evenings when a fog had settled over the river so thick visibility to the front of the canoe was about it. I was killing my final minutes before a return to civilization tied off on a long bow line to a wooden channel marker. Fish must have all left town because I don't recall having any or even removing my gear for that matter... Water carries sound and that whole hour or two there was this weird "thump, thump, thump..." sound which I would have sworn came out of the water from no particular direction.

All at once the "thumping" changed to my immediate north, and I looked up to see a giant black wall coming straight for my canoe. I would bet any book of records that I am the ONLY MAN TO EVER PLAIN A CANOE! Yes darling I got back to dry land and decided to become an airship fan! LUFTSCHIFF! Luftschiff mein count, Luftschiff!

As for our "other" attractions, you must ask yourself would you stop off the interstate in Kansas to visit a sidewalk alongside a river? How about a collection of elephants and monkeys? An empty riverside ampatheater? a replica fort? A national wetland with uh, wet land? If you answered yes with enthusiasm to any of these choices, welcome to Jacksonville. America's only diamond that want's to remain COAL!

I agree, we could do SO MUCH BETTER... but will we?  Go JAGUARS!

OCKLAWAHA

[ChriswUfGator]

I too had a run in with one of those barges when I was younger, down south on the saint johns around astor. Scary.

[ChriswUfGator]

The MP has really cracked down on people in the Ortega River because people anchored illegally up and down the river (I'm talking all those decrepit sailboats) complain.  How about the MP do something about all the illegal sailboats!!!!!!

+100

The people who complain to the cops (or at least from what I've heard) are the guy in the white aft cabin trawler that is always tied up at the end of the easternmost cement dock at Lamb's (who comes out yelling and cussing whenever anyone goes by), and the people who live on that black snailboat that looks like a fake pirate ship moored between Sadler and the bridge.

About those snailboat moorings, you're right about that also. There are only like 10 or 15 dedicated buoys, but somehow there are always two or three times that many boats. A transient mooring is only legal for a few days, meaning a good chunk of those boats are illegal. Seems like if they don't like it, then they shouldn't illegally moor there.

And thank God the manatee scare is over.  Remember a few years ago (like 6-10) the environmentalists were trying to scare the bejesus out of people by making it seem like there was one manatee left and an a**hole boater was most likely going to run over it?

Unfortunately, everyone remembers, because the state used it as an excuse to quadruple the amount of retarded no-wake zones all over the place. The worst offender has got to be that 5+ mile long one south of Saint Augustine. Most people just run outside to avoid the wake zones, which of course defeats the whole point of creating the intracoastal waterway, which was intended to provide a safe and efficient inshore passage for boaters. As with everything, the cops have turned it into another revenue generator.

[Dog Walker]

A few years ago in that same stretch of waterway, south of St. Augustine, I watched a manatee trashing it's life away in the shallows with it's intestines hanging out.  The boat that had hit it was fifty yards down the waterway on the shore with its outdrive hanging by cables.  It was one of those boats that we call SSOS boat (stupid shits on a shingle).

The manatees don't have any alternative routes or speeds; we do.

It get really impatient in the no wake zones too until I remember the sight of that manatee.

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

thank you, dog walker.  simms & chris were kind ov pissing me off there, and you were a lot more articulate than i'd've been.

[simms3]

I think as Dog Walker and certainly I kind of alluded to the problem is not with courteous boaters who have grown up around the water, have an appreciation for the wildlife, and know the rules of the channel.  The problem lies with dumb idiots who should not hold a license and who have no respect for other boaters and certainly not the wildlife.  I know that many boaters have run into manatees before, but I know sooo many boaters myself and I know nobody personally who has run into said manatees.  The boaters I know are respectable and should not be punished unfairly for all the idiots out on the water in their tacky boats and their whacked out PWCs who the state gives a license to anyway.  Is that so hard to understand?

I think the same thing goes for the road.  There are those of us who have never caused or been in a wreck, but we are made to be completely on the lookout for all the idiots on the road and we are often punished by default by certain draconian laws because some people can't/shouldn't drive.  I have run over 1 squirrel before a long time ago and that was the most I have ever hit with my car (and I felt bad...it was on my own street and I probably could have gone slower), but I see dead dogs, cats, birds, all sorts of animals everywhere, I see idiots cutting from the right lane across 3-4 lanes of traffic to make a left without any sort of signal (let alone regard for the other drivers or potential pedestrians), etc.  They should not have a license!  They aren't even patient, courteous, or wise enough to just go around the block?  You have the same sorts of people who drive boats.  They will be pushing 4000 rpms no more than 30 yards from shore, clearly outside of the channel and clearly where the manatees are.  You'll have sailors going through the Ortega Bridge with their sails up (clearly illegal).  You'll have speedboats and dumb people cutting you off and pulling water (thus creating a huge wake) while passing through the narrow channel or opening of a bridge (there is a line you know), AND what's more they'll flick you off in the process probably because they think you're going too slowly.

So kuroiketsanuhana can't spell your name, please familiarize yourself with the real situation out there.  You will never (well maybe rarely but not that I have ever heard of) encounter a manatee in the marked channel where you are supposed to pass anyway.  There are boaters who have no concept of what a channel is or its purpose and they will speed wherever they please (until they launch onto a sandbar and injure themselves and/or their passengers i which case it's hard to sympathize).  And btw what is your profile picture of???

[simms3]

To further my point, Chris (and Dog Walker), how many times have you seen an idiot rip right by an anchored boat where people are fishing?  And obviously this anchored boat is not anchored right in the channel, it is either closer to shore or in known fishing holes not in the channel so the speeder is also not in the channel and/or close to shore.  Not only is the idiot passerby cutting right across potential fishing lines that could injure him and/or his passengers, he is not displaying any sense of courtesy.  Ummm thanks for providing a huge wake, scaring off the fish, making a noisy and close encounter thus interrupting and ruining the conversation or peace and quiet they were having, and potentially clipping their lines!  It's incredible what you will see on the water.  And sometimes these idiots will wave to you "in courtesy" like one normally would, but they are oblivious to the fact that they actually are not being courteous AT ALL!

[simms3]

Thankfully with all of the algal blooms and foam there have been far less boaters on the water than in the past.  I would rather see more boaters who know what they're doing and no algal blooms/foam, but that what be too much of a Christmas wouldn't it?

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

So kuroiketsanuhana can't spell your name, please familiarize yourself with the real situation out there.  You will never (well maybe rarely but not that I have ever heard of) encounter a manatee in the marked channel where you are supposed to pass anyway.  There are boaters who have no concept of what a channel is or its purpose and they will speed wherever they please (until they launch onto a sandbar and injure themselves and/or their passengers i which case it's hard to sympathize).  And btw what is your profile picture of???

your previous post sounded a lot like 'well screw the manatees anyway'.  also, please familiarize yourself with how horrendously condescending it is to ask someöne to 'please familiarize yourself with the real situation out there.'

my profile picture is ov rozz williams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rozz_Williams), from the cover ov the premature ejaculation album wound ov exit.  he's one ov my heros, and with all the arson goïng around in springfield, my previous avatar (the one with the torch) didn't seem so cute anymore.

[edited to fix spelling and rambling.  i've been a little bad about both today]

[simms3]

I too had a run in with one of those barges when I was younger, down south on the saint johns around astor. Scary.

You went there?  You're brave!

We used to take boating trips with other families we knew down to either River Bend or the Florida Sportsman, both in Welaka, and from there we would explore, ski, fish, whatever.  The only qualification to go was you had to have a Grady White, lol, which everyone had.  One time we decided to explore past Lake George further up the river and we slowly went through Astor.  Wow wow wow, these people were like out of a horror movie.  They all came out on their docks to observe us and it was creeeepppyyy.  We quickly turned around and went back to the other side of Lake George.  Ew, what a place LOL.

And on the note of douchebag boat captains/passengers (you know the kind that really was responsible for manatee deaths and boat accidents), well perhaps the highest concentration of them in one spot is at Silver Glen Springs on the west side of Lake George.  Packed full of rednecks, speedboats, Sea Rays, PWCs, and just general ew.

[Noone]

In less than 4 hours there will be a meeting in the St. James building at city hall on a piece of legislation. 2010-856 a one mile BAN on economic opportunity for a transient vendor that wants to do business within in 1 mile of a permanent business that has a similar product or service.

WAKE UP.

If the Waterways of the St. Johns River our American Heritage River are not exempt from this legislation with an amendment then we will not....

USE THE RIVER!

Be concerned.

[Noone]

Making a scene on our St. Johns River our American Heritage River a Federal Initiative and experiencing a Downtown Destination River Activity was me. I had a blast and can't wait to share with the world how much fun it is to kayak and fish under one of the 7 brand new Jacksonville Waterways NO FISHING signs.

Caught a beautiful red. CG7 knows the spots and is in a position to divulge the hot locations. He wasn't along on this trip but I hit the same locations. Very short trip. On the water just over an hour.

Who's next? 

[north miami]

That's the beauty of floating on Waters of the State.And we must assume the
" No Fishing " posted directive applies to land based persons.

What a picture,signature Jacksonville Urban Waterway Adventure:
fisherman in kayak, no scenic horizon in this case, but rather a metal grate overhead ( oooops.....not to divulge the location) and stretched between fishing rod in one hand and fish in the other......VISIT JACKSONVILLE sign.

Field & Stream front cover

[Noone]

Another Downtown Destination River activity took place at Sidney Gefen Park on the Northbank. CG7 and Da Monster were there.

It couldn't happen at the Marina by the Fire museum. It couldn't happen at Metropolitan Park. It couldn't happen at SHIPYARDS III.  It did happen At Gefen park. Took lots of pictures.

A bonus was a full Vivian Harrell blue garbage bag. 

[Noone]

I am Downtown.

And that is what I did today. Anyone want to kayak and fish Downtown under the brand new no fishing signs? I've got some fiddlers and we can show the world a Downtown Destination River activity that has just been taken away from the people of Jacksonville.

Does anybody care?

After making a scene at our empty marina and putting in at the new kayak launch which I must say that I was able to do and it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. None the less I did not venture out into the river because the current was ripping and an inexperienced canoer or kayaker would have been swept out with the outgoing tide and you are going to no mans land. So I stayed in the empty marina. Had a good bite but lost it.

So then I took it to Sidney Gefen Park and did another cleanup. Ran into Da Monster and its always good seeing him. Pulled out the 4X8 sheet of Plywood. It looks like someone may have pulled out the tire. Got out a big foam mattress and working on the pipes and some other big pieces of wood. A good Vivian Harrell blue bag. There is no doubt that this mulch laden beach could be returned to a thriving sandy ecosystem. It Khan happen.

Who's next to say "I am Downtown?"