The Crossing - Lake Okeechobee

- May 06, 2018

Got up early to be at the fuel dock at the City of Ft. Myers Marina by 8 a.m. when they open. We pulled up to the dock right at 8 on the dot. After fueling up we started our trip up the Caloosahatchee River. It was an experience going through the locks. There are 5 total between Ft. Myers on the west coast and Stuart on the east side. It’s called the Okeechobee Waterway. Along the way today I saw an Everglades (snail) kite and, later, a caracara! A few osprey as well. And a manatee locked through with us on one of the locks.

Most of the route has a speed limit of 25 mph in the channel. But, there are lots of manatee zones Limiting speed to “idle”. We were scolded for going too fast in one of the slow speed zones. Marvin didn’t see the sign and I was telling him to slow down right when the radio blared “No Wake” and a guy on a nearby dock hollered the same. Oops!

We also got scolded by a bridge tender at the Ft. Denaud Swing Bridge because I couldn’t hear her response and hailed her again. Then she said “I just closed the bridge! You’re too late!” But she let traffic pass and opened it again while telling me that we are too small for her to open the bridge and we should lower our antennae. I told her that we thought we have 9’ vertical clearance with the antennae down. That is the clearance on her swing bridge. We didn’t want to chance it. She told me “Next time, call ahead.” There’s a place with 11’ clearance and she’ll tell us how to go through there.

But, the lockmaster at the first lock we came to, the WP Franklin Lock, was very nice and helpful. He told us how to go through the locks by tying up to the ropes along the side of the lock and adjust the lines as the water raises (or lowers depending on the lock.) Hish instructions helped us with all of the other locks. The St Lucie had the biggest adjustment of 12+ feet. The lockmaster there was very friendly. He suggested we look into different props to help with our “aggressive” (as he said) idle speed. We have to bump the throttle and then coast to keep from throwing a wake at idle speed.

After the first lock we encountered 2 large (45+ foot) trawlers, Seize the Day and At Last. We’d pass them then meet them again waiting for the next lock to open. Eventually we were far enough ahead that we didn’t have to wait on them on the last lock at St Lucie. They came to the same marina, an hour behind us.

At Alva, we called our high school biology teacher. He moved there from Hialeah many years ago. We met in his biology class in 1969. And, as we told him on the phone, he is responsible for the path our lives took and our strong conservation ethic.

After 9 hours and 117 miles, we were ready to stop. A couple we met at the marina last night suggested Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart. Good place. They even gave us a canvas tote. We got more fuel there as well. While fueling, a guy in a go-fast boat asked a guy walking along the fuel dock where Shell Point is. The go-fast captain thought the walker was with our boat. But, after sorting out that confusion it turned out the walker knew where Shell Point is; he’s from Ft. Walton Beach. He and his partner have been traveling around Florida in his 38’ Morgan sailboat for 7 months. Later we saw him the restaurant next to the marina (Called Sailor’s Return, the restaurant is excellent even if a bit pricey.) It turns out he knows the brother of a former employee. The brother has moved to Shell Point. He also knew our employee and his wife. What a small world!