Half Way Through

This morning we were treated to a glorious sunrise over Pine Island Sound as we prepared to depart South Seas Yacht Harbor. The winds were blowing out of the south at 10-12 kts so the first part of the journey was a bit "choppy" but nothing to complain about!

Sunrise over Pine Island Sound

We worked our way towards Ft. Myers through a parade of fishing boats heading out to the Gulf for the day. Since I do my best to be a courteous and considerate Captain, we had to slow down quite a bit in order to not "wake" some of the small fishing boats. Not really a problem under normal circumstances, but knowing we might be faced with restricted lock openings due to low water levels, getting behind schedule was not part of of my schedule!

Approaching the W.P. Franklin Lock

Locking through the Ortona Lock

But we did just fine and made the first two locks and a bridge opening without issue. Having run the Okeechobee Waterway multiple times now, I was able to time the first part of our crossing in a more leisurely and relaxed manner. Our plan was to go just past the Ortona Lock to River Forest for the night.

Since we are truly in "the middle of nowhere" we will be dining on board tonight on frozen microwave dinners and perhaps a well deserved cocktail and bottle of wine!

Days end -- River Forest Yachting Center

Time to unwind from a days journey!

Now, having said all that, tomorrow could be a challenge.

Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades National Park water management system is supervised by the Army Corps of Engineers utilizing a strict protocol for maintaining the proper water levels. As a result, if the lake level drops below a certain point (less than 12.5 feet) the lock openings go into a restricted mode of operation. This means getting to and between the next lock can be a challenge based on the distance and speed at which you can travel.

This morning the official lake level was 12.63 feet so we were close to the restriction, but still able to move through the locks "on demand". By the time we arrived at River Forest (about half way through), the lake level had dropped to 12.51 feet. If tomorrow morning the lake level is below 12.5 feet, the locks will only open every two hours -- and we have three locks and Lake Okeechobee to navigate.

Keep your fingers crossed!