I can personally testify that Indiantown Marina is a VERY SAFE place to dry store your boat. Several huge fields hard by the dockage basin are always dotted with hundreds of vessels resting from their voyages.
The “ash” problem Captain Jay mentions below is actually much worse farther to the west around Pahokee, Clewiston and Moore Haven. Here, when the cane fields are being burned off, the oil ash can occasionally be a real nightmare. I have seldom known this situation to be as bad at Indiantown.

Indian Town is very safe but it is in the middle of farm country especially sugar so be ready for lots of dirt and ash on your boat when you come back. If you wax it before storage it washes off with some effort.
Insurance companies that I have checked with do not give a break for safe storage but you sleep better.
Jay Gehrig
S/V Windsong

Yes, I can understand why spending a night tied to these commercially oriented dolphins (see below) would not make for a very comfortable evening. In addition to the solution provided by Captain Mikki below, another good plan would be spend the night at Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina (in Clewiston).

The dolphins at Clewiston are really for big tugs, not 36′ trawlers. That was our planned stop to be ready for Lake O in the morning. We tied bow and stern up using the dingy but, just at that time there was rain and some wind, so it made it challenging to be safe for the night. Safe we were and got an early start in the morning for a good trip. Next time I’d like to try anchoring in Moore Haven and crossing Lake O and anchoring just after railroad bridge where a canal makes a cut.
Mikki
on Asian Lady

And, a very different point of view:

We have tied to dolphins on the Big O waterway several times. We found that they are an excellent place to spend the night. We use a stern anchor to eliminate the swing, rather than trying to tie to a second dolphin. Most of the posts have cleats, but a few don’t. Watch for an excess amount of tar on some.
Richard Ross

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Clewiston and Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina

Roland Martins Marina is found on a small canal in Clewiston, Florida.

Made a quick back and forth trip March 28-April 2. Spent a night at Roland Martins Marina in Clewiston on both legs. A nice friendly place, and very active in the evenings. A prior posting indicated they did not have pumpout working, but we found it up and running on our visit. Did some waliking around town, and reccomend the Sunrise Restraunt on Hwy 80 if you like good Mexican food – it’s a short walk from the marina. One thing about Clewiston – What is that smell??!! There was an awful stink that came and went with the breeze that had us all checking the bottoms of our shoes and blaming the dog – the gal at the marina office says it is related to sugar processing, and “you get used to it”.
Jonathan Gorham

The subject of the note below, Sweetwater Landing Marina, lies on the Okeechobee Waterway just west of Orange River. This facility is associated with a large condo complex.

A marina we have used a couple of times (and like) is Sweetwater Landing, on the Okeechobee Waterway, a mile West of the Franklin Lock. It has some negatives: it’s right by a highway (2 lane), and the (opening) bridge that goes over the waterway, but the embankment to the bridge gives full protection. We like to fish, and have access to both fresh and salt water fishing quickly from here. The price was $10 a foot, they looked at our 3 month power bill when we left and gave us a pass on power (they’re pretty laid back – or were). There was a Publix (good supermarket) a mile to the S. and they appeared to be putting in a walkway along the road (though no guarantee).
Matt Mattson

I’m not surprised that Captain Burhham went aground heading inot Port LaBelle Marina. Depths have never been this facility’s strong suit.

Cruising News:
Hard aground with 5′ draft in the center of the entrance to the east basin at Port LaBelle Marine on the Okeechobee Waterway. N26 46.484 W081 23.364
Also bumped the bottom leaving the west basin at Port LaBelle Marina with 5′ draft.
David Burnham

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of La Belle, Florida

The Port Mayaca Railway Lift Bridge sets the vertical clearance limit for the entire Okeechobee Waterway. That’s because even when fully raised, this span is normally only 49 feet off the water. I had not considered before Captain message below that when water levels drop, the bridge clearance may increase. Notice I said, “MAY” increase, as the water level in the canal is controlled by locks, and may be different from that of Lake Okeechobee.

Clearance increases on this bridge as Lake level lowers. Call ahead for actual clearance height on the day before traveling.
David Burnham

It’s always GREAT to hear about a reliable marine repair firm, particularly one on the Okeechobee Waterway.

Subject*: cudos for Tiger Marine
Cruising News*: We had a really bad day on the boat. We crossed the Okeehobee without difficulty (plenty of water and got under the bridge. When we arrived in Clewiston, we wrapped our prop on a line. The the next morning the mixing elbow developed a hole in it and blew carbon all over the engine. On both occasions we called Rick Martinez at Tiger Marine. He was the best! He supplied a diver, put in a new mixing elbow. All this and was extremely fair in price. We can highly recommend him if you have any problems in the Okeechobee
Waterway. HIs phone:863-673-1460
Diane Fitzgerald aboard Fitzcat

Captain Rick from Tiger marine is the best. When we ran aground in lake Okeechbee last week his team was fantastic at checking out the boat and the surrounding area before pulling us off.
BE WARNED. We ran aground between the markers on the lakeside of the Port Mayaca lock 300ft from the lock! Unfortunately it is not just sand but also rock so hug the port side of the channel we were only 100ft from the dolls on the port side.
Michael Lee

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Clewiston and Roland Martins Marina

Always nice to know you can tie up somewhere free of charge. Of course, such a plan will bring on a “bare bones” night without power or water connections, but, hey, that’s what we all pretty much when anchoring anyway!

Subject*: Free moorings
Cruising News*: In Early Dec. we stayed a night tied to a dolphin near the Port Mayaca lock. The lockmaster informed us that we were welcome to spend the night at any dolphin near locks on the Okeechobee Waterway, that there is no charge, and permission is not required.
Richard Ross

After leaving Stuart, we tied to Port Mayaca’s dolphins just before the lock. There were 3 sailboats there; it was nearly dark; and, oh, my—what a new experience!!! Bow line to a dolphin and with any luck at all (like a couple in their dink returning from walking their dog), they took our stern line, our boat hook and rang the horn of the cleat. A couple springs and we were set but that was a new experience for us and we’ve been full-time for 2 years!!! I said all this to say that’s a good over night stop if you’re agile and persevering.
Laura

If there is any part of Florida that is “safest” from bad weather, it should be the central section along the Okeechobee Waterway.

I tried a general search for this and got little results so if someone knows where this info already exsists please let me know.
I will need to find a place within 100 miles from Fort Myers, Fl. to pull a 38 ft Bayliner around Feb / March /. Reasonable price of course is a concern as well as being able to work on my own boat if needed. Will probably store for 7-8 mo.
Thanks, Jeff

The best place to store a boat within 100 miles of Fort Myers and one of the only places that lets you do yout own work is The Gables Boat Storage on the [Okeechobee] Waterway near LaBelle, Florida. Amazing place, you see hundreds of masts, then the boats on dry land in the middle of nowhere. Their website goes off and on the web. Minimum storage is three months. Hurricane safe. It is really in the boonies.

For many years now, I’ve been attesting in my “Cruising Guide to Eastern Florida” that one of the most unique and delightful marina facilities on the entire Okeechobee Waterway, is the Railto Docks, west of La Belle. Look like Captain Justice has the same idea!

One of the most beautiful hidden gems on the OWW is Rialto Docks. This small harbor is on the Caloosahatchee River on a natural “oxbow” that loops out of then back into the river. There are 13 acres mostly working horse farm, beautifully landscaped with a pool. Quiet, gators, limpkin (crying bird), apple snails, and no tidal change. http://rialtoharbor.com/
Dale Justice