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Fort Gates Ferry

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Coordinates: 29°26′0″N 81°39′50″W / 29.43333°N 81.66389°W / 29.43333; -81.66389
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Fort Gates Ferry
WaterwaySt. Johns River
Transit typeBarge
RouteFlorida Black Bear Scenic Byway
CarriesAutomobiles
OperatorFort Gates Fish Camp
Began operation1853
Travel time10 minutes
Yearly vehicles2500
Route ID764039 / 764043[1]

The Fort Gates Ferry is an auto ferry that crosses the St. Johns River in Florida, downstream of Lake George and just upstream of Little Lake George, at Fruitland Cove. The oldest operating ferry in Florida, it acts as part of the Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway.

Location and history

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The Fort Gates Ferry, also known as the Gateway Ferry,[2] connects Fort Gates Ferry Road near Pomona Park on the east bank of the St. Johns River with Forest Service Road 43, leading to Salt Springs in the Ocala National Forest, on the west bank. The ferry first entered service in 1853,[3] and it is the oldest ferry service still operating in Florida.[4] It was operated as a military ferry by the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.[5]

The current ferry began operation in 1914,[6] and is one of four still operating in the state of Florida.[4] The ferry, part of the Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway,[7] consists of a barge pushed by a tugboat converted from a 1910 Sharpie sailboat.[8] It has a weight limit of 15 tonnes (15 long tons; 17 short tons).[7] The tugboat, named Too Wendy,[9] is 18 feet (5.5 m) long and is powered by a 65 horsepower (48 kW) diesel engine.[10] Hurricane Gladys sunk the ferry's tugboat in 1968; service was suspended until it could be raised.[11]

In 1972, an automobile commercial featuring Paul Newman was filmed on the Fort Gates Ferry.[4] In 2009 the ferry was part of a route named the "World's Worst Commute" in a contest run to promote a brand of motor oil.[12]

Traffic

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The ferry, with a toll of $10,[7] is one of four in Florida.[4] Operating daily except Tuesday during daylight hours, it has an estimated annual traffic load of 1,500 vehicles per year.[4] The ferry takes ten minutes to cross the one mile (1.6 km) span of the river;[4] it can carry two to four pickup trucks, a dozen motorcycles, or 38 dirt bikes or bicycles.[10]

The ferry is privately operated by the Fort Gates Fish Camp, and is funded by Putnam County as a public transportation service; the subsidy was set at $10,000 per year in 1995.[10] Putnum County is planning on replacing the ferry landings with new structures.[13]

Closure

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The passage of Hurricane Irma in 2017 damaged the ferry and ferry landing, forcing the temporary suspension of the service; by February 2019 repairs had not yet been conducted.[14] In October 2019 the Putnam County Commission authorized funds for repairing the ferry landing,[15] but by late 2020 the ferry had not been repaired, and local residents believed it would never return to service.[16]

References

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Citations
  1. ^ "Florida Bridge Information" (PDF). Office of Maintenance Bridge Information. Florida Department of Transportation. June 29, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-11. Retrieved 2012-09-07.
  2. ^ van Trump, Bette (December 4, 1980). "Fish Attractors Installed". News from South Putnam. Daytona Beach, FL. p. 2. Retrieved 2012-08-31.
  3. ^ Kopycinski, Jay (17 September 2013). "Crossing Florida: Part 1". Four Wheeler. El Segundo, CA: TEN: The Enthusiast Network. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Klinkenberg, Jeff (August 23, 2009). "Fort Gates Ferry still crossing the St. Johns River Archived 2012-09-03 at the Wayback Machine". Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg, FL. Accessed 2012-08-24.
  5. ^ White, Gary (April 18, 2006). "Long-Serving Ferry Has Local, International Appeal". The Ledger. Lakeland, FL. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  6. ^ Hamaker, Elaine (July 30, 1989). "Fort Gates Ferry gets you there...just in time". Star-Banner. Ocala, FL. p. 11E. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  7. ^ a b c Fort Gates Ferry. United States Forest Service. Accessed 2017-12-04.
  8. ^ Franklin and Mikula 2009, p. 54.
  9. ^ Tunstall, Jim (November 20, 2005). "Ocala forest has dark secret". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, FL. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  10. ^ a b c Voyles, Karen (July 23, 1995). "Florida's oldest ferry boat still crossing the St. John's". The Gainesville Sun. Gainesville, FL. p. 1B. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  11. ^ "Winds Knock Out Ferry At Welaka". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, FL. October 25, 1968. p. 7. Retrieved 2012-08-31.
  12. ^ Opperman, Michael (October 6, 2009). "Salt Springs woman wins World's Worst Commute". Star-Banner. Ocala, FL. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
  13. ^ "Public Works Project Update" (PDF). Putnam County Public Works Department. August 2011. p. 3. Retrieved 2012-08-31.
  14. ^ Osiadacz, Alexander (February 27, 2019). "'All dried up': Fort Gates Ferry damaged in Hurricane Irma still out-of-service". First Coast News. Jacksonville, FL. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  15. ^ Broschart, F.W. (October 10, 2019). "County OKs funding to repair ferry years after Irma". Palatka Daily News. Palatka, FL. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  16. ^ Foster-Turley, Pat (August 19, 2020). "Exploring Old Florida: Weekend in Welaka". The News-Leader. Fernandina Beach, FL. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
Bibliography
  • Franklin, Paul M.; Nancy Mikula (2009). Backroads of Florida. Minneapolis, MN: Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0760332269.
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29°26′0″N 81°39′50″W / 29.43333°N 81.66389°W / 29.43333; -81.66389

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