While his job description and route have not changed in 15 years, St. Johns River Ferry Capt. Wayne Fenner said he enjoys the challenges that each ride at the top of the ferry presents.
Fenner, 66, is a Coast Guard veteran of active duty service and the reserves and has been navigating the waters between Fort George Island and Mayport Village for 15 years, shuttling passengers from one side of the river to the other.
“There is always something different. Each trip, the people are different, the cars are different, the weather is different, the current is different,” said Fenner.
“Each landing is something new,” he said.
The “landing” Fenner refers to happens more than 30 times each day for the ferry, named the Jean Ribault. The ship can hold up to 40 vehicles and 206 passengers per trip.
The overall length of the ship is 153.6 feet and it is powered by two Detroit Diesel engines. One engine sits at each end of the ship, which allows the pilot more control during landings with a propeller at each end of the ferry.
“Before, with the Blackbeard, it had a single axle and propeller, so we kind of had to slam it in there and that was tough on the equipment,” said Fenner.
“The Jean Ribault does a lot less damage,” said Fenner.
The Jean Ribault was launched in 1996 to replace the aging Blackbeard, which was built in 1956.
Ferry service for the St. Johns River crossing at Mayport has been in operation since 1894, and has provided a transportation link connecting the north and south banks of the St. Johns River since 1948.
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