Question 1

What counts as navigable water on these listings?

Accepted Answer

The navigable-water pages linked above require an MLS designation like navigable water, ocean access, river access, or Intracoastal frontage — community ponds and lagoons don't qualify. Even then, a dock on a tidal creek can have limited depth or a fixed bridge between it and open water, so I verify depth at low tide, dock permit history, and the route to the Intracoastal or river before my buyers commit.

Question 2

Which ocean inlets can Northeast Florida boaters actually use?

Accepted Answer

Three: the St. Marys Entrance at Fernandina Beach and the St. Johns River entrance at Mayport are both deep and jettied, and St. Augustine Inlet is workable with local knowledge — its channel shifts and the buoys move with it. Fort George Inlet frequently goes bare at low water and shouldn't be treated as a pass. Where a home sits relative to those three matters to resale as much as to your weekend.

Question 3

Do drawbridges slow down cruising here?

Accepted Answer

Less than you'd think on the Intracoastal — the Palm Valley CR 210 crossing is a fixed 65-foot span, so that stretch runs without waits. In St. Augustine, the Bridge of Lions opens on a daytime schedule on the hour and half hour with a few weekday rush skips. On the St. Johns in Jacksonville, the Ortega River bascule is the area's most frequently opened bridge, and downtown's Main Street lift bridge opens on signal outside weekday rush-hour closures.

Question 4

Are there manatee speed zones?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and they're year-round in this region — idle- and slow-speed zones on the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal in Duval and St. Johns counties under FWC rules. Factor them into realistic run times when you're weighing a home's distance to open water.

Question 5

Where can visiting or new boaters keep a boat?

Accepted Answer

Fernandina Harbor Marina takes transients downtown on Amelia Island; St. Augustine's Municipal Marina and its three mooring fields (including Salt Run) cover the south end; and the Jacksonville area's depth of options runs from the Ortega River marina cluster to Julington Creek. Annual slips run tight at the popular spots — worth lining up alongside the home search, and I'm happy to point you at the right fit.

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