Rob, Jacksonville is a fairly large city with suburbs of all types and every amenity you might want. If you want to be oriented to the cruising waters, I suggest looking south of the city, down US 17 toward Green Cove Springs and perhaps beyond. There’s a gradation from urban to suburban to rural, so you can fine tune your choices. Also look on the east side of the St. Johns river at St. Augustine, which goes completely across from the better-know ocean side. As mentioned, the St. Johns river is an outstanding cruising area. I have been the Cruising Editor for that for the past few years, as my winter home is in central Florida (Mount Dora). The only drawback to the Jacksonville/St. Augustine area for me is the colder winters. January and February can go down below freezing regularly, although it doesn’t last too long. It’s certainly milder than the Carolinas or most of Georgia. — Tom Dove SNOWBIRD, Grand Banks 32 #599