[gekko126]

My husband and I are moving to St. Augustine this fall. We are trying to decide where to keep our 26' Columbia Sailboat. Mast height she's about 33' and draft is only 2 feet. We have done majority of our sailing on lakes, and some in New York Harbor. We are not familiar with open ocean however. I lived in Orange Park before and know there are a lot of waterways to play on besides the ocean. What sort of inland sailing is available around St. Augustine? Is there enough to keep us busy on the intercostal? Or should I look at keeping the boat on the St. Johns? How is sailing on the river? Also any marina recommendations? We don't want to have to drive too far to get to our boat, but we're open to ideas. Thank you!!

 

[CaptainForce]

We have lived aboard with our home port in the Northeast Florida area since 1972. St. Augustine definitely has easy access to the ocean and some space for sailing north up the Tolomato River; however, the tidal currents are too strong to allow for rewarding recreational inland sailing. The Fish Island Marina & Anchorage Inn Marina as well as those up the San Sebastian River will have the best prices. Our favorite in the area for living aboard and quick access to anytime sailing is the Fleming Island Marina (formerly Whitney's Marina) in Orange Park, but it's a long trek to the ocean. Another selection would be a wise choice for hurricane protection if you would not want to move your boat for a tropical storm. Send me a PM if you would want a detailed comparison of more options in the NE Florida area. This is our "Briar Patch"!

 

[2theSea]

There's a group of sailors that get together a couple of times a month. It would be a good place to network with others to get ideas of marinas, sailing areas, inlet advice, etc. Sailors in St Augustine (Saint Augustine, FL) - Meetup

 

[Serendipitous]

For when you're doing any sailing or traveling on your boat in the St. Augustine area, this was just started and is very helpful:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Saint-Augustine-Riverkeeper/379315892095251