The Okeechobee Waterway

The OWW crosses south-central Florida from St. Lucie on the east coast to Ft. Myers on the west. Our first night westbound we enjoyed visiting friends in Stuart - Bob Kassel and Bill & Barbara Vermiglio - who got us a free dock. We always appreciate that! Next morning we headed west, up the St. Lucie River to a long canal with two locks leading to Lake Okeechobee. That evening we tied up to dolphins at Port Mayaca Lock, on the eastern edge of the lake. It amazes me how patient those creatures are; who'd have thought dolphins could be trained to hold your dock lines all night? (Just kidding....here are the dolphins.)

After a quiet night we had a bumpy crossing of Lake Okeechobee. The wind had been up for a week; even though it was only blowing about 12 when we crossed, there was a leftover two foot chop on the beam. That sounds harmless, but it's enough to swing the boat through a 20 degree arc. After we cleaned up the spilled coffee, Nancy went back to bed.

Parts of the OWW are boring, other parts quite beautiful. Here are some scenes along the way.