Our thanks to Skipper Gene Faatz for sharing his experience crossing south Florida via the Okeechobee Canal and Lake Okeechobee.
As we all know it might be a little early to put boat back in the water after 5 months of high and dry storage with hurricane season not ending for a while yet but I have confidence that we will be safe here in South Florida. We departed River Forest Yachting Center LaBelle on Friday Oct. 11 for a 4 1/2 hr. trip eastbound in the Caloosahatchee Canal to cross Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie Canal with our final destination on the north fork of the St. Lucie River in Palm City. It was quite breezy with 10 to 15 kt. winds out of the N/NE but very warm. We only got to the Moorehaven railroad bridge for our first delay of about 20 minutes do to work on the tracks but locked through the Moorehaven Lock without any further delay. Reached Lake O without any issues and found the water depth to be the deepest I have seen in a long time do the lake level over 13 ft. and the wind blowing the water to the south end, min depth anywhere in the channel and lake was over 8 ft. The lake was rather bumpy with 2-3 ft. and an occasional 4 just for fun. Port Mayaca Lock was actually locking through with a 6 inch drop [ new lockmaster training]. Prior to arriving at the St. Lucie we were pleasantly surprised to pass the John F. Kennedy Presidential Yacht “Honey Fitz” moored on the canal. We missed the St Lucie lock by a few minutes so had to wait for westbound vessel to come through, about a 25 minute delay . Arrived safely home after another successful lake crossing.
Always hoping you never need their services, it is good to know they are there.
NEWS From BoatUS Boat Owners Association of The United States 5323 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22151 Read this press release online at: https://bit.ly/2JmcikB
Photo Caption: Capt. Mike Ammons aboard his 24-hour boat towing and response vessel
For Boaters Crossing Florida, TowBoatUS Has You Covered
LaBelle is fourth location for TowBoatUS on the Okeechobee Waterway
LABELLE., Fla., May 8, 2019 – Most boats crossing the state of Florida on the Okeechobee Waterway are transient, only trying to get from one coast to the other as quickly as possible. That means their captains may not have local knowledge, and if they need assistance for an unexpected grounding or engine problem, the newly opened 24-hour on-water towing and assistance service for recreational boaters, TowBoatUS LaBelle, is ready to help.
It’s the fourth TowBoatUS port servicing the 134.3-nautical-mile waterway, which includes bookend locations in Stuart and Fort Myers, and in Okeechobee. TowBoatUS is the only national, 24-hour on-water service delivering professional assistance on the waterway from end-to-end, providing boaters with routine help with dead batteries, soft ungroundings, running out of fuel, or a tow back to the launch ramp or marina.
TowBoatUS LaBelle is the second location for Capt. Mike Ammons, who opened TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee in 2018. Prior to that, Ammons owned three TowBoatUS ports in the early 2000s. Today, TowBoatUS has over 300 locations and 600 towing response vessels across the country.
Much like an auto club, BoatUS offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for boaters and anglers for just $159 per year. Boaters without BoatUS towing services face costs that average $750 per towing incident, with some paying thousands out of pocket.
TowBoatUS LaBelle and TowBoatUS Okeechobee offer extended service areas, including Lake Okeechobee in its entirety and the Caloosahatchee River. St. Lucie Canal service is provided by TowBoatUS Stuart.
TowBoatUS LaBelle operates a 22-foot power cat response vessel with twin outboards, easily recognizable by its red hull and TowBoatUS logos emblazoned in bright white letters on its sides, rigged and ready for towing, jump starts, fuel delivery and soft ungroundings.
Boaters can reach TowBoatUS LaBelle by hailing on VHF channel 16, by calling the company directly at (239) 600-0140, by phoning the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at (800) 391-4869, or via smartphone using the BoatUS App. More information can be found at BoatUS.com/Towing, or call (800) 888-4869.
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About TowBoatUS:
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s leading advocate, services and safety group for recreational boaters. We are the Boat Owners Auto Club and provide our more than half-million members with a wide array of helpful services, including 24-hour on-water towing that gets you safely home when your boat won’t, jump starts, fuel delivery, and soft ungroundings. The TowBoatUS towing fleet is North America’s largest network of towing ports with more than 300 locations and over 600 red towing assistance vessels, responding to more than 70,000 requests for assistance each year. The BoatUS App makes it easy to summon water and road assistance 24/7 and can speed response times (BoatUS.com/App). For more information go to BoatUS.com/Membership.
Our thanks to Gene Faatz for this descriptive report and detailed information from his recent crossing of Lake Okeechobee.
Crossed the lake from Stuart Fl. to River Forest YC LaBelle in Moore Haven Fl. The St Lucie lock has a lift of about 15+ feet at this time but no issues locking through or in the canal all the way to Port Mayaca Lock. Did see the JFK Presidential yacht Honey Fitz tied up along the way. Mayaca Lock is open for pass through. Leaving the lock is shallow showing 4 – 5 ft for about a mile out of the lock,after which we were able to power up in 7 ft or more with plenty of water all the way to Clewiston. Never less the 7 ft in the channel. The canal from Clewiston to the Moore Haven lock is clear all the way with no work going on. Moore Haven lock has about a 1 ft drop at this time. Canal from there to River Forest is showing 18 to 25 feet all the way. Made the trip [about 75 miles] in under 5 hrs. Gene Faatz
Put this posting on your steering station for future reference.
If you lock through Canaveral or the Okeechobee Waterway, please put the numbers for the Corps locks into your phone. Remember to listen to any direction offered by the lock operator to ensure everyone’s safety as you lock through, and wear your life jacket!
W.P. Franklin Lock 239-694-5451 Ortona Lock 863-675-0616 Moore Haven Lock 863-946-0414 Port Mayaca Lock 561-924-2858 St. Lucie Lock 772-287-2665 Canaveral Lock 321-783-5421
Our sincerest thanks to Greg and Barbara Allard for sharing their experiences and beautiful photography from their cruises, this time from the Okeechobee Waterway. Enter “Allard” in our Homepage Search window for the Allard’s beautifully documented Bahamas cruises.
Here’s an update on the Okeechobee Waterway, with some local scenes.
On February 22 and 23, 2019, we crossed the Okeechobee from west to east. We had been closely watching the water depth reports from the Corp of Engineers, since there are plans to lower the lake level in the immediate future.
The reported depth for Navigation Route 1 (across the lake) was 6.79 feet, and the lake level was at 12.85. As expected, we found the lowest water along the eastern half of the Clewiston cut, in the channel which is east of the massive cylinder which sits just off the channel. With a calibrated depth finder, the shallowest water which we found along that stretch was 7.2 feet.
Years ago, an old timer who had lived along the Caloosahatchee River his entire life, said that he believed the Corp of Engineers understated the lake level by half a foot. Now, please don’t rely on this for navigational purposes, but the next time you cross, make your own observation. Also: the depths we report are only for the exact spot where we were; even a few feet to the left or right of those positions might be entirely different.
There is another shallow area at the entry/exit channel on the western side of the Port Mayaca lock. The lowest water where our boat traveled was 7.4 feet. The traditional advice when using that channel is to stay to the green side, and that is what we did. The Port Mayaca lock was in “pass through” mode – where the water level on either side of the lock is the same, so the lock gates remain open. You still need to call the lockmaster, who gives permission for individual boats to pass through the lock. That makes good sense, because there is not enough room for two boats to meet head-on in the lock chamber.
The lockmasters are now enforcing two new rules: all persons on board while in the lock chamber must be wearing a life jacket, and once you are tied up to the lock, you must turn your engine(s) off.
We saw no signs of green algae or red tide for our entire trip. It is reported that Tow BoatUS now has two boats stationed at Clewiston.
Crossing the State of Florida on the Okeechobee Waterway is a trip and a half; a true time warp. Locals fishing with bamboo poles on the riverbank. Alligators. The wonderful local bridge-operator at the Fort Denaud swing bridge who chats with you on your way through, as she stands isolated on the center pivot point of the bridge. There’s the adventure of the locks – and the $1.00 a foot dockage (power included) at the city dock in Moore Haven.
Every year we try to make a new stop. This time we decided to stay overnight at Calusa Jack’s Marina, approximately 2 miles west of the Franklin lock. The place always intrigued us. It could be a movie set for one of Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford novels.
Calusa Jack’s Marina has a face dock and pilings in excellent condition, and the water at the dock is deep enough for the biggest boat. Sometimes before 5 PM there are some tolerable boat wakes, but after that we had a calm and peaceful sleep.
The views towards the river are beautiful.
There are a number of marinas along the waterway, and some of the older ones, like Calusa Jack’s, have their share of boats which years ago were someone’s dream, and will likely never be used again.
The people at Calusa Jack’s raise goats, and this billy goat was curious about the new visitors.
You never know what you will find along the Okeechobee. We walked along the road to the marina, and came upon this knight in rusting armor perched on a piling.
A day later, along a stretch of the St. Lucie River, we were again surprised – to say the least.
We came upon this magnificent wooden yacht, docked behind a private home. She was beautifully restored. At first we thought it was a Trumpy, but the lines were different from that iconic boat.
As we passed to her stern, our jaws dropped: the yacht is the Honey Fitz, one of the most famous historic yachts in the world. She was used by five presidents but made famous by John F. Kennedy. Why would this yacht be docked here? We don’t have an answer to that question, other than to say that nothing along the Okeechobee surprises us.
This report comes from our good friends and partners, Sara and Monty Lewis, of Explorer Charts. Search “Bahamas Chatter” from our Homepage for more on Explorer Charts.
The Moore Haven lock had only one gate open and it was a narrow squeeze for our 17’ wide catamaran. All locks require life jackets now for all persons aboard and they all supply lines to tie up. Some of them hang in the water and are a bit slimy. Good to have a wiper handy. Sara and Monty
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is a group of dedicated cruisers who always provide unique reports from the marinas they visit. And, of course, several CRUISERS NET SPONSORS will be visited in their 2019 spring cruise schedule: Legacy Harbor, Pink Shell Resort, and Fishermen’s Village.
LEGACY HARBOUR CRUISE JANUARY 2019 By Mike Stewart Ahh, good old bitter cold weather with high winds…perfect cruise conditions! Seems like a January constant. Legacy Harbour dock hands helped six boats to their berths on Tuesday, with two more boats arriving on Wednesday. The cruise leaders, Mike and Brenda Stewart, he with a shoulder replacement and she with a knee replacement less than a week away, left their boat at home and took a room in the Legacy Marina Hotel and Suites for the three days of the cruise. It took the Jettons, their two guests and two hotel employees to unload the Stewart’s car’s load into the room! The hotel room was most fortuitous as it served the group as respite from the brutal weather conditions. “Heavy” hors d’oeuvres, provided by the cruising ladies, were eagerly downed by the bone-chilled cruisers, who then escaped to the hotel room for cocktails and tales. Wednesday morning showed no warming trend so everyone gathered in the Stewart’s room for scrambled eggs, sausage, muffins, bagels, fruit and orange and tomato juices prepared by the cruise leaders, with early rising sausage chef Pete Oiderma. Couples Scavenger Hunt III was explained after breakfast. The couples had until 11:30 AM to return with their collection of items off their boat. Again, ingenuity and creativity were encouraged. The participants returned and each submission was documented and “inventive” items were agreed on or rejected by the group. Score sheets were left behind for Mike and Brenda to tally scores and determine First, Second and Last places to be announced with prizes to be awarded at 4:30 PM at happy hour. At 4:30 the hotel room again filled with boaters. After some time for everyone to warm up a bit, it was time for contest results. First place was Moonlighter, Lee and Brenda Jetton and guests. Second place was Semper Paratus, John and Patti Queen. Last place was claimed by Spoiled Yacht’n, Armond and Pam Sikes. Prizes were in large bags and a blind pick conducted according to placing. Deals were struck on trades afterwards and everyone was happy. Thursday. Oh well, just repeat Wednesday without the game! The weather relented some, so there were a couple of hours later in the day that negated the need for layered clothing. It was ideal weather for lunch and exploration downtown. It was back to the Stewart’s for cocktails before dinner at Pincher’s. Cruisers were joined by car attendees, some of whom had also joined the group for breakfast/cocktail activities. After some cancellations, we ended up with 26 attendees. We had a long table in a side room shared with a yacht club. Yes, it was loud! On Friday everyone left by boat or car and peace returned to Legacy Harbour. The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at 239-541-0236. Read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
Experienced cruiser and frequent Cruisers Net contributor, Greg Allard, comments on a recent movement to keep Lake Okeechobee’s dry season depths at 10.5ft, two feet lower than official low water for navigation. See USACE Requests Input for more on this issue and an opportunity to submit comments.
Here is a link to a news report of a discussion between the State of Florida and the federal government about reducing the level of Lake Okeechobee. Today (Feb. 1, 2019), the level of Route #1 is 6.61’, and the “Stage” level is 12.67’, which is the height above sea level. The proposed change would reduce the lake level by 2’, which as an example based on today’s data, would make the depth of Route #1 to be 4.61’. It is unknown whether this will be enacted, but any cruisers considering crossing Florida on the Okeechobee Waterway should pay close attention to any changes.Greg Allard M/V “Meander”
This low hanging cable on Lake Okeechobee Route 2 was last reported in December of 2017, see Low Cable Restricting Air Space and, as Sue Ward sadly confirms, nothing has been done to remedy the situation. High-masted vessels are encouraged to use Route 1
Sad to report that the low line across the waterway has still not been lifted from around 30 odd feet. This blocks access to all cruising yachts trying to follow the Rim route across Florida. Its nearly 12 months since this route was blocked. Some friends who had not been south for a couple of years, found out the hard way yesterday and had to back track back north to Port Mayaca then cross the lake to Clewiston. Sue Ward
11/26 Good afternoon Larry and Sue, I was able to get a status- The lines will be raised when ATT relocates its lines. We expect this work to start in December. FPL must do work first, and they have already dropped off their poles, so we expect this to move forward in the near future. Thanks for checking in with us! Wishing you both Happy Holidays- Erica Public Affairs Specialist Corporate Communications Office U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
These two TowBoat US vessels will be stationed at Roland Martins Marina found on a small canal in Clewiston, Florida.
TowBoatUS Comes to Lake Okeechobee
Bringing around-the-clock assistance to boaters in need on Florida’s Inland Sea
CLEWISTON, Fl., July 23, 2018 – More than 15 years ago, Captain Michael Ammons’ professional career on the water began when he became the owner of three TowBoatUS locations, which offer 24-hour on-water towing and assistance for recreational boaters. After selling the businesses 10 years ago, he’s found his way back to the company, opening TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee earlier this year.
“TowBoatUS has always been a cut above the rest, and the boats are easily recognized on the water,” said Ammons. “When I came back to Lake Okeechobee after working a few years abroad, I knew there wasn’t anyone out here with the company, so I applied and got back into the business.”
Much like an auto club for boaters, BoatUS offers on-water Unlimited Towing Memberships for boaters and anglers for just $149 per year. Boaters without BoatUS towing services face costs that average $750 per towing incident, with some paying into the thousands out of pocket.
From his years of experience boating in Florida waters, Ammons knows the types of problems boaters can face, which is why his company offers an extended service area. Not only does the company service Lake Okeechobee in its entirety, but it also provides service to transient boaters passing through the Okeechobee Waterway on their way to fish the east or west coasts of the Sunshine State.
With the lake attracting bass fishermen, saltwater sport fishermen passing through to the coasts and other area boaters, Ammons is confident he’ll stay busy year-round helping boaters get home safely, no matter what boating activity they’re partaking in. “It’s a difficult area, and there are tons of locks and restrictions around the lake,” he explained. “It’s a really chopped up waterway, and it creates a lot of issues for boaters, including hazardous water fluctuations, rocky areas, and more.”
TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee operates a 22-foot Lund Alaskan, a sturdy shallow-water vessel, and a 22-foot Angler deep-v center-console for salvage jobs. Both response vessels are kept at Roland Martin Marina. Ammons’ boats are easily recognizable by their red hulls and TowBoatUS logos emblazoned in bright white letters on their sides, and they’re rigged and ready for towing, jump starts, fuel delivery and soft ungroundings.
Boaters can reach TowBoatUS Lake Okeechobee by hailing on VHF channel 16, by calling the company directly at (239) 600-0140, by phoning the BoatUS toll-free 24/7 Dispatch Center at (800) 391-4869, or via smartphone using the new BoatUS App. More information can be found at BoatUS.com/Towing, or call (800) 888-4869.
This hazard was first posted on Cruisers’ Net in December of 2017, https://cruisersnet.net/168847, and, obviously, no progress is being made to raise the cable from 35ft to its charted height of 52ft.
FLORIDA – ST. LUCIE INLET TO FORT MYERS AND LAKE OKEECHOBEE – OKEECHOBEE WATERWAY – LAKE OKEECHOBEE (ROUTE 2): Hazard to Navigation The US Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District has identified a low hanging fiber optic cable at the Torrey Island Bridge in RT-2 of the Okeechobee Waterway. The fiber optic cable is estimated to be 35 feet above the water; high mast vessels are encouraged to use RT-1 until the cable is raised to 52 feet. Recreational and commercial boaters are to use caution when navigating through these sections of waterway. Once the cable is raised to the required 52 feet normal traffic will be restored. USACOE POC is Gary Hipkins at 863-983-8101. Chart 11428 LNM 21/18
The entrance to Cape Coral Bimini Basin is on the north shore of the Caloosahatchee River from Waterway marker 86 off Piney Point. These arrest allegations are unconfirmed at this time. See Bimini Basin Anchorage by Claiborne Young from a kinder, gentler time.
Bimini Basin in Cape Coral is a sheltered, convenient anchorage on the Caloosahatchee River (Florida Cross Waterway-Okeechobee waterway). The news has reported that the city fathers have decided that ANYONE THAT DINGHIES ASHORE WILL BE ARRESTED! August Trometer
Bad behavior has been an issue in Bimini Basin for some time:
What law is being broken? First- we are all for the mooring field. This place needs to be cleaned up. We anchor there for 3 days max to provision. We have a huge holding tank so that’s not an issue but there are too many unscrupulous dregs that ruin it for the rest of us responsible sailors a bad name. It’s a safe harbor for us and we use it as such. We’d rather be sailing the rumbline trust me. Fishbowls we no like.
There has been a growing collection of boats anchored in Bimini Basin. The majority are sailboats that appear abandoned or poorly maintained. There have been a few very nice boats that are occupied and this is what is generating issues with water quality since there are no pumpouts and those folks are not holding it until they go ashore to some facility. The basin is tidal and surrounded by high density housing therefor it is not certain that some or all of the pollution is from anchored boats. Many smaller powerboats pass through the basin everyday. There have been no arrests that I am aware of. There are two concrete docking piers for dingies.
I am in the Turks and Caicos and was surprised to have this message displayed when I clicked on the above link: “Forbidden – Visitors from your country are not permitted to browse this site.†???
Larry and Kathryn Byrd request recent information on the Okeechobee Rim Route, so let us hear from you! The Indiantown Bridge restrictions, ending June 12, are the most recent issue Cruisers’ Net has posted.
Has any cruiser run the OWW rim route lately. Any advice is appreciated. Larry & Kathryn Byrd – Aboard SLO M’OCEAN
May be a bit out of date but in late February there was an electric cable across channel by Torry Island road bridge at about 30 feet. Its supposed to be being lifted to 50ft plus but have not heard any updates since. Sorry I have no further info.
Notice is given that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified a low hanging fiber optic cable at the Torrey Island Bridge in Route 2 of the Okeechobee Waterway. The fiber optic cable is estimated to be 35′ above the water, high masted vessels are encouraged to use RT-1 until the cable is raised to 52′. Recreational and commercial boaters are asked to use caution when navigating through these sections of waterway. Once the cable is raised to the required 52′ normal traffic will be restored. Point of contact is Gary Hipkins at 863-983-8101.
Sign up to receive updates on Notices to Navigation at: http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Navigation/NoticestoNavigation.aspx
Thanks for getting the word out!
Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a Happy Healthy New Year! Erica
Erica Skolte Public Affairs Specialist Corporate Communications Office U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District Palm Beach Gardens NOTE: NEW OFFICE PHONE 561-340-1527 Cell: 561-801-5734 erica.a.skolte@usace.army.mil Twitter @JaxStrong Jacksonville District Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict Jacksonville District: A team of professionals making tomorrow better
Actually that would be me that discover this and let the Army C Of E know and the waterway guide.. It was not a fun day.. two weeks ago we tried the rim route and discover this when we asked to go through the Torry train bridge. The lift operator was great but going back to the beginning of the route and having lost and enter day because of it was defiantly not!
Ellie, do send us your notes and we will put your name with the posting. It won’t get lost as it seems to have in this one from CofE etc… As always however thank you for stepping up and letting CofE know of this hazard. Have a great Christmas and New Year
No notes just lots of phone calls after motoring for hours (no sails up that day), only to get to the Torry railroad bridge and the lift operator was supposed the lock master had not told us about the height restrictions…and it was not noted or listed on any paper,electronic charts, or social media I could find. I’m glad for that day to be over but hope that in getting the info out there that no one else will go that route unless they are under 30 feet(ish) in height from the water..
Experienced cruisers, Jim and Peg Healy, continue to generously share their observations and advice as they make their way south for the winter. Thank you Jim and Peg! See http://cruisersnet.net/168195 for their Okeechobee report east of Clewiston.
Sanctuary and crew transited from Clewiston, FL to St. James City, FL, today, 11/9/2017. Fog early, then bright sunshine, light and variable winds and calm seas.
The Clewiston Lock is a wonder to behold. Very small; less than 100 ft. Primary customer set are bass fishermen. Run by a private contractor, not the USACE. Hours of operation are posted as 05h30 to 22h00. Local knowledge indicates 06h00 is more reliable.
At about MM 72, there is a hazard marker in Active Captain that describes a submerged obstruction. That obstruction must be there, because there are TWO Red, floating markers there, R”6″ and R”8.” They are positioned together laterally across the channel; a very strange pattern, but they are there. Appear new. They force traffic way to the south side of the channel, and water depths are 4 ft less than in the visual center of that channel.
The control depth on the south rim is 8.5 ft, two miles east of Moore Haven.
Water levels in the Ortona Pool are very high. The USACE is dumping water, and there are strong westerly running currents. Stand off the locks while waiting for them to open, as the current will carry the boat toward the lock and dam. Care is appropriate at the locks, where boats get swept sideways. Especially so at the railroad pass at Moore Haven, which is very narrow and has obviously been dinged several times already. There was a significant whirlpool inside the Ortona Lock chamber which created some excitement for another boat there. Currents were very swift emerging downstream of Ortona Lock, too.
There are no depth issues on the South Rim, Caloosahatchee Canal or Caloosahatchee River at this time.
Jim
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary, currently at Rock Creek, Pasadena, MD http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com Monk 36 Hull #132 MMSI #367042570 AGLCA #3767 MTOA #3436
Experienced cruisers, Jim and Peg Healy, have been generously sharing their observations and advice as they make their way south for the winter. Thank you Jim and Peg!
Sanctuary and crew transited from Stuart, FL, to Clewiston, FL, today, 11/7/2017. The weather was ideal; clear, light winds, flat seas on Lake O.
The condition of the water is deplorable. In the anchorage at Stuart, the water is “Lake O chocolate milk.” The water throughout the system is an ugly, dark brown. Water levels are high, and there are no water level issues on the St. Lucie Canal or at Clewiston. The control depth on the Canal is at least 11.0 feet. The control depth at Clewiston is at least 9.0 feet. There is no evidence of storm damage on the canal.
The USACE is dumping water from the lake. In the St. Lucie Canal, we faced a 2 knot ahead current.
The downstream gate at the St. Lucie is misbehaving. It took several tries and at least 1/2 hour to get it closed. Delays at that lock are possible until that gets corrected. The lockmaster is not happy. “A work crew spent all day last Saturday working on the lock, and before they did their work, the gate was operating just fine,” was his line.
We are a slow trawler. We can normally make it from St. Lucie Lock at 07h00 to Moore Haven Lock by 16h00, but not today. We bailed at Roland Martin Marina for burgers at the Tiki Hut!
Jim
Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary, currently at Clewiston, FL http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com Monk 36 Hull #132 MMSI #367042570 AGLCA #3767 MTOA #3436
Our thanks to AGLCA member, Gary Reed, for sharing his Forum report, which, by in large, is good news for cruisers needing to make the coast to coast run.
We came across (west to east) this past Thursday and Friday (September 14th and 15th). No major issues at all. All locks operational as well as bridges. Some were still on generator with one only able to raise one span at a time. All operating on normal schedule. (Note, we drove from St. Lucie to Cape Coral on Wednesday, 13th, the amount of water in the area was astonishing as well as the significant downed power lines.)
Debris in the water was mostly ‘soft’ (leaves, vegetation, etc.) … some rather large mats but easily avoidable. We only had to run through one large mat shore to shore. Surprisingly, we saw virtually no deadheads, remnants of docks or piers, etc. A couple of the locks had some debris either on the upper gate on the western side or in the lock itself. We limited thrusters in these locks for obvious reasons and sprung off the stern line.
The runoff into the waterway on both sides of Lake O was significant at some of the inlet spillways (not lock spillways but drainage into the waterway). Several moved the boat around quite significantly and unexpectedly until we began looking for them.
Skipper Pestik is seeking local knowledge on the entrance channel into Owl Creek Boat Works and Storage which is located 10 miles east of downtown Ft. Myers on the Caloosahatchee River between markers 5 and 6. Can you help?
What’s the chance of boat with 50′ mast and 6′ draft making it in there and out? George Pestik
I assume you are coming from the Gulf of Mexico Bridges – no problem, draft – tricky in narrow channel upstream of Ft Myers. Call Owl Creek for info on deepest route from Okee Waterway into their facility. But why do you want to go so far inland, there are excellent haulout marinas in Ft Myers Beach
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