See ya later Jacksonville…

(June 29, 2018) We always enjoy our time at Lamb’s Yacht Center in Jacksonville.  We have a covered slip which protects the boat from the harsh sun and the water is mostly fresh which is better for the hull than salt water.  Jacksonville has the largest population of any other city in Florida.  Jacksonville has a population of about 892,000 compared to Atlanta at 4.5 million.  It has the largest land area of any city in the 48 contiguous states.  The St. John’s River runs through the center of Jacksonville making it a great boating city.   Lamb’s Yacht Center is on the Ortega River very close to the historic Riverside & Avondale neighborhoods with beautiful old homes and great restaurants.  

Because the St. John’s River cuts through the middle of the town, there are many bridges which we must pass through.  There are two railroad bridges which are always open unless a train is chugging along.  The Ortega River Bridge is only 9 feet high so we must always request and opening.  All of the other bridges are high enough that they don’t present a problem for us  

The Ortega River is at the tip of the arrow on the picture above.  We have to curve around a bit before coming under the bridges to avoid shallow water.  

This CSX bridge was open when we passed.  The mechanics of the bridge system are fascinating.   Main Street Bridge (the blue bridge on the left) has a lane for walkers connecting the Northbank to the Southbank Riverwalk attraction including Friendship Fountain.  

Heading east on the St. John’s River past the city lies the ship yards. Cargo ships and freighter ships line up to deliver or receive goods and materials.  RoRo ships (Roll On/Roll Off) are designed to carry wheeled cargo such as semi-trailer trucks, trailers, railroad cars, cars and trucks that are driven off the ship with their own wheels.  We have also seen LoLo (lift-on/lift-off)  vessels which use a crane to load and unload cargo.   

Morning Celine crew members were waving at us as we passed them.  Look closely at the small rectangular opening above Morning Celine and you can just make out the crew. 

We turned off the St. John’s River into Sister’s Creek to head north on the ICW (intracoastal waterway).  The U.S. Navy bid us a fond farewell!

We shared with Carolyn and Leslie our love of pirate jokes while crossing the Gulf Stream to pass the time.  I will close today with a good new one.  Check out tomorrow’s post for the answer!

Why couldn’t the pirate crew play cards?

Joy