Wednesday and Thursday, March 9 and 10, 2011

On Wednesday we had the bridge opened right out side of Moore Haven and we were on our way by 07:50.  We followed the Caloosahatchee Canal close to the lake shore for about 14 miles to Clewiston.  Since we were not going into town we did not have to go through the Clewiston Lock so by 09:20 we took a left and started cross Lake Okeechobee.  What a ride that was.  We had to be very careful to stay between both the red and green marker; both in front and in back of the boat.  It was very windy and 3'+ waves.  The Port Mayaca Lock is right on the other side of the lake and it was pretty tricky putting the fenders out in those waves and then the lock only went down about 2"s.  We followed the St. Lucie Canal about 13 miles  to Indiantown Marina for the night.  It was a very nice and friendly marina but after all that wind and stress from crossing the lake it was an early to bed for the both of us.

Sun rise 3/8/2011



View from our bow at
Moore Haven Town Dock

View from our stern at
Moore Haven Town Dock

Sail boat tied up to dolphins;
front tied to one dolphin and
back to the next dolphin

Thursday we left  at 07:45 to try to get ahead of the storm that was coming.  We only had 23 miles to travel to Stuart today.  Only problem was we forgot that the St. Lucie Lock was only opening every 2 hours on the odd hour so we got ahead of ourselves.  We went slow but we still had an hour to wait before the lock opened at 11:00 so we tied up the the "dolphins" just before the lock and waited.  So far the weather was holding;  it was sunny to partly cloudy and 74 degrees.  Just when we entered the lock a thunder storm hit with lots of wind so we had another interesting time in a lock; which is kind of par for the course for me.  We went down 15' and by the time I got back into the boat I was soaked and had to change clothes.  My boat shoes were so wet I had to dump the water out of them.  The last 12 miles to Sunset Bay Marina was rain and thunder but we managed.  This is another very nice marina that I would definitely recommend.  I saw my first jelly fish today at Mile 11.

Met this barge in the middle of
Lake Okeechobee; it's carrying a large,
new, boat hull

Keith can't figure out how these sail boats
with a 10' draft can get down a river
that only has a 6' depth

Very crowded marina

This is the narrow exit from the marina

This old "Woody" probably hasn't
left the slip in 5 years +; at one time
it was a beautiful yacht

The "Woody" is still being lived aboard
and is in there so tight they would have
to move at least 10 boats to get it out

The Indiantown Marina has a kitchenette, a lounge with
2 flat screen TVs, and a large social area outside for
get together's and party's-pictured at night

CO's comments:  Arriving at the fuel dock it was raining, wind was blowing the boat away from the dock, the XO finally got a line onto a cleat and I was keeping the stern into the dock but the XO could not get off the boat to secure the lines.  I asked the XO to come up on the bridge and use the engines to keep the stern against the dock while I jumped off and secured the stern to the dock.  I think after a few more months of maneuvering the boat, I'll be out of a job.

N27 12.038
W80 15.673