Goodby's Channel In Jacksonville, FL?

[LuvBoating]

Looking for anyone who uses a powerboat on Goodby's Creek Channel to get out onto the St John's River in Jacksonville, FL area.

In mid 2009, we started launching/retrieving our 1992 20' Celebrity 200 Cuddy Cabin on Goodby's Creek Ramp and there was no "Shallow" warning buoy at the end of the channel going into the river..........there is now and has been for the last couple of years. When going thru that area, I have to raise our drive up some or we will get stuck and that has already happened! I don't know what the "draft" of our boat is, but we can't go thru that area with the drive all the way down OR we get stuck. I've got our Depth Alarm set for 3 1/2 feet, so when we get near this buoy, I MUST raise the drive up some.

Was wondering if anyone else goes out of this channel and has to do the same thing? I've already talked to a few people who have told me just how shallow the channel can get with no plans to drudge it any deeper. Apparently a sand bar has formed where the Warning Buoy is. Unfortunately, the ramp where this channel is, is very close to where we store our boat and easy access to us......compared to some other ramps in the area.

 

[hawkrdr]

Re: Goodby's Channel In Jacksonville, FL?

I have been victim of this sand bar a couple times. I have to trim up and really watch the depth on the gauge. I run a boat that has about a 30" draft.
I cant seem to find any draft specifics for your boat but I would think you are a little shallower then I am.

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Goodby's Channel In Jacksonville, FL?

I have been victim of this sand bar a couple times. I have to trim up and really watch the depth on the gauge. I run a boat that has about a 30" draft.
I cant seem to find any draft specifics for your boat but I would think you are a little shallower then I am.

Have you gone out of Mandarin Park/Julington Creek? At Goodby's, I have to back the boat up and bring it over to the dock so my wife can board. At Mandarin/Julington, we put the boat in right next to the dock. She pulls me off of the trailer with the docking lines and we tie up for a minute or two. Actually we don't see nearly as many empty boat trailers in Goodby's parking lot as we use to. Either boaters aren't going on the river as much as they use to or something. Just don't see that many boats out on the old St John's River like we did in 2009 when we moved here.

 

[jkimball]

Re: Goodby's Channel In Jacksonville, FL?

Where exactly is Goodby's? I live over in Fleming Island and always put in at either Doctors Lake or Black Creek.
I'm looking for some other good boating areas around here. My wife is pregnant so I have to kind of keep it calm. Not necessarily, slow, but calm. The choppy water kills her right now. Personally, I love the St. John's.
We used to like Black Creek, but I think all of the boat traffic the St. John's is missing has shown up there. On any given Saturday the place is packed, but with the creek being so narrow just the wakes from other boats makes it worse than any chop I've ever seen on the St. John's.
Anybody have any other good spots? I'm fairly new to boating in the area

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Goodby's Channel In Jacksonville, FL?

Gooby's is right across the street from Hooter's and Goodby's Marine Service where Baymeadows road ends at San Jose Blvd. This is on the other side of the river from your location. Our storage facility is 7 miles from Goodby's parking lot/ramp. No freeway/highway driving at all. From what I remember, there is a ramp area at the edge of Green Cove Springs and another one in Orange Park. The only two we've gone out of is Goodby's and Julington Creek/Mandarin Park. Shoot, I'm not totally sure where Black Creek is!

Where exactly is Goodby's? I live over in Fleming Island and always put in at either Doctors Lake or Black Creek.
I'm looking for some other good boating areas around here. My wife is pregnant so I have to kind of keep it calm. Not necessarily, slow, but calm. The choppy water kills her right now. Personally, I love the St. John's.
We used to like Black Creek, but I think all of the boat traffic the St. John's is missing has shown up there. On any given Saturday the place is packed, but with the creek being so narrow just the wakes from other boats makes it worse than any chop I've ever seen on the St. John's.
Anybody have any other good spots? I'm fairly new to boating in the area

 

[jkimball]

Re: Goodby's Channel In Jacksonville, FL?

Gooby's is right across the street from Hooter's and Goodby's Marine Service where Baymeadows road ends at San Jose Blvd. This is on the other side of the river from your location. Our storage facility is 7 miles from Goodby's parking lot/ramp. No freeway/highway driving at all. From what I remember, there is a ramp area at the edge of Green Cove Springs and another one in Orange Park. The only two we've gone out of is Goodby's and Julington Creek/Mandarin Park. Shoot, I'm not totally sure where Black Creek is!

Black Creek is south on 17, in between Fleming Island and Green Cove Springs. The bridge that you go over to cross into Green Cove, actually goes over Black Creek.
There is a really nice ramp that the county manages at the entrance to Black Creek off of the St. John's. On a week day, Black Creek really can't be beat. Weekends can be a little rough, if you have a pregnant wife in the boat.

 

[Harritwo]

Re: Goodby's Channel In Jacksonville, FL?

Gooby's is right across the street from Hooter's and Goodby's Marine Service where Baymeadows road ends at San Jose Blvd. This is on the other side of the river from your location. Our storage facility is 7 miles from Goodby's parking lot/ramp. No freeway/highway driving at all. From what I remember, there is a ramp area at the edge of Green Cove Springs and another one in Orange Park. The only two we've gone out of is Goodby's and Julington Creek/Mandarin Park. Shoot, I'm not totally sure where Black Creek is!

From where you are, There is a ramp off of San Jose at the Julington Creek Marina, there is a ramp at Doctors Lake off of Lake Shore (Off CR 220) and there is Doctors Lake Marina (Not sure if it is a private ramp or it costs). If you are military, there is a ramp at NAS Jacksonville with a marina and a fuel dock. The area by Hooters is shallow for sure if you are dead center in the channel and even then i trim all the way up to keep from turning mud.

 

[jkimball]

Re: Goodby's Channel In Jacksonville, FL?

I was just coming down San Jose yesterday from San Marco and saw this place. I'm still getting oriented as to where things are by water, as compared to land.
It looks like it'd be a good trip. I put in at Doctors Lake a lot, and It's ~17 to downtown, so not a long ride. So, probably close to the same I'd imagine. I'll have to come up there sometime, if nothing else to stop in at hooters and have lunch or something. Just to checkbox that one.
Since It seems everyone here is a Jacksonville boater, have any of you been to the "Exchange Club Island" downtown? If so, is it worth going there?

 

[LuvBoating]

Re: Goodby's Channel In Jacksonville, FL?

Just put a new Thread on asking about the boat traffic (lack of) on the St John's River. Went across the Buckman Bridge yesterday and only seen one powerboat and two sailboats. Seemed like a great day for boating, but apparently not on the St John's River!
Any ideas?