Port St. Joe Boat Ramps & Marinas

Port St. Joe's History: From Ghost Town to Working Port

The modern town carries the name of a settlement that no longer exists. The original St. Joseph was a boomtown that hosted Florida's first constitutional convention from 3 December 1838 to 11 January 1839, then was mostly abandoned in 1841 after a yellow fever epidemic. A hurricane storm surge in 1844 destroyed what structures remained. The port that replaced it took the same name, with "Port" added. Everything here has been rebuilt at least once. The marinas and ramps along the water are the working edge of that persistence.

Marinas in Port St. Joe: Point South and Captain's Cove

Two named marinas serve the town's waterfront, and they differ in scale and rating. Point South Marina at 340 Marina Dr holds a 4.6 rating from 263 reviews—the largest sample in the area—and operates as the fuller-service facility with slips, fuel, and the usual marina services. Captain's Cove Marina at 1646 Captain Carl Raffield Wy carries a 4.8 rating from 38 reviews. Smaller, higher-rated, more intimate. Both sit on the saltwater side of town. Neither should be mistaken for a resort amenity; these are working docks for a working coast.

Public Boat Ramps in Port St. Joe: Highland View and More

For those bringing their own boat, two public ramps are available. Highland View Boat Ramp holds a 4.4 rating from 143 reviews and offers the more established launch point, with parking and tidal considerations any Gulf County boater will recognize. The second, listed simply as Boat Ramp, carries a 4.7 rating from 13 reviews—fewer data points, but a strong signal from those who have used it. Neither ramp offers the services of a marina. Expect to handle your own lines and check the tide table before you back down the trailer.

Nearby Attractions: Cape San Blas and Constitution Museum

The water is not the only reason to visit. Cape San Blas and its lighthouse lie west of town in Gulf County—a short run by boat from the marinas, or a drive around the bay. On the other side of the day, Constitution Convention Museum State Park sits on 14 acres just outside town, with a reproduction convention hall and audio-animated recreations of the 1838 delegates. It is a sobering counterpoint to a day on the water. The town's motto, "Birthplace of the Florida Constitution," is not a marketing slogan; it's a record of what happened here before the fever and the storm.

Scallop Season and the Annual Festival in Port St. Joe

The boating infrastructure has a seasonal peak. The Florida Scallop, Music & Arts Festival runs Labor Day weekend at Gulf County Veterans Memorial Park on Beacon Hill, run by the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce. It closes out the scallop season the coast is named for. It is the annual moment when the ramps and marinas see their heaviest use. If you are launching during that weekend, arrive early. Expect company.

Port St. Joe Demographics: A Snapshot

The census numbers give the scale of what you are dealing with. Port St. Joe has 3,499 people, with a median age of 52.9 years. Of 2,037 housing units, 473 stand vacant, and 270 are held for seasonal or recreational use. Median household income is $60,347; median home value is $280,600; median gross rent is $1,342. Thirty-three percent of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and unemployment runs at 6 percent. This is a small, older town, partially empty except for the water—and the water is exactly why the empty parts still have value. The boats come and go, as they always have, along a coast that has already taken one town and let another take its name.