Local Weather Conditions
MarshBunny Notes
The St. Johns River The Intracoastal and Beyond
Boats on the St. Johns

There is a remarkable variety of boats on the river. If you travel to Jacksonville the water is deep and broad enough to support Navy and cargo ships, but in our area the water is too shallow to accomodate a very large boat. There are deep sections, but they are joined together by low spots that won't allow a large motorboat to pass.

There are 3 basic types of boats:

Airboat

Also called a "blow boat" because it "blows" it's way over the water.

Airboats are simply the most fun you can have with your pants on. They are tricky to handle, and you have quite a few dangers to watch out for. Read some of the airboat stories, you'll see!


Motorboat

Also called "kicker boat" because it "kicks" it's way through the water.

With a kicker you can't get back into the cypress swamp, and pretty much have to stay in the main river run. But, with a small enough boat and a willingness to paddle occasionally, you can get into some beautiful areas of the marsh.

Gheenoe

Gheenoe
My boat
falls into this category, but - being small - can go places the larger boats cannot. After a hurricane my boat can go on airboat trails to the deep cypress.


Paddle boat

You get the drift, right?

Canoes are very tipsy and you can't use a motor at all unless you rig up a special motor mount - then it gets REALLY tipsy. Some people are hesitant to go into alligator infested water in a tipsy boat.

Kayaks are not as tipsy, but seem awfully small when measured next to an alligator.

Gator eating kayak

The Lunatic Fringe
Kayak with Trolling Motor
Houseboat with airboat engine.
A kayaker mounted a trolling motor on his craft to make traveling easier.
Called the "Airhouse" this vessel is a combination airboat/houseboat & kicker.
SeeDoo
Hunting Boat
Seadoo's are probably a lot of fun, but they make too much noise.
Hunters completely covered their boat with palm fronds.
Rubber Raft
Ultralite
Rubber Rafts don't seem safe enough from gators and submerged trees.
Ultralites aren't boats, but they do practice touch-and-goes on the lake.
Kayak with Trolling Motor
Tugboat
Another entry in the Kayak division is this model with sail attached.
This little Tugboat is parked at a local fish camp while they are building the new bridge.
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