The Ambassadors of the Waterways
Jacksonville Commodores League showcases unique view of the Bold City
For those looking to move to Jacksonville, invest in the area or relocate their business here, what better way to view the city than from the water. One local group’s mission is to do just that — promote the city via its waterways.
The more than 35 members of the Jacksonville Commodores League Inc. (JCL) serve as ambassadors to the city, offering three-hour cruises of the downtown area and nearby areas free of charge with the sole purpose of promoting Jacksonville, according to Tom Schacht, rear commodore, public relations.
“Jacksonville has one resource very few cities have, and that’s this beautiful river,” Schacht said. “It really helps if you have an industry coming to Jacksonville, a new business coming to Jacksonville or just relocations of high level executives, it gives them a different perspective. When you see Jacksonville by the water, it all changes.”
The league is solely volunteer based and provides the boat, the crew and the fuel for each cruise. Many members like to attend the cruises as well, not just to help the captain, but to share their knowledge of the area with the guests aboard the vessel.
“We are just interested in making sure that anybody looking at the city for future growth or future moves understands that the city evolves around the river,” Member and former Flag Commodore Josh Horenstein said. “The river runs right through it all the time. In order to appreciate the city, you’ve got to see it from the river.”
The league was established in 1975 after the Bold City Festival Regatta Association decided to broaden its mission and become year-round promoters of the city. JCL held its first meeting on July 1 that year and incorporated two years later on January 10. JCL has hosted hundreds of cruises for the Chambers of Commerce, the Film Commission, local hospitals and clinics, presidential entourages, consulates, sports figures, foreign dignitaries and investors interested in Jacksonville. In 1983, the group helped welcome the USS Jacksonville to its namesake city during a visit to NAS Mayport.
The league also hosted a cruise for J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver, who brought the Jaguars to Jacksonville in 1993. Other celebrity guests have included President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger along with Former President of Egypt Anwar Sadat during Mideast Peace talks in 1975, shortly after JCL was officially formed.
However, most of the time, the captain and crew do not know the guests’ names or companies or group they are a part of.
“Many times, the company doesn’t necessarily want to announce that it’s looking to move somewhere,” John Kirby, rear commodore, memberships, said.
The chamber or Jacksonville USA might have requested the cruise for the anonymous attendees.
There have been several times when a group has enjoyed a cruise and shortly after, a large company or facility announced its intention to move to Jacksonville. While members can speculate, they’ll never know for sure.
“I don’t care where people are looking or what investment they’re thinking about making in the city, whether it be downtown or whether it be at Cecil Field or maybe the beach — they haven’t seen Jacksonville until they’ve experienced it from the river,” Kirby said.
Horenstein said he has never been on a cruise where the guests weren’t impressed with the city and the lifestyle at the river.
“And later, we find out that the cruise was instrumental in helping those people relocate here,” he added.
To learn something themselves and better serve the guests on their cruises, the group holds a monthly luncheon where they invite groups around the city to speak about civic issues or nautical topics. It can be anyone from the Chamber of Commerce to the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard to the Investment versus Development.
“Generally, in most of our cases, it tends to reinforce why we’re members and why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Horenstein said.
The group has also taken field trips to naval air stations, on board Navy ships, port facilities, Crowley and more.
“We do that kind of stuff so that when we get on the boat with people, we have a better understanding of what we’re looking at, and that helps us as well and gives us an education too,” Kirby said.
The league is always looking for members, and they accept people from all over Jacksonville. They meet alternately between the Florida Yacht Club on the westside and Epping Forest Yacht Club, where Horenstein lives, on the Southside.
“I think anytime you have a group of dedicated volunteers like this that is looking to promote the place we live, it’s always important,” Kirby said. “Different cities have different assets that make them a great place and ours happens to be the St. Johns River, and for us to be able to provide that service to help promote our city the way we do, I think it’s a valuable tool.”
For more information, visit www.jacksonvillecommodoresleague.com.
By Jennifer Jensen
Resident Community News
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