Okeechobee Waterway

Now that we were legal, we had a couple of weeks to spend in the States before we got the boat tucked away for the season.  We decided to spend some time with good friends in Fort Myers.

To get there, we headed back through the Okeechobee Waterway again.

The weather forecast was calling for a few days of strong winds and storms. We needed a place to tie up and calculated that we could likely just make it to the Lucie Lock, go through the lock and take a slip at the Lucie Lock Marina and trailer park.  We were close but just missed the last lift by a few minutes.  After trying to tie off between two dolphins (large, tee-pee shaped structures used to tie boats to) without success but with lots of fireworks (one of the only times I can think of that we entertained spectators by yelling at each other), a very quiet evening at anchor off to the side of the channel was enjoyed.  In the morning we were first in line for a lift, putted out of the lock and directly tied up at the marina, ready for the storm.

As we were pulling in we thought wow, are they ever friendly here!  A lady was on shore yelling her welcome and waving both arms.  As we putted up to the dock we realised it was friends Steve and Janice, from the M/V Nomadic Spirit.  They spend half their time traveling in their motor home and the other half on their boat.  They were here in the RV, about to splash the boat and transition to life aboard again.

We spent the next couple of days enjoying the St. Lucie lock and marina and we're glad we did.  The winds soon picked up and we weathered a very nasty thunder storm in Steve and Janice's RV, socialising with other campers.

One day, as we were sitting in the cockpit enjoying our morning coffee, we noticed something in the water.  Was that a log?  On closer inspection we could see it was a great big 'ol gater, sinisterly eyeing the two dogs playing on shore.  Eventually, as more humans became aware of him and stood with arms crossed on shore, he decided to slink back to his lagoon across the river.  Perhaps a fish breakfast seemed like a good idea after all?

Pretty Gran Vida at the dock at St. Lucie Lock

Breakfast anyone? 
Our neighbour there was floating around, eyeing two dogs playing onshore.

Golf anyone?

We stayed for two days while the winds kicked up, enjoying lots of social time with the campers.  Jeff entertained himself and the campers by shooting old golf balls into the river, with some going all the way across.  Some of the guys got into it and they went through quite a few balls that way.

But by the third day it was time to move on.  We putted along slowly, knowing that the winds would die down even more in the afternoon.  We had Lake Okeechobee to cross and it can get very choppy in the wind.

Burning in the sugar cane fields.

We had heard on the news that there were several bush fires burning in Okeechobee County.  It's the end of the dry season here in Florida and bush fires are quite common.  Last year there were several serious ones, where property was lost.  We saw several fires on shore but we're not sure if they were controlled burns of sugar cane or bush fires.

We made it across the lake without incidence.  It was pretty bumpy at first but settled way down by the time we were across.  We made it just in time for the last lock through in Moore Haven and anchored off the side of the channel to enjoy a quiet night.  We weighed anchor and moved on as the sun was about to rise, with a light mist on the river.  So very beautiful.  My favourite time of day. (Once I have a couple of coffees in me).

Moving at sunrise.  Chilly morning.

We are currently enjoying a week at dock in Fort Myers.  Enjoying a little golf, a car show downtown, and lots of quality time with good friends.