A Weekend of Ocean Racing!

[sheclown]

It would be cool to have some racing downtown, but how would you do it?  I could see people watching from the landing...is there enough room? 

[Overstreet]

..............I did have the pleasure of watching some cigarrete boats meet up and ultimately start going full throttle right at the foot of the 680' Shipyards pier Sunday morning.  ...............

..........Violating the speed limits either way. Down river is 25mph in the channel. Up river is 25mph in the channel to the mainstreet then no wake and slow speed to the Fuller Warren. (see the signs) 

[Overstreet]

........It would be cool to have some racing downtown, but how would you do it?  I could see people watching from the landing...is there enough room? 

River is too narrow and current too swift for boat races in front of the landing.

[fieldafm]

I watched a few cigarretes start a run this weekend off the 680' Shipyards pier  .  Would make a great vantage point for a regatta... as would any spot along the riverwalk and the Landing.

Remember the power boat race in the mid 80's?  The southbank riverwalk was jammed pack for that event.  I remember vividly b/c my parents and I had to tie our boat up about 10 deep and the Marine Patrol wouldnt allow more than 8 boats to tie up and we had to chug over to Metro Park(where you couldnt see squat).

COJ Special Events holds Sail Jacksonville annually(and Theresa and crew have the whole logistics aspect down pat).  I think you guys have something with incorporating a 'boat week' type event within this event...

I agree that a 'race' wouldnt work so well in the area in b/w Acosta and Main Street... but that's not the end all be all of a boat week.

[strider]

Actually, the sailboat racing could have the boats leave from DT and then race south on the river, with the start after the bridges.  Matching racing on smaller boats could be done between the Acosta and Fuller Warren (Did I get the bridges right, I always mess them up) and be easily seen from the Riverwalk.  The power boats could go the opposite way from DT.

[ChriswUfGator]

Antique and classic boat could also be part of a boat week

http://www.woodboat.biz/

The classic boat community here in Jacksonville is actually pretty darn huge, as I can attest personally 



And if you're looking for a floating party, Silver Glen can't be beat. It's on the NW side of Lake George, North of Astor and South of Palatka. I'm guessing you have a go-fast, so it's about a 2-3 hour ride for you, on some of the most scenic river imaginable, and a lot of fun when you get there. Bring solo cups to pour whatever into, it's technically dry. Bring 2 anchors and spend the night on the hook. Reason you need 2 is that the place gets packed, there are so many boats there isn't a lot of room to swing. The spring water is 70 degrees year round, which keeps the boat cool in summer and warm in winter, either way you don't even have to run the genset and a/c at night.

[samiam]

Imagine the economic impact a boat week could have.It could even give the city incentive to do something grand with the downtown waterfront

[samiam]

If the size of the river at the landing is a problem just limit to smaller boat in that area and as for speed limits a special event waver can be obtained though the coast guard

http://www.dillon-racing.com/

[samiam]

nice boat chriswufgator, is that a chris craft Constellation . Is it glass or wood

[ChriswUfGator]

nice boat chriswufgator, is that a chris craft Constellation . Is it glass or wood

Yup, you nailed it. 1967 Connie, all batten/seam mahogany planking. Twin direct drive 327F's.

[samiam]

chriswufgator how is the upkeep I was thinking of getting a wood boat to live on

[samiam]

Im going to try and attend this as well

www.thunderonthegulf.com

http://www.thepleasureislandpokerrun.com/

[ChriswUfGator]

chriswufgator how is the upkeep I was thinking of getting a wood boat to live on

Depends on whether you stay on top of it or not. If you buy one in good shape and keep it that way then it's not so bad, but most people buy a cheap boat thinking they're going to fix it up and then find themselves faced with a bottomless pit of expenses that never stops. That is true regardless of what it's made of. I do know a good 50s 40-something foot bullnose CC for sale locally with twin diesels that is in great shape if you're interested. Also it helps a lot to keep them under cover.

Wood boats aren't as bad as people think, it's rundown boats of any material that the horror stories come from. Anything marine-related is so expensive that you can't treat it like a car and think you're going to get it cheap and fix it up. You will always wind up paying more doing it that way than it would have cost you to just buy a nice one in the first place, and "boat people" for big boats aren't like car dealerships, it will take months and months (maybe years depending on the amount of work) to get it all done properly. And FWIW, that applies no matter what it's made out of, blister jobs, soggy coring, and redoing gelcoat adds up just as fast as replacing planking, which adds up just as fast as re-plating steel, you get the idea. Whatever you buy, make sure it's got all its maintenance records, and make sure you get a survey.

I would definitely say do it, but when you're shopping just remember that price difference on the purchase is probably 1/5'th to 1/3'rd as much as buying the same boat in rundown condition and then trying to fix it up will cost you in the long run. I bet know Strider and Sheclown can chime in on maintenance expectations, I know they've had their share. Big boats aren't like small boats, everything always seems exponentially more expensive.

[CS Foltz]

chris...........did not know that you have a old school wooden boat! Stay on top of the maintance and no problems......as in anything else! Just be safe and have backup options!

[samiam]

One thing that would improve Jacksonville's image would be to make the landing more assesable to small boats (You would think with a name like that they would have already done this) making it a premiere waterfront destination is a no brainer. Take the boat out and have lunch at the landing. All they would have to do is place floating docks up to the obstructions just off the seawall.