SAVE THE BUCCANEER FERRY!

[Ocklawaha]

SAVE THE BUCCANEER!
http://savetheferry.org/forum/index.php




Jacksonville's Ferry... Where is she today?


Frankly, not only is the ferry good transportation, with each passing day it becomes more and more of a unique attraction in it's own right. Lake Michigan Ferry's, gone... Ozark Mountain lake ferry's, gone... Mississippi River Ferry's, almost gone... The day is quickly approaching when the Buccaneer will be an EXPERIENCE for tourists throughout the country.



Ferry to Bremerton approaching the Seattle Landing, What if Georgia and Florida did this?


With that in mind, carry the argument to the next step. What IF? What if we hooked up with the State of Georgia and extended A-1-A up to the incredible village of St. Marys with a ferry from Fernandina Beach? Georgia already has the ferry landing in St. Marys for passengers, and the main street of town ends in the river! Fernandina has the new FERNPORT facility and it's a deep water scenic ride all the way. Properly advertised by Georgia, certain tourist traffic would divert off of I-95, for St. Marys, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Talbot Islands, Ft. George Island, Mayport Ferry, Maport, the Jacksonville Beaches, St. Augustine, Marineland and Daytona Beach. They would see FLORIDA and GEORGIA the way GOD intended! Not just from the shuttle bus from MCO (Orlando International Airport) to Disney's plastic Kingdom. What is the old saying about building a better mouse trap? WE HAVE ONE JACKSONVILLE! The mouse will never see it coming!

More Ferry's? Why not, A couple of years ago, I ran across an article about an old Steam Ferry. She was converted to diesel as I remember and running her final years in some remote location, like Maine or Oregon. As I read the article, I nearly fell out of my chair. "The Nations oldest operating ferry began life in Jacksonville, Florida, where it connected the North and South Bank of the St. Johns River Downtown!" Holy S--T Batman! I've since lost her, but now wonder where she is? Could we get her home? We have a maritime museum...remember? What a historic ship she is.  




Downtown Jacksonville in Mr. Harts days.  


"But Ock... The Ferry isn't really that old and we don't have a big ferry history here." So wrote some well meaning soul to my E-Mail. Sorry friend but NOT! Does anyone recall the family business of mister Isaiah D. Hart? Oh sure, he did own the land, and laid out the first lots that became Downtown Jacksonville... but before his real estate venture? HE RAN THE ONLY FERRY ACROSS THE ST. JOHNS RIVER! No history indeed! Hell, our City could just as easily be named Harts Ferry Florida!


Support the effort to save the ferry!


Ocklawaha