Lake Okechobee

[onesubdrvr]

Does anyone here boat on Lake Okechobee?

I'm thinking of putting in at Stuart, running the canal to Okeechobee, and spending the day on the lake, pretty neat set up, access from Ft. Myers, etc. via different canals.

Also,
How many people here boat alone (no other boaters), I love to take my family with me, but I prefer to be with other boats incase of breakdowns / etc. What do you guys prefer? alone with family, or with other boaters?

Wayne

[Cuda]

It seems every year this comes up. I think it'd be a great time, the logistics is what seems to kill it. Some from the west coast, and some from the east coast. Maybe we should come from both directions, meet at Roland Martin's and stay for the night, then head back.

[onesubdrvr]

Depends.. Yeaterday was a great day:


in the boat..



with Heidi



an ice chest




and a secluded cove....




Life is gooood :) :) :)
AMEN Brother!!

[onesubdrvr]

It seems every year this comes up. I think it'd be a great time, the logistics is what seems to kill it. Some from the west coast, and some from the east coast. Maybe we should come from both directions, meet at Roland Martin's and stay for the night, then head back.
I don't guess I've been around long enough :biggrin.:, I guess I could have done a search :bonk:. Sounds cool to me, I'll check out my bluecharts tonight and scout for places to stay. Have you ever boated there before Joe?

[onesubdrvr]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I see 4 inlets to Lake O, one down the Kissimmee River from Lake Kissimmee, one (through the canals) to Ft. Myers area, 1 from WPB via the L-8 and WPB canals, and from the St. Lucie Canal into Stuart. The only one I know is navigable is the St. Lucie canal, but I assume the other 3 are or they likely wouldn't show up on my bluecharts. Infact, I'm willing to bet there are more than 4. Those 4 would cover Orlando (central Fl. guys), Ft. Myers (Naples, St. Pete guys), WPB and Miami guys, Stuart / Ft. Pierce. I think that covers A BUNCH of people?

Anyway, I hope to make this run for the first time this weekend, and hopefully again!!

Wayne

[gcarter]

I've done it moving a larger boat from Crystal River, via Ft Meyers, to Ft. Pierce. The Western half of the trip is a lot more interesting than the Eastern. The lake itself is pretty boring, i.e. nothing to see. You loose sight of land completely. The locks are timed for about a 20 MPH transit time. But it's still interesting in its own way.
I wouldn't mind trying to put a schedule together after Sarasota.

[gcarter]

I love to take my family with me, but I prefer to be with other boats incase of breakdowns / etc. What do you guys prefer? alone with family, or with other boaters?

Wayne
What?
Wayne, do you break down? :shocking: :shocking: :biggrin:

[onesubdrvr]

What?
Wayne, do you break down? :shocking: :shocking: :biggrin:
It's been known to happen a time or two, or three, or 4 or 5, I can't remember, but a couple of times I made it back on my own :biggrin: :jestera: .

But hey, everything is running great now!! ooooops CRAP, I shouldn't have said that :biggrin:

Wayne

[Cuda]

The way I've always heard is from the St Lucie Canal to Ft Myers. I hear there are two routes in the lake, one is through the middle of the lake, and the other is the rim canal. George, do you know if Clewiston is about half way?

[onesubdrvr]

The way I've always heard is from the St Lucie Canal to Ft Myers. I hear there are two routes in the lake, one is through the middle of the lake, and the other is the rim canal. George, do you know if Clewiston is about half way?
Joe,

Clewiston is about half way at the bottom of the lake. The run from Ft. Myers is significantly longer than the run from Stuart, but Clewiston is on the south end of the lake, just to the west of center.

Also, correct on the two routes - I just did a route from Stuart boat ramp (west of the locks to the St. Lucie River) to Clewiston - 50 miles.

The rim canal would I'm sure would be much more scenic, but I'm willing to bet it'd take 2-3 hours vice like 30 minutes from the St. Lucie side across the middle, 37miles (approx) in the rim canal, 24 across the middle. Gotta wonder about speed too.

Wayne

[gcarter]

Yep, the lake is pretty shallow, and sometimes it gets really choppy and uncomfortable, and then most people take the canal. The time I went was one of those dead calm summer days when the horizon disappears. Kinda eerie. Also the canal can silt up in places.