JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The largest ship to ever call at Jacksonville is now docked at JAXPORT. ONE STORK can carry up to 14,000 containers and floated down the St. John on Tuesday.
Hundreds lined the river at various locations to see the ship, which is nearly four football fields long.
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“I’ve been dealing with this dredger here where I’ve launched my boat for the last three or four years, so it’s nice to see this boat come into town,” said Ken Purdy, who lives in Fort Caroline.
The $400 million dredging project began in 2018 and was completed in May 2022. It deepened the channel from 40 to 47 feet and allowed ships like the ONE STORK to reach Jacksonville.
The channel was originally deep enough for ships carrying nearly 12,000 containers to float. But there’s still one thing standing in the way of even bigger ships: power lines.
“As you saw, while this ship was transporting, it barely got under the power lines,” said Eric Green, CEO of JAXPORT.
This is the next big project in collaboration with JEA. It will raise power lines at the Blount Island terminal from 175 feet to 205 feet in height. Green said it will allow ships large enough to hold up to 15,000 containers.
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“It is very important. It means a lot to this community. We are talking about jobs; we’re talking about economic impact for the region,” Green said.
ONE STORK transports consumer goods such as electronics and furniture. It’s one of nine total boats of that size that Jacksonville will add to its rotation. Crews will take at least 24 hours to unload and then pack before the return trip overseas.
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