Moving to Jacksonville FL area

[40Tudor]

We are moving our 30 Catalina MKII from the upper Chesapeake Bay aria to the Jacksonville Fl aria next spring.
Any recommendations on routs and marinas close to Jacksonville?
I've ran powerboats on Lake Erie since about 9 years old but this is my first sailboat purchased last spring.
I plan on getting a citified captain to run it and I'll crew with maybe one more hand. I have a couple of volunteers from our marina on the Chesapeake Bay.
Looking for a nice marina that doesn't cost an arm an a leg within an hour or two of Jacksonville, I'll be retiring.
Any recommendations?

 

[jmce1587]

Google green cove springs marina outside Jacksonville. Headed that way in a few weeks to check out a salvaged boat. Let me know if u need any pics of the area.

 

[seadaddler]

Why Jacksonville and just asking.
Nick

 

[jmce1587]

Just got back from Jacksonville. After visiting Green Cove Springs I can't say that I would endorse it. Looks like a place sailboats go to die. Did notice a few other areas with boats but didn't get a chance to check them out. Suggest reaching out to a local with area knowledge if still interested in JAX.

 

[Dan_Y]

Nick, how did your boat do in the storm that came through Punta Gorda?

 

[seadaddler]

We did great not much storm damage to most boats.
Nick

 

[dwedeking]

Green Cove Springs is where people go to work on boats. It's one of the few yards around that you can liveaboard while on the hard and work on your boat. A lot of which marina in Jacksonville will be based on location and if you want to liveaboard. Jacksonville is spread out. If you're going to want to sail in the ocean then you'll want something on the east side of town. I liveaboard at Beach Marine (Beach Blvd in Jacksonville Beach). It's a 30 minute walk to the beach but still a little over an hour for me to get to the ocean. If you want to sail on the St Johns then downtown or closer to Green Cove Springs would work (but much further to the ocean).

 

[seadaddler]

Are you sure you want to move to east coast maybe check out west coast like Tampa or Punta Gorda.
Nick

 

[Dan_Y]

We did great not much storm damage to most boats.
Nick

Glad to hear that!

 

[MisterR6]

I grew up on Amelia Island. You should at least look there. It is a different scene than jax, smaller and its got beach on one side and ICW on the other. Way more relaxed and many nearby daysails and weekenders. Hope you enjoy it, I look forward to moving back when I retire. Be sure to follow up and show us some pics of your trip. Fair winds!

 

[40Tudor]

I think we are going to drive to Amelia Island next week and check it out.
I'd rather have to drive a little and have a nice quiet place to relax.
We got our 30 Catilina a couple of years ago and docked it near Chesapeake City Mariland. Nice marina, great people around our slip. We'll miss them.
New friends to come when we get the boat down here.
Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[40Tudor]

Wife got a job at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and we're both tired of snow.

 

[Cat 310 #1 in GA]

Once Fernandina Harbor Marina is repaired next spring that is a great place. Depends if you want to daysail or just keep your boat in between trips. Beach Marine is a real nice spot but not for daysailing. Fernandina Harbor is close to the sound and St. Mary's inlet. Or you can buy in Queens Harbor and keep your boat in your backyard...
bob

 

[heritage]

If you are going to be living near the Mayo Clinic, check out these two marinas.
Ortega River Marina and Marina at Ortega Landing are both located just south of downtown jax on the St. Johns. Confusing names and located next to each other. I can recommend Ortega River Marina... very good management and some new facilities. Never stayed at Ortega Landing. Other that these two, there is the Jax Nas Marina an hours sail to the south if you have military privileges. I agree with other posters that Green Cove is a great place to work on boat, but not so good for keeping boat in the water at the docks.

 

[Dave Gibson]

I agree with everyone's assessment of Green Cove Springs Marina. Do NOT stay there. However, there are one or two other marinas on the same old Navy docks that are better to do business with. And yes, I do have a grudge. After saying they could haul our 46' trawler, and despite us staying there for several days, we were in North Carolina when they called to say they couldn't haul it because it was too big.
Amelia Island is a really nice place. My wife works on a ranch there. But it is the high rent district.
Not too far away is Brunswick Landing Marina in Brunswick, Georgia, our favorite stop down the entire eastern seaboard. And you can even live aboard legally there. What a great place.