The Drayton Island Ferry is an auto ferry that crosses the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...

in Putnam County,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, connecting Georgetown on the eastern bank with

Drayton Island Drayton Island is a privately owned heavily wooded island at the northern end of Lake George on the west side of the Saint Johns River's main channel in Putnam County, Florida, United States. Drayton Island, during the steamboat period on the ...

, located in the middle of the river at the north end of Lake George. It provides the only public access to the island.

History

The Drayton Island Ferry provides the only access for vehicles to Drayton Island. Residents of the island petitioned for the establishment of a ferry service in 1939; operations began in 1943.Klinkenberg, Jeff (August 23, 2009).
Fort Gates Ferry still crossing the St. Johns River
. ''

Tampa Bay Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...

'', St. Petersburg, FL. Accessed 2012-08-24. The original ferry barge sank at its moorings on January 12, 1956; although it was salvaged and returned to service, a replacement, measuring by , was acquired from J.H. Coppedge and Co. in

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

for $6,793. A safety inspection of the ferry was carried out in 1963 after reports were received that 40 people had been carried on some trips; the ferry's passenger limit was set at six. In 1968 the ferry received an $1800 subsidy from Putnam County for its operations; overall the ferry had cost $4129 to the county to operate over the previous year, while in 1965 it had produced $2,267 in toll revenue. Repairs to the ferry landing were proposed in the early 1980s, with a proposal for the establishment of a special taxing district to provide funding, but were rejected as unneeded; questions were raised about the financial management of the operation at the time.

Operations

The ferry is currently operated by Putnam County, Florida; capable of transporting two vehicles per trip, there is a $9 toll for passage to the privately owned island. The ferry, which consists of a tugboat and barge combination, is located near daymarker No. 70 on the river. It nominally runs three times daily; however, the schedule is considered flexible.McCarthy 2008, p.65.

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * {{coord, 29, 23, 09, N, 81, 38, 17, W, display=title Ferries of Florida Crossings of the St. Johns River Transportation in Putnam County, Florida 1943 establishments in Florida