First I would like to apologize for our blog postings not being as timely as they have been in the past. There is a very good reason for that and I will do a post explaining why sometime in the future. Beach House still needed to get farther north to be sure we met our insurance requirements and to also give the crew peace of mind during this next hurricane season. The stay at Dog River Marina was nice and the chores and repairs we wanted to make were done early. The only delay was waiting for the chart chip for the plotter that covers the inland river systems. We came to the realization that our plotter only covered a small part of Mobile Bay and did not cover any of the inland rivers. So a new C-Map chip was ordered and, of course, the two-day shipping arrived in four days. Since it was delivered at about 10 a.m., the docklines were cast off and the trip up Mobile Bay and into downtown Mobile was made a little later than we liked, but still early enough to reach our first day's anchorage with time to spare.

The downtown Mobile waterfront is mostly industrialized with shipping terminals, repair yards and various other terminals. The only semblance of a downtown waterfront is the Convention Center with a concrete bulkhead to tie recreational boats. The reviews we have received from other boaters do not recommend this spot because of the large amount of commercial activity, including large ships, working tugs and tows that can create rather large wakes along the wall. In bad weather, this can be downright treacherous. Our destination was much farther upriver, and one encounter with the prop wash from a tug moving a ship into the terminal was all we needed to encourage us to keep moving. Once beyond the main harbor, the scenery changes significantly and the hustle and bustle changes to a relaxed and more remote waterway. The Mobile River is wide and deep right up to the banks. The current flow was against us for the entire trip and always runs from north to south. Along this stretch we would have about ½ to ¾ knot of current against Beach House, nothing of real concern. During the Spring floods, the current can run 3 knots or more.


Once away from Mobile, the river is tree lined on both sides and there is little to no sign of civilization. There were a few small fishing boats, but even they disappeared as the miles ticked off behind us. A sharp lookout is required anywhere on the river system. We often passed everything from plastic buckets to tree branches to entire trees floating just near the surface. Many of these pieces of debris could do serious damage to our propeller if we struck them at our cruising speed. What appeared to be nothing more than a small branch floating just above the surface might very well have a 20-foot tree trunk attached and just a foot or more underwater. We often found ourselves zigging and zagging around small pieces of driftwood just in case. Once well underway, it would be a long distance for any attempts to provide us with assistance or repairs should we have needed them.


Because of the late start, the decision was made to pass up several good anchorage spots early on. Insurance pressures were not the only reason we needed to get up the river system as soon as possible. The locks at Coffeeville and Demopolis were both scheduled to close for a month to complete annual maintenance and the date was approaching. The distance to our first anchorage was at river statute mile 39.2, giving us a total mileage for the day at about 50 miles. The tree-lined river is spectacular and the only traffic besides Beach House was a number of large tows pushing barges that measured in the hundreds of feet. The first day was uneventful and by mid-afternoon the entrance to Tensas River appeared around a corner offering a wide, deep, protected anchorage well off the river and away from the commercial traffic that travels all night. Just past the first bend in the Tensas, the depths rise to 8 and 10 feet rather than the normal 20 to 30. Our challenge for the rest of the trip would be to find anchorages that were shallow enough to not need excessive amounts of anchor rode. On this night, we would share the anchorage with a small sailboat. It would be the last anchorage for while that we would share with another pleasure boat.


Hurdle number one was within our grasp. Coffeeville Lock and Dam is located at river mile 116.6, about 77 miles up river. A long day for us, but easily doable. The day started just after the sun came up, and for half the day, the sun was out and the temps were comfortable. By midday, the clouds began to build and a check of weather radar showed showers and rain moving into our area. At the junction located at statute mile 45, the Mobile River becomes the Tombigbee. The river twists and turns to such an extent that to travel 40 miles as the crow flies requires traveling 60 miles or more on the river. On several occasions we heard our boat named being called over the VHF radio. Tows heading in our direction were seeing us on their AIS display and knew exactly where we were, and how fast we were traveling. The AIS allowed us and them to be aware of each other and make passing arrangements long before either of us saw the other. At times, it was as simple as instructions from the tow to give them a pass on one or two whistles. One whistle meant we passed them leaving the tow on our port side and two whistles meant we left the tow on our starboard side. On a couple of occasions we were asked to pull over to the side and stand by until the tow had passed. Beach House was happy to comply.


By 4:30 in the afternoon, we were approaching Coffeeville Lock. It had been raining off and on for hours, and as we approached the lock entrance the rain increased, of course. Contacting the Lockmaster on the VHF radio, we were instructed to enter the lock and tie up port side to. The boat is secured in the lock using a single floating bollard tucked into an indentation in the lock wall. All that is required is a single line attached to a midship cleat. We were also instructed to make sure everyone working on deck was wearing a lifejacket. Beach House slowly approached the floating bollard, slowed to a stop, and a line was dropped around the bollard and then made fast to the midship cleat with little or no slack. It was the easiest lock tie up we have ever experienced. The Coffeeville Lock would raise us up 35 feet to the next river level. The entire process took about 25 minutes and Beach House was the only vessel in the huge lock. When we motored out the other side, the rain was pouring and we were thoroughly soaked. Rather than find another anchorage for the night, the decision was made to tie up at Bobby's Fish Camp, a small marina and campground just outside the lock. We wanted to plug in and dry off for the night before we began the next part of our river journey.

The run from Apalachicola to the docks at White City is a short one. There were a couple of potential anchorage spots we wanted to check out, including one that was a regular for us on our sailboat, Sea Trek. The White City docks are located in a basin surrounded by a park with a boat ramp. There has never been a lot of activity here whenever we have visited. The dock next to the pavilion was under repair and closed off with caution tape. There are 20 amp outlets at the pavilion that can be used for limited power. A new floating dock has also been added on the canal front. The floating dock is better for deeper draft boats since depths along the fixed docks are 6 feet or less. There is a 24-hour limit at the docks, but if bad weather is in the area, a longer stay would not be a problem. A short walk down the road to the east brings you to a gas station and convenience store with basic staples. This is a favorite stop for us and most other boaters that pass this way. But we did find a problem on board that needed our immediate attention.

Our shifter has always been stiff on the boat, especially at the upper helm. While docking, it began to stick in forward and took a great deal of pressure to get out of gear. It also made a loud popping sound when it finally shifted into neutral. The pressure needed was such that in the process, the shifter knob broke off the threads from the handle. Once docked, the quick determination was that the problem was the shifter cable that runs from the lower helm station to the transmission. The cable had to be replaced immediately. One thing about White City is that it isn't a city and is little more than the convenience store and a handful of private homes; not exactly a place to find parts or make repairs. It became necessary to formulate a plan and it needed to be done without needing to travel very far given the problem.


The first requirement was to take an accurate measurement of the length of the cable. Knowing the exact original make helped, too. The original is 30 years old and was made by Morse. It is now made by Teleflex and they offer an exact replacement, but of different lengths. We needed a 19-foot cable to reach from the helm to the transmission. We have wifi via our Verizon Mifi (more on that in another post) and were able to find the exact cable needed online. But it couldn't be shipped to a public park so we needed to find a place to have it shipped and to be able to do the replacement. Apalachicola was too far in the wrong direction so we chose Port St. Joe Marina, which was only about 8 miles away. The order was placed and we added overnight shipping to lessen our delay. Even though overnight is expensive, it's less than paying for extra days of dockage at a marina. The next morning Beach House left the dock and headed for Port St. Joe.


We called and made a reservation and gave them a heads up about the part. The marina staff was very friendly and professional. From White City, the trip to St. Joe requires taking the long and straight Gulf County Canal to St. Joseph Bay. Once in the Bay, as you exit the canal, the marina is beyond a well-marked channel just to port. The basin is surrounded by a breakwater and the entrance is narrow. Someone from the marina met us at the dock and helped with lines. Fortunately, the shifter worked well enough to get us into the slip without incident. Timing was perfect and shortly after we arrived our cable showed up. Removing the old cable, pulling the new cable through and making the proper adjustments took maybe an hour. A quick test proved the shifter was now working smoothly and perfectly. We love it when a plan comes together. The crew still had time to explore the town and get in a little shopping at the grocery store across the parking lot from the marina. The town is a quaint beach side village with shops, bars and several restaurants. The marina itself is a very, very busy place with boat rentals, snorkel and dive excursions coming and going and lots of tourists visiting the tiki bar and restaurant. After being out in remote locations for weeks this was almost a bit overwhelming to us.


Once repairs were completed we were ready to leave the next morning. The plan was to explore the St. Joseph Bay anchorages, then return to White City to spend another night and be on our way in the morning continuing westward. During our next nights' stay, we were treated to our own private fireworks display put on by some local residents. It was, after all, getting near the 4th of July. A peaceful night and a feeling of accomplishment on how quickly and easily our repair went, and off we went the next morning. The following days were filled with exploration and side trips for our Gulf Coast anchorage book. Nights found Beach House anchored behind barrier islands with white sand beaches or tucked into beautiful bayous enjoying the peace and solitude. We needed peace and solitude on some days after being buzzed by hundreds of small boats running in every direction at full speed. One day we were surprised by a call on the VHF while in Watson Bayou near Panama City. Getting a call on the VHF isn't surprising; we get them all the time from folks that recognize Beach House, many from this blog. The surprise came when the caller announced that they were standing on their dock as were passing by and invited us to pull in and tie up. We looked around to see them waving from the end of their dock. As we pulled in and tied up, Carl and Greg Vernon introduced themselves and told us they were AGLCA (Americas Great Loop Cruising Association) Harbor Hosts. We were invited to stay at their dock, which had power, water and cable TV to which we could connect. They kindly took us on a shopping trip, invited us into their home and went out of their way to help and assist in any way they could. It's always wonderful to experience this kind of hospitality and friendship.


Beach House said farewell the next day and our exploration and research continued. There were still a lot of anchorages to cover and many miles to go. Another issue we began to experience and had to deal with were the daily afternoon thunderstorms. For quite a while the weather had cooperated and the days were dry with light winds. But now we found we needed to be anchored by 1 or 2 PM and looked for sheltered locations. By 2 or 3 PM, the storms would roll in and some came with serious winds. If caught in an open anchorage, it would mean having to deal with the high winds and choppy seas as well. Each day we needed to plan for the afternoon and the direction from which the storms would be coming. Once the pattern was established, there was no let up. Our routine would be to get underway early, anchor by 2 pm, prep for bad weather, enjoy the quiet evening after the storms passed and then do the same the next day. The Florida Panhandle and the Gulf Coast of Alabama are some of the most fantastic cruising grounds that we have experienced. It was almost a disappointment when we reached Mobile Bay and turned north toward Mobile, but we needed to get out of the hurricane box for insurance purposes. The plan was to make a stop at Dog River Marina to regroup and resupply in preparation for moving up the Tombigbee Waterway and into the interior river system - the next chapter in our ongoing adventure.

It would seem that the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of the Steinhatchee River has it's own weather system. For a week we watched as the reports from almost every other location showed light winds and quiet conditions. Yet all of the forecasts and buoy reports for the area we needed to transit to get to St. Marks had winds and seas more uncomfortable than we prefer to travel. A long time ago we came to the conclusion that the shallow waters of the Gulf can develop some nasty waves without a lot of wind. The constant forecasts of 15 to 20 and buoy reports confirming winds kept us in the Steinhatchee much longer that we would have liked. Even on the day of our departure, the morning brought winds of 15 knots directly from the direction we had to go. We patiently waited and checked the buoys every hour until they showed wind had dropped to 10 knots. Beach House and crew was underway. The conditions were not ideal; there was still a very sloppy sea for us to plow into for a few hours. As the day progressed and we moved away from the Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach, things began to settle down and eventually the seas flattened and the winds dropped below 5 knots. Finally we were experiencing the Gulf at its best.

The outer buoys to St. Marks are not as far out in the Gulf as the other rivers we have explored, but it is still some distance from the first set of markers to the town itself. The distance from river entrance to river entrance was 54 miles after heading due west out of the Steinhatchee to avoid a large shoal, and then turning north to reach St. Marks. The lighthouse stands guard at the the river entrance with marsh land beyond. Farther upriver, the marsh and forest begin to combine to make for a very scenic cruise. Some boaters have anchored just off the lighthouse, but we found this less than desirable in anything other than calm conditions. It's wide open to the Gulf and the southerly afternoon seabreeze, making for a bumpy location. We took the time to check out the other fewer anchorages available on the river. Much of the river bottom is rocky so there are only a few places we felt comfortable adding to our anchorage book.


The next morning the forecasts looked good and the plan was to explore a new location for us, Alligator Harbor. This would still be a 44 mile day by the time we headed back down river and made the crossing to the harbor. The channel to get into Alligator Harbor can be a little tricky, but it is well marked. It required us to cruise along the outside of Alligator Point and stay within the channel with shoals on both side. Once around the western tip, the harbor opens up and is wide, but mostly shallow. Following the marked channel on the inside, we found a deep pocket just out of the channel and at 3:00 p.m., Beach House was secure on her anchor behind a thin ribbon of beach. The afternoon seabreeze blowing off the Gulf and the sounds of the waves lapping not far off our bow made for a perfect end to a perfect day. This is another anchorage we planned to include in the Gulf Coast anchorage guide and the next day we would be spending most of our day going from one potential anchorage to another. But for this evening, we just enjoyed where we were.


The next morning we reversed our course out of the harbor and pointed the bow toward Dog Island. Odd how such a fantastic island could have such a strange name. During the course of the day we visited and sounded 5 separate anchorages and really wish we could have stopped at every one. Weather delays have put us far behind so it is necessary to keep moving along. After a thorough exploration of Dog Island which included 5 hours of zigging and zagging, we headed across the sound to Carrabelle. It was only 1:50 p.m. when we arrived so some shore time was needed. The last time we were here was by car and we wanted to visit one of the restaurants we liked, The Fisherman's Wife. We were not disappointed and the shrimp, which comes off their own boat, was excellent and just as delicious as we remembered. We also took some time to stop by "the porch" at C-Quarters Marina and visit with the locals while enjoying a sundowner. Another perfect day.


From Carrabelle, it was deja vu all over again as we spent the day in the anchorages around St. George Island. So far the weather had been very cooperative with light breezes, calm seas and most importantly, no thunderstorms. After St. George Island, it was time to visit Apalachicola. Our last visit here had been by car a couple of years ago, but we have also been here a couple of times by boat. Apalachicola is one of those Florida towns that once thrived by the fishing and shrimp trade but fell on hard times when those industries declined. It has been trying to reinvent itself as a tourist destination and has succeeded somewhat. It's a funky, but fun town with lots of interesting shops and restaurants. There is a free municipal dock just inside the bridge that has some local boats filling most of the slips, but there is still room for a couple of transient boats. The cross current can be strong and makes getting into the slips challenging. There is also a day dock along the waterfront park and boats can spend the night, but there is a $30.00 charge just to tie up. There is no power or water. An alternative is to spend the day at the day dock, visit the town, and then move across the river to an anchorage just outside the channel for the overnight. If the anchorage is desired, there is a nice floating dinghy dock at the park. This is called The Wharf. From White City beyond Apalachicola, much of the rest of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway will be new territory for us, since with our sailboat we had to go out into the Gulf because of the fixed bridges. This time it won't be a problem.

Beach House and crew would like to share a couple of short videos taken as we cruised some of the rivers in the Big Bend section of the Florida Gulf coast.

For a couple of days, thunderstorms have rumbled all around us, keeping us from our next destination some 50 miles to the north. This isn't like the protected waterway; this time we need to cross the Gulf of Mexico from Steinhatchee to St. Marks. "How did you get to Steinhatchee, you were just in Fort Myers," you might ask? That's a good question and one we ask ourselves. The time seems to be flying by and we are covering a lot of ground, err, water. Up until a week ago, the weather was cooperating, the boat was running just fine after the repairs and all was right with the world. After Fort Myers, there were days when we only traveled 10 to 15 miles along the waterway. But that was by design.



Once the engine repairs were done and appeared to be fine, we began the research of the Gulf Coast anchorages for the next book. This is always the fun part. Our process is pretty simple. We pick the areas we want to investigate the day before, cruise the approach and anchorage areas, making notes of depths for the approach, depths inside the anchorage, latitude and longitude, bottom types, wind and wave protection and dinghy landing places ashore. All of this is recorded in our log so that the info can be added to the book. Our stop for that first evening, but by no means our first anchorage to check, was in Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa State Park. We shared the anchorage with 16 other boats.


From Pelican Bay on, it became a blur of anchorages and free docks for what seemed like days. Beach House and crew made stops in Englewood Beach and Longboat Key. At Longboat we had a good visit with our friends that had kindly given us the use of their dock in Key Biscayne before we crossed to the Bahamas last year. From Longboat Key, after many, many more anchorage spots, we arrived on the Manatee River and spent some time in Bradenton. We anchored in the river, took advantage of the Bradenton free day dock to explore the city and spent a quiet and peaceful night in Terra Ceia Bay the next night. From there, Beach House and crew visited St. Petersburg and spent time in the city marina. Our first night on a mooring in Vinoy Basin was probably the most uncomfortable night since our anchorage at Highbourne in the Bahamas. Swells and waves worked into the basin from Tampa Bay and bounced off the surrounding seawalls, creating a very uncomfortable roll. The next day we moved into a marina slip so we could enjoy all that downtown St. Petersburg has to offer, as well as visiting with a former cruising buddy. Anchoring or mooring here in easterly winds is just not an option.


The next few days would find us in Gulfport. The funky beach side atmosphere we found made the stop in Gulfport a real treat. The downtown area is filled with quaint shops and some excellent restaurants. On Tuesday, there is a farmer market in the downtown area with many vendors. The anchorage off Gulfport is very large with many boats. It's exposed to weather and boat wakes, but there is a very nice floating dinghy dock inside the pier right in downtown. If a marina stop is required or desired, the Municipal Marina has a friendly staff and is well protected if bad weather is pending. It's only a short walk from the marina to downtown, about a mile. From Gulfport, we needed to do some very extensive research of Boca Ciega Bay. This would prove to be quite an undertaking since there are so many options for anchorages. The entire bay is a fabulous cruising ground and one could spend a week or more just in this area.

After anchoring for the night in Redington Shores, we then moved on to the Clearwater area. There's a great day dock just across from the beach that can be utilized until midnight. Then, just drop back across the channel and anchor. One particularly memorable location in this area was Caladesi State Park. The remote island is only accessible by boat and the protected marina basin offers relatively inexpensive slips with power available. Deeper draft boats might want to bypass Caladesi since the approach channel can be quite shallow at low tide (4 feet).


The next day took us to the town of Tarpon Springs. The only available anchorages are at Anclote Key and near the boat ramp and power plant at the entrance to the Anclote River. Farther upriver toward town, the water outside the channel is very shallow. Tarpon Springs does have several marinas so that boaters can visit the town and experience the Greek cuisine Tarpon Springs is famous for and visit the working sponging community. Maybe it was just the time of year, but on our visit we found very little activity in town, and the place seemed to be a little tired since our last visit several years ago. Leaving Tarpon Springs and heading north meant a jump out into the Gulf of Mexico to our next destination on the Crystal River. Weather now became very important in crossing the open Gulf. From past experience, we know all too well how even moderate conditions can create very uncomfortable conditions for a long trawler passage.


Our departure from Tarpon Springs at first light brought us the 70 miles to Kings Bay on the Crystal River by 3:30 in the afternoon. The crossing was excellent and the well-marked but winding channel into Crystal River made our arrival stress free and very pleasant. We planned to spend a week to visit relatives and take care of some doctors appointment that had been made months in advance. Our car was nearby for us to use, and the location just made everything convenient. It was good to just be in one place for a while and not have to move on. With our own transportation we shopped, visited family, explored and did all the things that are hard to do from a cruising boat while underway. Exploring Crystal River was fun, too, since this isn't a common cruising destination, although in our opinion it should be. Getting off the beaten path is our favorite thing to do.


From Crystal River, our next port of call was also off the well worn path. The Withlacoochee River was another 32 miles away by the time we went back down river, cross the Florida Barge Canal Channel and went up the Withlacoochee. This turned out to be one of our favorite places so far. The entire Big Bend area of Florida is not what most expect when visiting Florida. Locals refer to the area as "Old Florida" and with good reason. There are no major condo developments and no amusement parks, just small fishing towns without all the big crowds and high prices. The laid back atmosphere only adds to the natural beauty that seems to have been lost in much of the rest of the state. Beach House stayed at Riverside Marina in Yankeetown for almost another week and could have stayed much longer. The sheer beauty of the area both on the water and on land makes this one of the most peaceful places we have had the pleasure of visiting. Our relatives helped us pick up and move our car from Crystal River to the Withlacoochee, again, making getting around easy. Even though we had spent almost two weeks in this area, it went by too fast. Once again, we needed to move on.


The trip from the Withlacoochee River to Steinhatchee was our longest distance covered, 80 miles, in a very long time. This was all new territory for us since our last passage along this coast was done on our sailboat with a 6-foot draft. We wrongly believed that these rivers were too shallow to transit in a boat of that draft. Now we know that is just not correct and we could have done this trip with Sea Trek. All of the approach channels are far out into the Gulf, but all are well-marked and deep enough to allow the commercial shrimp boats to come and go as they please. Only a very few places would have given us any pause, even with a 6-foot draft, and with the exception of the 5-foot bar at the Crystal River entrance, would not have kept us out of the other rivers, even at low tide. We departed the Withlacoochee at 6:10 a.m. and dropped our hook in Steinhatchee at 4:30 p.m. after another very nice Gulf crossing. So far we had avoided the typical afternoon thunderstorms that are notorious this time of year. On recent passages along the Gulf Coast we had experienced very violent weather and now try hard to avoid that if at all possible. From the Steinhatchee, the plan is to head to St. Marks and begin exploration of the Florida panhandle and Alabama. So stay tuned for more and to get photos and up-to-date information on our current location, check our Facebook page and our Tracking Page on our website.

We recently visited the St. Lucie Park and had written about what a pleasant and unexpected gem it was. Imagine, then, our surprise at what we found at the WP Franklin Lock and Dam Park. It is the westernmost lock in the Okeechobee Waterway out of the 5 locks in the OWW. Initially we had thought we might go ahead through the lock and continue on to LaBelle. However, as we approached the lock, the wind began to gust and we decided it was time to call it a day. I had glanced over and realized that the docks were on the east side of the lock and not the west as I had originally thought. Also, they are tucked up in a protected basin and not right next to the river as the docks are at St. Lucie. We spun the boat around and headed for the docks.



A very nice gentleman, Walt Vliet, who was out for a few weeks cruise with his wife June, came to our aid as we docked with the wind blowing us up on the finger pier. No matter how many years of experience one has, it is still difficult to dock with a single engine and a good, stiff breeze on the beam. Once secure, we had the opportunity to visit with Walt and June. Both are about to turn 80 soon and have been cruising for years. They live in Hobe Sound and often travel back and forth across the Okeechobee on either their small sailboat or their Marine Trader trawler. They were a pleasure to meet.



But the real story is the park. It is truly a beautiful little place. The RV park and marina, situated on its own little island, is located on the northeast side of the river and lock. Slow speed buoys are located at the entrance to the marina basin. There are 8 slips here as there are at St. Lucie, with 4 being first-come, first-served and the other 4 able to be reserved. Very little wake makes it into the basin. Trees and a decent size picnic pavilion are very near the docks, and a short walk west past a number of RV sites, takes you to very clean heads and showers. Recycling bins are available just next to the trash.




In the middle of the island is the ranger’s office where you pay your dockage. (Again, the same as St. Lucie - $24 per dock including water and electric, or $12 if you have your Golden Age pass for those 62+.) Just next to the office the ranger’s trailer and little fenced in yard that houses her “babies,” three small dogs. From there, turn and walk due south out to the lock and fishing pier, or turn north to walk over the short causeway to get some exercise or a different view of the island. The other, or west, end of the island has many more RV sites and a larger head and shower facility which also houses a washer and dryer. You can walk beyond that building and find another large covered pavilion at the southern end as well as a bench with a great view to the west.



If the docks are full, no problem. Figure out which direction you need wind protection from. There is plenty of room to anchor in the east basin beyond the docks, then dinghy in to the boat ramp near the heads and showers. Or anchor in the basin on the west side of the locks tucked up near the causeway that leads over to the island for great easterly and southerly protection. On this side, dinghy into the beach near the large trees just behind the building that houses the heads. The ranger is happy to have you come ashore.



You cannot walk across the lock to the other side like you can at St. Lucie Park, so drop your dinghy in the water and visit the beach on the other side as well as the visitor center. The only downside we can see is there are no provisions nearby, so come well-stocked and enjoy this little piece of heaven.

It's been three years since our last cruise on the Okeechobee Waterway and this time we planned to do it a little differently. On our last crossing of the Lake, we took the direct route across or what is also known as Route 1. This time we planned to take Route 2, or the rim route as we traveled east to west. This trip was also work, since it was the beginning of our research for our fourth book in The Great Book Of Anchorage series and will cover the Okeechobee Waterway and the Gulf Coast from Cape Sable, FL to Mobile, AL. Most folks avoid the rim route because of the reputation for shallow water, but we know a little secret that will allow even deeper draft boats to use the rim route in all but extreme low water levels. Prior to any Lake crossing there are three things a boaters wants to know before starting at either the east or west end of the OWW. There is one place to find two pieces of the info you need and that is on the Corps of Engineers website - the lake level and lock restrictions. The third is weather information - the National Weather Service website for Lake Okeechobee can be found here.

Lake Okeechobee is a very large and shallow lake. A strong to moderate wind can develop a nasty chop and make crossing a very uncomfortable situation. The current lake levels are important for a boater to have to safely cross the Lake and that information can be found by clicking the link here. The page is updated daily, gives the overall Lake level and the lowest depths for the Route 1 or Route 2 crossing. The depths given are not the depths for the entire crossing but the shallowest depths anywhere along the route. It's important to know where those lower depths might be found to avoid running aground. There will be much more water on 98% of the trip than the lowest levels reported. The second thing a boater will want to know is if there are any delays or changes in the schedules of the five locks that have to be transited along the OWW. That information can be found by clicking the link here. Then the trip can begin and it's a trip we highly recommend. There is one other piece of information that is important to sailors. There is a height restriction that will keep sailboats with masts higher than 49 feet from using the waterway. Those boats with taller masts will have to go down the ICW and around through the Keys to get to the opposite coast.


The shallow areas can be found in two locations. If crossing directly across the lake, shallow sections are in the channel as you approach Clewiston. There is no way around this spot, so close attention to staying in the channel and your draft in comparison to lake levels is important. But the rim route offers an opportunity to cheat a little and avoid not only the shallow area crossing the lake, but the shallow area along the rim route. This might seem odd since the reported depths for the rim route are always substantially lower than route 1. But there is only a very short section of the rim route where this shallow water can be found and it is easy to bypass. Immediately after existing the Port Mayaca Lock, the marked channel for the rim route turns south. There the depths can be as little as 4 to 5 feet. Instead of turning into the channel, take a course straight out into the lake until the depth finder reads 9 to 10 feet. Turn south and head toward R "60" at Statute Mile 50 near Pahokee and depths will be at least 9 feet all the way. This is depends on the overall lake levels. If levels are normal, these are the average depths. Re-enter the rim route channel and except for a small section with 8 to 9 feet, depths from 12 to 20 feet can be found almost the entire way.


The rim route is much more interesting and offers the opportunity to find some excellent anchorages along the way. At Torry Island, near Statute Mile 61, there is a swing bridge that requires the bridge tender to walk out on the bridge and use a bar to turn the mechanism by hand which allows the bridge to be opened. Shortly past the bridge we found a fantastic anchorage in a kidney bean shaped basin known as South Bay with all-around protection. We shared the anchorage with a few fisherman that went home for the evening and several large gators that hung around all night. From there it was a short distance to Moore Haven and the first lock on the west side of the lake. In the small town of Moore Haven, there is an anchorage just before the lock in the old channel or a very inexpensive town marina on the canal right after the lock. From this point on westward, you are in the Caloosahatchee waterway system. After another 20 miles, the Ortona Lock is the next to be negotiated. Each of the locks are easy to transit. There are signs to announce the arrival point. From there a call to the Locktender on the VHF radio is required and you will get locking instructions. Once a green light appears at the lock entrance, you enter the lock and lines are dropped down to secure the bow and stern of the boat. The water is lowered or raised, depending on which direction you're going, and once the appropriate level is reached, the gates are opened and the boat is free to exit.


About 8 miles west of Ortona is the town of La Belle. The town has constructed docks adjoining the canal and they are free to boaters for a maximum of three days. There is power and water on the docks, also free, but the boat needs to be tied up so that you will be able to get off either on the bow or the stern. There are no finger piers, except two small ones with water depths of only a foot or two and no power or water. In the downtown area there is a restaurant, coffee house, playhouse, pizza shop and groceries, and other restaurants are only a short walk. The docks are first come, first served and during the busy season, can be full. At the time we were there, they were having problems with the power and it was not available at all of the slips. Someone from the city did come down to work on them and told us this has been an ongoing issue.


Beyond La Belle, the Caloosahatchee canal and river winds through residential and farm land. It's not unusual to see cows and horses standing along the banks watching your boat go by. At Statute Mile 122, we encountered the final lock westbound, WP Franklin Lock. Approaching the lock from the east, a basin on the north side leads to the docks at the marina and campground. Just as the marina at St. Lucie Lock, Franklin is part of the National Parks and offers the same $24.00 per night or $12.00 with a senior pass. This includes electric and power and is good for a maximum of two weeks. This would be our next and final stop on the Okeechobee Waterway before reaching Ft. Myers. A nagging oil leak on the front of the engine was getting progressively worse so a stop for repairs would be needed. We had already contacted a mechanic in the area and ordered the needed parts from American Diesel. The parts would arrive at the downtown marina about the same time that we would arrive. For now we planned to just enjoy the park at Franklin Lock.