I used to love boating by Atlantic Marine through Sisters Creek on the way to Bird Island when it still existed. More of a vague memory, but I do remember boating by the "Shipyards" when it was still a shipyards. The ships there always seemed quite large (600-800 ft).
I think Jacksonville missed, though maybe still has, an opportunity to be a hub of shipbuilding. After the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, it was shipbuilding for the military during WWII that built up the Bay Area, employing 250,000 people directly and almost 1,000,000 indirectly. I have a Bay view now, and let me tell you I am still in daily awe of all the ship activity...huge post-panamax ships coming in and out every day. Old retrofitted hospital ships moored at Hunter's Point. Old shipyards with drydocks towering hundreds of feet in the air. Norfolk is even more impressive since it's all still operational.
The currents in the St. Johns in most areas are far from extreme. There is a lot of inland protection, calmer waters, developable land, access, a past history, etc. For all these reasons, I think, Savannah also serves as a point of shipbuilding (and yachts) as does Charleston. Why can't Jacksonville?
Not to mention the connection to defense within the city put to no use. Anyone remember Armor Holdings? BAE has holdings in the area. A few other defense contractors, as well. Surely there is opportunity there.
BTW George Gibbs' house practically faces Betsy Lovett's (via water) on the same technical street. Small world in Jax, as irrelevant as I find the neighborhood today, Ortega and Avondale are still home to the former local industrialists and titans of Jacksonville, and a few current players
