For many years after the terrible 2005 Hurricane Season, the Okeechobee Waterway “Rim Route” from Pahokee to Clewiston, was officially “closed,” though local boats ran it all the time. The reason for this “closure” was lack of funding by the Army Corps of Engineers to officially clear all the underwater hurricane debris. Now, it looks as if that task has finally been accomplished, and cruisers now have an alternative to the Lake Route.
ON THE OTHER HAND, never, ever attempt the Rim Route with strong northern or northwesterly winds in the offing. East of Pahokee, you will have to claw off a nasty lee shore, and, take it from me, that can be a true white knuckle experience.
Notice also the Creech’s recommendation of an anchorage off the OWW, west of the Tory Island Bridge. This is very much a NEW anchor down spot to this fellow, but, if you will glance at the attached chartlet, you can easily pick out the body of water described below, lying off the Waterway’s northern shore, east of charted “Beach City.
Has anyone else dropped the hook here? If so, we would really like to hear about your experience. Shoot us an email by invoking the “Comment” function below, or following the “Click Here to Contribute Cruising News” link, found on the upper right of this, and all (except Chart View) SSECN pages. Many thanks in advance!

The rim route is great. We did the rim route in late January, 2013, and found no less than 7.5 feet of water in one small area, most was greater than 10 ft. We draw 4 feet and felt comfortable.
There is a great anchorage on the rim route, a kidney shaped lake, with a narrow entrance off the waterway, 15 feet of water to anchor in, 2 miles west of the Torry Island bridge.
Kay & Robert Creech

There are at least 3 basins off the rim route that can be used for sheltered anchoring. They must have been used as dredge basins for dike material. Only the kidney shaped one shows on charts, but using google aerial photos the others are apparent. We stuck our noses into all and anchored in one. Wildlife was wonderful. Only downside was night fishermen with lights, but they were quiet. At 12.5 lake level there was no less than 6 foot over entrance bars. The Jacksonville Corps has soundings for the rim route on their website. It indicates one small shallow spot that we have not seen in 4 trips. We love the rim route. Boat is 4.5 ft draft.
Bill Hitchcock

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Anchorage Described Above by Captain Creech