up the Suwannee river?

[Be Free]

The main channel is clearly marked and you should have no problem if you enter near high tide. In any case, stay in the channel! Once you are in the river you should have no problems except for the sand bar above Fowler's Bluff mentioned in an earlier post. There is nothing overhead you will need to watch out for unless you get too close to a tree on the bank.

The current will depend on the tide and the amount of rain in SE Georgia and NE Florida recently. Last week it appeared to be running around 3 knots well north of where you will be able to go. River levels have been dropping for the last few weeks but they are still quite good.

I referenced some links earlier to a Suwannee River Water Management site that will give you some landmarks. My Garmin charts stop well before the bridge but you don't really need charts. The river is wide and deep and you can't get lost. The only place you might want charts is enter one of the channels out of the Gulf but I'm sure you already have that covered.

[JamuJoe]

BeFree,
Thanks for the reply and confirmation!


JamuJoe

[larrymac]

Hello BE FREE! Hello ACRWI!
I have followed the postings about the Suwanee river, and my boat is essentially identical to JAMUJOEs boat. $2 foot, 4.5 draft 22 foot beam. I have active plans to go up the Suwanee river the weekend of the fourth of July, and like Joe, really solicit local info as to the passability of the river mouth by my vessel. I plan to go a high tide, and am currently thinking the northern pass, the one locally called McGriff, is the one to go with. Alligator, the center one, looks like it's a sandy bottom, but is considerably shallower than the northern, and the east pass looks to be unmarked at all, but probably has the deepest water.
Have either of you any recent experience with actually making this passage? Inputs from local knowledge? I sure don't want to spend the fourth on an oyster bed!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by larrymac

Hello BE FREE! Hello ACRWI!
I have followed the postings about the Suwanee river, and my boat is essentially identical to JAMUJOEs boat. $2 foot, 4.5 draft 22 foot beam. I have active plans to go up the Suwanee river the weekend of the fourth of July, and like Joe, really solicit local info as to the passability of the river mouth by my vessel. I plan to go a high tide, and am currently thinking the northern pass, the one locally called McGriff, is the one to go with. Alligator, the center one, looks like it's a sandy bottom, but is considerably shallower than the northern, and the east pass looks to be unmarked at all, but probably has the deepest water.
Have either of you any recent experience with actually making this passage? Inputs from local knowledge? I sure don't want to spend the fourth on an oyster bed!

If you don't get any replies with recent local knowledge then recommend you try one of the marinas at the mouth of the Suwanee.

Millers Marine
(352) 542-7349 or (800) 458-BOAT


Or

Suwannee Marina, Inc.
Canal Street
P.O. Box 219
Suwannee, Florida 32692
Telephone: 352-542-9159

[Be Free]

Originally Posted by larrymac

Hello BE FREE! Hello ACRWI!
I have followed the postings about the Suwanee river, and my boat is essentially identical to JAMUJOEs boat. $2 foot, 4.5 draft 22 foot beam. I have active plans to go up the Suwanee river the weekend of the fourth of July, and like Joe, really solicit local info as to the passability of the river mouth by my vessel. I plan to go a high tide, and am currently thinking the northern pass, the one locally called McGriff, is the one to go with. Alligator, the center one, looks like it's a sandy bottom, but is considerably shallower than the northern, and the east pass looks to be unmarked at all, but probably has the deepest water.
Have either of you any recent experience with actually making this passage? Inputs from local knowledge? I sure don't want to spend the fourth on an oyster bed!

Larrymac,

I always use the alligator pass channel. It is well marked but with your draft it is best used at high tide. There are oyster beds on either side of the channel but you should have no trouble as long as you stay between the markers.

How far up the river are you planning to go? The river is unusually high right now (but not as high as it was a few weeks ago). Unless you can lower your mast I doubt if you will be able to get under the bridge at Fanning Springs.

[Be Free]

I just went back and looked at the specs on JamJu's boat. You are definitely not getting under the Fanning Springs bridge! Under normal water conditions it is around 30'-35' clearance and there are unmarked overhead wires above the bridge that are not much higher.

[larrymac]

Originally Posted by Be Free

I just went back and looked at the specs on JamJu's boat. You are definitely not getting under the Fanning Springs bridge! Under normal water conditions it is around 30'-35' clearance and there are unmarked overhead wires above the bridge that are not much higher.

Hi Be free - you indicated you routinely use the alligator channel. How long ago? We did not wind up going up the river over the fourth because of electronics issues, but do plan this voyage. Primary interest is in getting thru the mouth of the river. I am beamy, at 22 feet, but only draw 4 to 4.3 feet. What is the depth in alligator at a 3.2 tide?
I have talked some to local skippers, but have found only one who seems really knowledgable about alligator. I really like the sound of the sandy, vs oyster or limerick bottom!

[Be Free]

I went back and checked my logs and the last time I went out that way was 9/21/12. Low tide that day was at 1:02 PM and I timed my exit to be about an hour after low tide and a return just before high tide. I pulled the depths off my plotter and lined them up with the closest channel marker for you. Depths are in feet.

depth marker time
5.7 30/31 2:14
4.4 29 2:16
4.0 28 2:17
11.1 24 2:20
7.5 15 2:26
3.0 11 2:28
2.8 10 2:30
3.7 9 2:31
6.4 8 2:33
7.2 7 2:36
5.3 6 2:39
4.0 5a 2:42
3.4 5 2:44

Once I passed marker 5 I did not pay any attention to the channel.

[larrymac]

Hello Be Free! WOW! SUper good data! STill waiting for RayMarine to return my chart plotter / sounder so I can make this entrance. Given your data, I think i will take our 16 jetboat to to the mouth, and run alligator several times - taking soundings. HOWEVER, it looks like we are going to be fine at 'just about' high tide - so I can float ooff if I do happen to ground! Thanks to ALL who contributed to this thread. I have EVERY intention of enjoying the Suwanee from the LIAHONA. Did the run from the bridge down to the mouth in a pontoon boat, but doing it in the big boat will be EVER more relaxing, and we will be able to take all the time we need. Looks like lots of fishing on the river, but I am not sure what people are fishing for, or how to fish for them! Sorta looks like they may be after largemouth bass, judging by how they seem to be fishing the shore line. Thoughts?

[Be Free]

They are probably fishing for bass, possibly sunfish. Fishing will get better as the river level continues to fall. Try shrimp or at least shrimp colored lures. I don't fish much anymore but that should be a good starting point.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Lubber4now]

My old stomping ground back when.

The big river south of Fanning is pretty tame. If you want to see the wilder river tie up and use your runabout to visit the springs north of Fanning and on the Santa Fe River.

Avoid the flood season for that however.

If you're into scuba there are some fantastic cave dives there.