West to East – Crossing the Okeechobee Waterway

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It is Monday morning and we are headed up the Caloosahachtee River (still learning to say and spell these Florida names). We are now in central Florida away from the big cities and people. The area around the canal is very rural. We were hoping to spend time in Labelle and see small town America, but the best laid plans don’t always come to fruition. The city docks we had hoped to use were under construction so that took that option away. We had planned to see Wade & Zelda on this stop too, so we improvised and meet them at a boat launch dock and took them for a 1/2 hour trip down the river on our boat. (I think they are hooked on cruising now). It was good to catch up with them. We then said good-by and headed to Moore Haven, another small town. While under way to Moore Haven we found out that Clewiston was also not an overnight option for Wednesday night as they were hosting a big fishing tournament. So we tied up in Moore Haven Marina (a dock on the river) for three nights instead. Moore Haven is a very small town and not much is happening. We did find a Mexican restaurant (carry-out only) and a pizza place not far from the marina (nothing is very far actually). Tim & I rode our bikes down the Main Street and then checked out the bridge over the River. We had a birds-eye view of the canal, dam/lock, and the area surrounding the bridge. It was interesting to see the many types of boats passing thru the area, either going east or west.

Moore Haven City Dock
Photos from Moore Haven.
We enter and grab lines hanging down from the walls to secure the boat.
Then they open the gates about 1 foot and let the water rush in to raise the level to what is on the other side.
Each lock has a sign post telling distance in either direction
These Dolphins (post for timing up boats in the middle of the water) are at each end of each lock.
Leaving Moore Haven with friend Nagui on BOUNDLESS, a 25′ Rousborough
Behind us in the the first lock are Friend Jody and Trish on a DeFever 45
Back in the Locks again. We traversed 5 Locks on the section between Ft Meyers on the Gulf coast and Stuart on the Atlantic coast of Florida. Going up to Lake Okeechobee we went thru 5 Locks. Two the first day, Franklin Lock (2′ up) and Ortona Lock (8′ up). After our stay in Moore Haven we went up thru Julian Keen Lock (5′ up), across the Lake Ocachobee, down in the Port Mayaca Lock (2′ down) and on the last day of this trip down again in the St. Lucie Lock (13′ down). These locks are different than the Western river locks in that there are no bollards to tie to. There are lines having down every 20′ or so and you simply grab them at the bow and stern and adjust them as the water level changes. The other BIG difference is instead of pipes and valves to let water in and out of the bottom of the lock, here they simply open the doors at one end and let the water in or out depending on going up or down.
We got to connect with Wade and Zelda in Labelle at the city boat ramp dock for a short visit and cruise up and down the river.
Sugar Cane Field
Burning surgery cane as part of the harvest process
160 mile hike bike path on top of the dike that runs around Lake Okeechobee

NEWS FLASH: Received word from Kailey — She & Brady would soon be parents thru adoption. Their baby is due on Feb 18 in Nashville!!!!!

Thursday–was the day to cross Lake Okeechobee. With our hearts full of anticipation of new arrival in our family, we headed towards Clewiston and then into Lake Okeechobee. The waves were very lumpy and it felt like a long trip across the lake, but we arrived at Port Mayaca Lock without any issues. Lake Okeechobee is very shallow and can get very nasty at times.

The Lake is very shallow and therefore you have to follow a marked channel across the lake
We followed this Ferry across the Lake. four guys drove the campers from New York, picked up the barge in Alabama were it was built and are delivering it back to New York for the company they work for.
Under this train bridge. At 50′ it limits the height of any vessel wishing to cross the middle of Florida, Andy higher and you have to go around the Keys. The other 3 train bridges we past (and one road bridge) were swing bridges which are only 5′ – 10′ above the water and pivot in the middle

Feeling like we had arrived, we still had a ways to go to our destination. We tied up (no water or electric) at Indiantown Marine Center for the night. I don’t know if it was the excitement of the baby or what, but I had an unexpected episode with falling into the open lazaret and Tim might have broken a toe on a cleat. Expect the unexpected….. We were the only boat tied up in the area, but the night was quiet.

Tomorrow we head to Stuart–big city/lots of people. I think I’m going to miss to rural Florida.

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