Port OKs land buy in Mayport

[reednavy]

They should've seriously thought of a way to play with Mill Cove. I guess environmentalists would've bitched too much, like everything else they do.

If the bridge was higher or whatever route, the only ships that wouldn't be allowed would be Super Tankers.

[avonjax]

I too have mixed feelings about Mayport. Once again in a city where everything is so spead out another major draw has to be put into a remote location miles from downtown. I guess to an extent geography has won out.

[reednavy]

Which my sig. fully explains, lol.

[Ocklawaha]

For once the city is thinking ahead and guess what, half the community wants to burn them at the stake. Unreal. So heres a clip from Los Angeles Port News for you to consider:

When the massive Queen Mary 2 visited the Port of Los Angeles last year, the captain of what was then the world's biggest cruise liner had to take an unusual tack.

Reaching 235 feet in height, the luxurious Cunard liner was unable to fit under the harbor's Vincent Thomas Bridge to reach a basin to turn around, so the 154,400-ton ship had to sail down the port's main channel backward to reach the cruise ship terminal.

It's the kind of maneuver that makes the Los Angeles harbor unappealing to the growing numbers of mega-ships coming on line, of which the Queen Mary 2 was one of the first.

While we might not be on the QMII radar... YET... We certainly don't have a shot if we do this downtown. With the new Panamax ships coming online around the world this isn't just about freight or passengers anymore. it's ALL new ships. Why built a 230 foot side wheeled steamer when we can build them 1,000 feet long? Lower costs all around. But our brains at FDOT back in the day, set the height of the Dames Point Bridge at 175 feet. DUH? Most of the newbies are coming online at 200' high or more, including our resident Carnival liners. So forget downtown unless we want to always be the tiny fish in the Port game. Then what happens when economics - fuel - etc. drive the smaller ships to the scrap yard? Does our port go with it? The real question should be, how do we raise the Broward Bridge or do we Tunnel?

OCKLAWAHA

[BridgeTroll]

Another issue I forgot was the depth of the channel... even if they could fit under the bridges the drafts of these vessels may be such that extensive dredging is required.

[wolfdawg54]

The problem with a terminal downtown is the same problem with the current terminal.  Bridges.  Modern cruise ships cannot get under our bridges.  In addition cruise ships like to be close to open waters.  A long slow cruise up the river to downtown costs money and time.

I definitely agree that the bridges are an issue. I think that there are a multitude of other sites that are closer to downtown, more easily accessible from the major thoroughfares, and will allow for future expansions. I believe that Mill Cove is an option, as well as Blount Island. Freighters sit lower in the water than cruise ships because of the purpose that they serve. If need be, the docks can transferred to the opposite side of the Dames Point Bridge to make room for the cruise vessels. There is also land near the shipyards where the river turns before nearing Mayport. I would like the cruise terminal to become very successful for the city, and I simply do not think that a terminal squished onto eight acres in Mayport village is the best option.

[wolfdawg54]

LANCE! Where have you been???

PS-This is David

Hey Buddy! I know, it has been a while. I guess architecture school is a little busy, so I have not been able to check in as much as I would like. By the way, are you in town?

[Steve]

Here's my thing on the bridges - there is only one in the way (I don't see a terminal south of the Mathews.  Given our geography (it's an extra full day to the caribbean than from Miami/Ft. Lauderdale), how many of the big ships are we REALLY a candidate to get?

[Jason]

Yeah the Caribbean is another day away but people comming in from across the southeast are closer to Jax than they are Port Canaveral/FTL/Miami/Tampa.  Once your on the ship you tend not to worry about where exactly its going or when you'll get there.

[Ocklawaha]

Bermuda, Coastal...Savannah, Charleston etc... and Trans-Atlantic is more of our long-term market. Miami can have the Tropics. We're bound to pick some of that buisiness off too.

The sense in Mayport, is:

Close to the ocean
easy in, easy out
close to Bermuda
no bridges
majior port = services available


Blount Island is a Marine Corps weapons depot, not the sort of place you want passengers. But the biggest argument is the economy of scale. Those who say why not just go with little ships in downtown, because they don't think we'll ever get any destinations... Trouble is, as scale replaces the little ships, we'll have a downtown port built for clipper ships in the age of starships? Museum maybe?

OCKLAWAHA