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Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
Any of you Captains done the journey across Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart,
Fla The Okeechobee Waterway? I think that is the name.. What size sailboats can make the trip? Is the mast a problem? Any limit? What about water depth? |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info?Help?
Janet O'Leary wrote:
Any of you Captains done the journey across Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart, Fla The Okeechobee Waterway? I think that is the name.. What size sailboats can make the trip? Is the mast a problem? Any limit? What about water depth? Google is your friend... http://www.yachtdeliveryusa.com/okeechobee-bridges.htm http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-OkeechoWy.html 6 feet depth http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area....LKOKWW&CU_ID=1 Maps and aerial photos |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
"Janet O'Leary" wrote:
Any of you Captains done the journey across Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart, Fla The Okeechobee Waterway? *I think that is the name.. Yep, that's the name. What size sailboats can make the trip? *Is the mast a problem? Big ones! And no, the mast is no problem at all. Any limit? Of course. There are always limits. What about water depth? What about it? IMHO the wise cruiser will choose a boat with some regard to draft, and the waters he wants to cruise. Much over 5' is inconvenient on the ICW and much of the East Coast of the US. Draft of 4' is much more convenient. The Okeechobee Waterway depth is controlled by locks but the water is also used heavily for irrigation and for city utilities. In times of low rainfall, the water level drops and navigation can be restricted. Last year, the shallow spots were 4.5' to 4' Here is some more info & pictures of the trip. Yes that is us (my wife & myself) http://dnkcruising.blogspot.com/2007...h-to-east.html http://dnkcruising.blogspot.com/2007...wrong-way.html Fresh Breezes- Doug King |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info?Help?
Janet O'Leary wrote:
Any of you Captains done the journey across Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart, Fla The Okeechobee Waterway? I think that is the name.. What size sailboats can make the trip? Is the mast a problem? Any limit? What about water depth? Never did it but those who were about to said the height limit was 45 feet and depth 4 feet. There are many references published on this route. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
"slide" wrote in message ... Janet O'Leary wrote: Any of you Captains done the journey across Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart, Fla The Okeechobee Waterway? I think that is the name.. What size sailboats can make the trip? Is the mast a problem? Any limit? What about water depth? Never did it but those who were about to said the height limit was 45 feet and depth 4 feet. There are many references published on this route. With a clearance height of only 45', and a depth of only 4' .. that eliminates many sailboats, for sure. In fact, I was just looking at a boat on the net, nice older boat. .. the draft is 5' 10" I think. == So,, if the boat can't go through .. ?? then it is down and around? How does that trip go? Where is the cut through point? |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
Route 1: Navigational depths: reported at 8.62 feet.
Route 2 (the Rim Canal) is closed with navigational depths of 6.02 feet. Route 2 has been closed since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Debris has not been removed. This is up 2.46 feet from the last report we gave two weeks ago. All locks are now open. A Notice to Navigational Interests from the USACE Jacksonville advises that normal navigation through the OWW could change on short notice due to direct and indirect effects from hurricanes and storm systems. The lowest fixed bridge is 53 feet clearance Fair Winds Cap'n Dave |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
"Janet O'Leary" wrote in message ... With a clearance height of only 45', and a depth of only 4' .. that eliminates many sailboats, for sure. In fact, I was just looking at a boat on the net, nice older boat. .. the draft is 5' 10" I think. == So,, if the boat can't go through .. ?? then it is down and around? How does that trip go? Where is the cut through point? If you're just buying a boat and have little to no passage-making experience, you'd be well-served by looking for a boat that's already in the area where you want it to be. If you have your heart set on one particular boat and nothing else will do, you might want to look into having it trucked to its new home port -- with older boats, though, this is rarely cost effective. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Regarding "cut through points" in the Florida Keys -- not advisable without good local knowledge, up-to-date charts and good sailing experience in all weather. Water there gets really thin, really fast, and weather can kick up just as quickly. It's a good way to run aground and end up with a "totalled" vessel. The safest route is to stay away from shore and in deep water, going around the keys rather than through them. This advice has been disregarded in the past with predictable outcome. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info?Help?
Janet O'Leary wrote:
With a clearance height of only 45', and a depth of only 4' .. that eliminates many sailboats, for sure. In fact, I was just looking at a boat on the net, nice older boat. .. the draft is 5' 10" I think. == So,, if the boat can't go through .. ?? then it is down and around? How does that trip go? Where is the cut through point? First, check local and up to date published data. Then subtract some from both the height and the depth. Frex, last time I wished to passage Dismal Swamp the clearance was published at 6' but local knowledge said that there were many sunken logs and the real clearance depth was less than 5'. There was one bridge on the ICW which 'rang' my antenna even though I waited for low tide. This clearly (to me) proved correct local knowledge that the bridge was below the nominal 65' published minimum clearance. Yes, it means go around if you wish to get to the Gulf. There are cuts in the Keys but likewise you need local knowledge. Maybe even more so because going aground in they keys on that old limestone can be much more damaging than the mud further north. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
"Janet O'Leary" wrote in news:a0u2l.2578
: Where is the cut through point? Ask Skip and Lydia about cutting through the Keys. I believe you'll be told to put it out of your mind and go around Key West in the deep water. Go to http://maps.google.com/ Tell it to find Marathon Florida. Once it does, click on SATELLITE view in the upper right corner so you can see the bottom from the mainland to Cuba. The satellite pictures are stunning, not to mention horrifying, of the shifting bars and hazards around the Florida Keys in such clear water. Very treacherous waters, indeed. When you zoom in close, the pictures become even more revealing. You can actually see the sandbars MOVING when the satellite snapped the photo! This has got to be the WORST place to sail on the planet. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
"Larry" wrote in message ... "Janet O'Leary" wrote in news:a0u2l.2578 : Where is the cut through point? Ask Skip and Lydia about cutting through the Keys. I believe you'll be told to put it out of your mind and go around Key West in the deep water. Go to http://maps.google.com/ Tell it to find Marathon Florida. Once it does, click on SATELLITE view in the upper right corner so you can see the bottom from the mainland to Cuba. The satellite pictures are stunning, not to mention horrifying, of the shifting bars and hazards around the Florida Keys in such clear water. Very treacherous waters, indeed. When you zoom in close, the pictures become even more revealing. You can actually see the sandbars MOVING when the satellite snapped the photo! This has got to be the WORST place to sail on the planet. Sorry, Larry, but your ignorance, reliance on book learning and jumping to false conclusions are showing again. You try to sound like a expert on everything and it's pretty darned obvious from many of your idiotic statements that you lack real knowledge in many areas. The Florida Keys are my home sailing grounds. There is very little shifting of sandbars. I don't know what drugs you are on but you certainly can't see them shifting in satellite photos. As a matter of fact sand is in relatively short supply in the Keys. There is more rock and mud than sand. On the Florida Bay side it's mostly all mud. There resides the Intracoastal Waterway and the Yacht Channel up to the Gulf of Mexico. Five or six feet depth all the way. In and along Hawk Channel on the ocean side it's mostly coral rock with only a few sandy beaches. The rest of it is bare, water worn coral rock. Hawk Channel is a very safe place to sail. The barrier reef knocks out the seas from the Straits. The Island chain provides a barrier to the north. There are a few areas with charted coral heads and patch reefs that need to be given a wide berth but it's no problem to do so either visually or using GPS. Anybody who can't sail safely through the Keys on either side of the island chain is incompetent or inept or stupid and poor Skippy was all three when he came through here running aground at every opportunity and making an ass out of himself, not to mention giving sailors a bad name. I have been sailing the Keys for over 25 years and have YET to run aground. There's no excuse for it. Wilbur Hubbard |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
On Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:35:14 -0800 (PST), "
wrote: The lowest fixed bridge is 53 feet clearance Actually not. The lowest is 49.38 ft, the railroad bridge just east of Lake Okeechobee. There is a local service that will assist with heeling taller masts over, up to about 55 feet or so. The bridges at Cape Coral and Ft Myers are currently at about 54 ft depending on the tide level. Water levels are now good on the main route across the lake: http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/reports/r-nav.txt |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
On Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:38:33 -0700, slide
wrote: Never did it but those who were about to said the height limit was 45 feet and depth 4 feet. There are many references published on this route. No, that is incorrect, more like 7 ft draft and 49+ mast height. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
On Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:42:29 -0600, "KLC Lewis"
wrote: Regarding "cut through points" in the Florida Keys -- not advisable without good local knowledge, up-to-date charts and good sailing experience in all weather. Water there gets really thin, really fast, and weather can kick up just as quickly. It's a good way to run aground and end up with a "totalled" vessel. The safest route is to stay away from shore and in deep water, going around the keys rather than through them. This advice has been disregarded in the past with predictable outcome. All true but the cut-through east of Marathon (Moser Channel) is easy to negotiate with 6 ft of draft and 65 ft mast height - if you know what you are doing, have decent charts, etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moser_Channel |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
"KLC Lewis" wrote in message et... "Janet O'Leary" wrote in message ... With a clearance height of only 45', and a depth of only 4' .. that eliminates many sailboats, for sure. In fact, I was just looking at a boat on the net, nice older boat. .. the draft is 5' 10" I think. == So,, if the boat can't go through .. ?? then it is down and around? How does that trip go? Where is the cut through point? If you're just buying a boat and have little to no passage-making experience, you'd be well-served by looking for a boat that's already in the area where you want it to be. If you have your heart set on one particular boat and nothing else will do, you might want to look into having it trucked to its new home port -- with older boats, though, this is rarely cost effective. But the heart wants what the heart wants. Regarding "cut through points" in the Florida Keys -- not advisable without good local knowledge, up-to-date charts and good sailing experience in all weather. Water there gets really thin, really fast, and weather can kick up just as quickly. It's a good way to run aground and end up with a "totalled" vessel. The safest route is to stay away from shore and in deep water, going around the keys rather than through them. This advice has been disregarded in the past with predictable outcome. If she's sexy enough, I might be talked into helping her sail her boat through the Keys to the east coast of Florida. But, if she's jlrogers in drag, forget about it! Wilbur Hubbard |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
Wayne,
You are correct. In my haste I forgot about the RR bridge. I deliver boats all around the state and make the cut about 10 times a year when water levels allow The bridge is actually 49'4" on the north side and 49'8" on the south side. There is no tide but the water height varies a few inches. You can stop at the Indiantown marina, east of the bridge, and have your mast measured. Mine measured 48'9". If your mast and or bridge won't make it, they will heal your boat until it will pass. They secure 2*55 gal barrels on your deck and pump water into them to heal your boat until you will clear, then tow you through the bridge and remove the barrels. I believe the cost is $150. They are set up do this without fuss and are efficient. It's also a good place to stop for fuel, etc. You can radio them and they will tell you the height of the water. They can also remove a mast if required. I don't know whether they can step it or not. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
The Florida Keys are my home sailing grounds. There is very little shifting of sandbars. I don't know what drugs you are on but you certainly can't see them shifting in satellite photos. As a matter of fact sand is in relatively short supply in the Keys. There is more rock and mud than sand. On the Florida Bay side it's mostly all mud. There resides the Intracoastal Waterway and the Yacht Channel up to the Gulf of Mexico. Five or six feet depth all the way. In and along Hawk Channel on the ocean side it's mostly coral rock with only a few sandy beaches. The rest of it is bare, water worn coral rock. Hawk Channel is a very safe place to sail. The barrier reef knocks out the seas from the Straits. The Island chain provides a barrier to the north. There are a few areas with charted coral heads and patch reefs that need to be given a wide berth but it's no problem to do so either visually or using GPS. Anybody who can't sail safely through the Keys on either side of the island chain is incompetent or inept or stupid and poor Skippy was all three when he came through here running aground at every opportunity and making an ass out of himself, not to mention giving sailors a bad name. I have been sailing the Keys for over 25 years and have YET to run aground. There's no excuse for it. Wilbur Hubbard Hubbard ,, this boat has a draft of 5'10" .. pretty deep, she was not designed to be a cruising boat, but is a cruising boat .. go figure. Anyhow,, since you are the expert.. ... The boat would be coming from Tampa. Heading toward Ft Lauderdale.. So, if she can't get through the canal [ not enough depth ] or the mast is too high .. Then she must be sailed all the way to Key West? And then around, and up? Is that correct? How far is that? Are there harbors along the way? Is it better to go outside, then down to Key West? Don't have any charts as yet. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
On Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:15:24 GMT, "Janet O'Leary"
wrote: The boat would be coming from Tampa. Heading toward Ft Lauderdale.. So, if she can't get through the canal [ not enough depth ] or the mast is too high .. Then she must be sailed all the way to Key West? And then around, and up? Is that correct? How far is that? Are there harbors along the way? Is it better to go outside, then down to Key West? Don't have any charts as yet. By way of qualification, I live in the Ft Myers area, approximately halfway between Tampa and the Keys. Your limiting factor for the Okeechobee Waterway will be mast height, roughly 49 ft unless you heel the boat. Your other choice is to go through the Keys - either at Marathon which should be doable, or all the way around Key West. Going around Key West adds about 100 miles vs Marathon/Moser Channel. The Okeechobee Waterway saves about 250 miles and is protected water the entire distance. The outside run from Tampa can be rough in a winter nor'wester, pick your days and route carefully. Coming south from Tampa there are overnight options at Venice, Boca Grande, Sanibel Island, Ft Myers Beach, Naples and Marco Island. If the tide is right you can get in behind the islands near Everglades City or anchor at Little Shark River in the Everglades. If the wind is out of the east, and it frequently is in the winter, you can anchor north of Middle Cape Sable for the night. Charts are available on the web he http://demo.geogarage.com/noaa/ In addition to charts you will want to pick up a "Southern Waterway Guide" - it has lots of good information: http://www.waterwayguide.com/edition...=southern_2009 You really need to have some experienced help for the trip. While not extremely difficult, it is not a complete cake walk either, especially in the winter time. It would be money well spent to hire a licensed delivery captain for your first big adventure. They will have the knowledge and experience to stay out of trouble, and the ability to deal with problems if they do arise. Just my 2 cents worth. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
"Janet O'Leary" wrote in message ... The Florida Keys are my home sailing grounds. There is very little shifting of sandbars. I don't know what drugs you are on but you certainly can't see them shifting in satellite photos. As a matter of fact sand is in relatively short supply in the Keys. There is more rock and mud than sand. On the Florida Bay side it's mostly all mud. There resides the Intracoastal Waterway and the Yacht Channel up to the Gulf of Mexico. Five or six feet depth all the way. In and along Hawk Channel on the ocean side it's mostly coral rock with only a few sandy beaches. The rest of it is bare, water worn coral rock. Hawk Channel is a very safe place to sail. The barrier reef knocks out the seas from the Straits. The Island chain provides a barrier to the north. There are a few areas with charted coral heads and patch reefs that need to be given a wide berth but it's no problem to do so either visually or using GPS. Anybody who can't sail safely through the Keys on either side of the island chain is incompetent or inept or stupid and poor Skippy was all three when he came through here running aground at every opportunity and making an ass out of himself, not to mention giving sailors a bad name. I have been sailing the Keys for over 25 years and have YET to run aground. There's no excuse for it. Wilbur Hubbard Hubbard ,, this boat has a draft of 5'10" .. pretty deep, she was not designed to be a cruising boat, but is a cruising boat .. go figure. Anyhow,, since you are the expert.. ... The boat would be coming from Tampa. Heading toward Ft Lauderdale.. So, if she can't get through the canal [ not enough depth ] or the mast is too high .. The Okeechobee is for motor heads and sissies who freak if they aren't in constant contact with land. It's a poor choice IMO. Just the wakes alone from inconsiderate motor boat cretins will make you want to shoot somebody. Sailing down the west coast of Florida from Tampa Bay is a piece of cake provided you keep an eye on the weather. Working the back side of cold fronts is the thing to do. One can plan it so one can stop every night to anchor. There is no need to do the Moser Channel thing. Anchoring in the Little Shark River mouth allows you easy access to the Yacht Channel through the Sprigger and Arsenic Banks into the Intracoastal Waterway well north of Marathon. There is enough depth, plenty enough at high tide. Last time though the Yacht Channel (Hurricane Wilma) there was close to eight feet there. Using the Yacht Channel makes for an easy and safe run to Channel #5 bridge which has 65 feet clearance MLW. Once into Hawk Channel working up to Lauderdale is a piece of cake. One can anchor every night. Or the alternative is just to stay in the Intracoastal where the Yacht Channel meets it. This requires lots of motoring, however. But it is comfy and sheltered and there is some opportunity to sail the various bays and sounds between the creeks. They've even built a new high rise bridge at Jewfish Creek to replace the old bascule bridge. The Intracoastal option allows you to hit some of the more famous Islamorada and Key Largo bars such as the Lorelie, Caribbean Club, Gilberts Then she must be sailed all the way to Key West? And then around, and up? Is that correct? How far is that? Incorrect as stated above. Are there harbors along the way? Yes. Is it better to go outside, then down to Key West? Don't have any charts as yet. I prefer the route(s) mentioned above. It can be done in a series of short hops anchored every night. Sailing in and around the Keys or in the shallows along the west coast of Florida is not prudent at night. One learns to read water depth by eye and you can't see squat at night. You'll need charts for sure. One of these chart kit books will do just fine. Chart kit BBA, Florida WEST coast and the Keys Region 8 by Better Boating Association http://openlibrary.org/b/OL12174601M It would be a good idea to ship an experienced skipper who knows this route and has traveled it a few times. Inexperienced skippers might fall prey to traps such as the entrance to the Yacht Channel from the north seeming to have the Red and Green lights switched. Going throught there at night using red right returning will run you hard aground. (they are actually correct but from the north, due to the dogleg of the channel they appear switched.) Wilbur Hubbard. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
On Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:32:48 -0500, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote: There is no need to do the Moser Channel thing. Anchoring in the Little Shark River mouth allows you easy access to the Yacht Channel through the Sprigger and Arsenic Banks into the Intracoastal Waterway well north of Marathon. There is enough depth, plenty enough at high tide. Last time though the Yacht Channel (Hurricane Wilma) there was close to eight feet there. Using the Yacht Channel makes for an easy and safe run to Channel #5 bridge which has 65 feet clearance MLW. At low tide in the winter, the approach to Little Shark River has barely 5 feet of water, same with the Yacht Channel north of the Channel Five bridge. We were through there 6 months ago in the summer and dragged our 5 1/2 ft draft through the mud a couple of times. That is why I recommend Moser Channel east of Marathon where I've never seen less than 6 1/2 ft. |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
"Wayne.B" wrote in message ... On Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:32:48 -0500, "Wilbur Hubbard" wrote: There is no need to do the Moser Channel thing. Anchoring in the Little Shark River mouth allows you easy access to the Yacht Channel through the Sprigger and Arsenic Banks into the Intracoastal Waterway well north of Marathon. There is enough depth, plenty enough at high tide. Last time though the Yacht Channel (Hurricane Wilma) there was close to eight feet there. Using the Yacht Channel makes for an easy and safe run to Channel #5 bridge which has 65 feet clearance MLW. At low tide in the winter, the approach to Little Shark River has barely 5 feet of water, same with the Yacht Channel north of the Channel Five bridge. We were through there 6 months ago in the summer and dragged our 5 1/2 ft draft through the mud a couple of times. That is why I recommend Moser Channel east of Marathon where I've never seen less than 6 1/2 ft. Duh, navigate shallow areas on a rising tide. Those who don't are no sailors. Preferably at about the top half of a rising tide. That way any little grounding and all you have to do is wait a little while and float right off. A little soft mud on the bottom of your keel doesn't harm anything. Oh, I've seen more than a few 45-footers in the Shark River hiding from hurricanes. Some of them draw six feet and more. You get them over the bar at high tide. It's that simple. Wilbur Hubbard |
Canal that crosses Florida from Ft Myers to Stuart .. info? Help?
On Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:26:18 -0500, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote: Duh, navigate shallow areas on a rising tide. Those who don't are no sailors. Preferably at about the top half of a rising tide. That way any little grounding and all you have to do is wait a little while and float right off. A little soft mud on the bottom of your keel doesn't harm anything. Waiting is for dock sailors. I prefer 600 horsepower and twin 30 inch props. It *will* get you off. |
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