Across Lake Okeechobee

We stopped in Indiantown on the St Lucie River, 10 miles from Lake Okeechobee waiting for the wind to change. The lake is large and shallow and a wind from the wrong direction can make for a very uncomfortable ride. Four days later the wind changed. We entered the lock at Port Mayaca (open because the lake level was high... a good thing) and made our way a few miles into the lake and then south to join the scenic rim route. Except it wasn't very scenic... the Army Corps of Engineers was shoring up and moving the levees and there were lots of dead trees, killed because they are not native to the area. We found a very nice anchorage in South Bay, with good wind and wave protection but with a monstrous alligator lying on the shore, its eyes peering into the cove. There were lots of birds and at sunset the mosquitoes came out.

Saturday, Feb 20 was a long day, 51 miles. We left the lake at Moore Haven, where the lock dropped us 3 feet into the Caloosahatchee Canal. We dropped 8 more feet three hours later at Ortona Lock. Near sunset we arrived in LaBelle, the "Honey Capital" and stopped at the town dock, where we had to do a Med mooring (stern first). We are next to the library (internet access!) and a beautiful park.