Crossing The Okeechobee

We set two alarms, one for 5:00 am and one for 5:30, which turned out to be a good idea. It took both of the alarms to rouse us from our deep slumber. We could hear the song birds lilting tune, a happy song to start our day in Moore Haven. Jim, on Charlotte, was up and moving around, right about the same time as us. He left the dock first, cruised under the bridge, then lined up for the 7:00 opening of the Moore Haven lock. We caught him at the staging point and were quickly ushered into the chamber. Today, we will cross the Okeechobee!

Good Morning Moore Haven

Heading East

Charlotte waiting for the
Moore Haven Lock

Charlotte in front of Mystic

Leaving Moore Haven Lock

Rick asked us to lead the way down the Okeechobee Waterway because his GPS was not working correctly. So off we went, enjoying the view that took us to Clewiston. Rick came over the radio to chat and I noticed that he sounded like Alan Alda. He pointed out the storms that were building to the south west and asked about taking a different route; one that would keep us close to shore, along the rim of the lake. Dave looked at the radar and suggested we keep going with plan A, straight across; the weather appeared to be staying west of us.

The Okeechobee Waterway

Birds in flight

Slowly moving through the shallows

Mangroves

Rick coming up behind us

Alligator Alley

Charlotte following closely

Making the turn at Clewiston

Following Storms

Keeping an eye on the storms

There are a couple of well known low spots on the lake. If you are going to run aground, it will be in one of these spots. The cut going through this section of Lake Okeechobee is a man made channel through limestone. You will pay dearly for a mistake here. We cautiously approached the first shallow, expecting the depth finder to show levels in the 6 foot range but we slipped by with ease; delighted to find nothing less than 7 feet of water. You can bet our eyes were glued to the depth finder at each low spot! We cautiously moved through, aiming dead center of the channel, maybe holding our breath just a little! Waiting out all this rain over the last two weeks worked out for us. Once we passed green marker number 1 we were home free with a 15 mile open run to the other side. We could spread out a little and relax a lot. Rick moved alongside us and made his own path headed for the Port Mayaca lock on the east side of the lake. We watched as he moved around the bow of the boat which was under autopilot.

Charlotte in the middle of Lake Okeechobee

Spreading out on the big Lake

We locked through Mayaca together. Rick would fall behind us here in order to get some help going under the railroad bridge just east of the lake. His mast is too tall so he has arranged for a service to come out and “tip” the boat. We watched some of this as we passed Charlotte. The whole thing took only took about a half hour to complete but it wasn't cheap! Rick paid $200 CASH! He explained that it was cheaper, both in time and money, than cruising around the Keys. The tipping service came out in a small motor boat that had plastic barrels on it. The barrels were placed on Charlotte's gunnell then filled with water. A line was attached to the main halyard to determine the angle of the tip. Using geometry, they figured out how much tip the mast requires to pass under the bridge. Once the boat is at that magic mark, you can motor through with your boat in a heeling position. It worked like a charm! Rick told us the tipping crew allowed him to continue motoring as they emptied the barrels and then released their hold on Charlotte. 

Tipping boat meets Charlotte

Barrels added to Charlotte's Port Side

Low Rail Bridge

Storms were chasing us as we continued east to Indiantown Marina. We plan to leave Mystic there for the summer hurricane season. We arrived two weeks early, so we will stay for one night then head for the Atlantic Ocean to play along the coast for a week or so. There is a boat already at the dock when we arrive. Dave slid Mystic perfectly in behind it and we tied off! We celebrated with a cold beer and waited for Rick to arrive. After getting Charlotte settled, we walked around to check out the marina. It was nice, with good showers and a comfortable captain's lounge. There are some liveaboards, a DIY work area and storage fields of boats on the hard. The fields are filled with mosquitos; big, hungry, blood suckers swarm us as we meander through, trying to imagine Mystic sitting somewhere out there while we spend summer in Minnesota. The thought of it is not very appealing. It's going to be a long summer for Mystic!

Approaching Indiantown

Dry storage lot

Some boats have been here a while

Dry dock mosquito field

Boats from all over the US

DIY Work area

Coconut Palms

The Captain's Lounge at Indiantown

We walked into town to pick up a few groceries and found that Indiantown is very small. There isn't much in the way of restaurants or pubs. After eating dinner in the cockpit we were ready for bed; tired after a long, stressful day. Tomorrow will be less intense.

Mystic docked at Indiantown