Stuart to Naples

[chazaroo]

The locks are open again and we're thinking about making the trip across Florida from Stuart to Naples in late September. Any tips on that cruise would be welcome.

-Chazaroo

 

[Morpheus]

I've been waiting for Lake O to come up as well, but when I called last week they said at most there is 5 feet for passing and there are spots that are less thn 4 feet. You you might wanna check on that.

 

[missnmountains]

Morpheus. things have changed.

U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District
Lake Okeechobee and Navigation Depth Report
Data Ending 2400 hours 29 AUG 2008

*Today's Lake Okeechobee Stage = 14.24

++Today's Route 1 Navigational Depth ÷ 8.18'
Today's Route 2 Navigational Depth ÷ 5.58'

Bridge Clearance = 49.02'
S-308 tailwater elevation = 14.48'

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
* As of 11 May 1999, Lake Okeechobee Elevation was switched from
Instantaneous 2400 value to an average-daily lake average.
On 14 Mar 2001, due to the isolation of various gages within the standard
10 stations, we began using the average of the interior 4 station gages
as the official Lake Okeechobee Elevation.
For more detail information see the Okeechobee Report at
http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/reports/r-oke.txt

++ Navigation Depths Based on 2001 Channel condition survey
For more information see the Jacksonville District Navigation website
at http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/hydroSurvey/hydro.htm

** Preliminary Data - Subject to Revision **

If you cannot make it across in one day, there is a camp ground just before the Franklin Lock. We have stayed there. It is a nice spot, but there are no stores, just 6 slips.

 

[Morpheus]

Today's Route 2 Navigational Depth ÷ 5.58'

Route 2 is straight across isn't it? The shorter of the routes? 5.58' I know I can make it through but I worry about shallow spots in the route.

Admiral doesn't camp. Our first attempt will probably be to the lake and back. Second attempt would be all the way across stay at a hotel and then all the way back the next day.

 

[Hampton]

We made that trip in Jan of '07. It's a nice trip. There is a website online that has lots of helpful tips. Don't count on being able to get gas at each stop. We had to pass up 2 spots (1 empty, 1 old, stubborn man) and take on fuel at a third, who ran out while we were pumping. We didn't get to fill up until down town Fort Myers.

 

[Morpheus]

Hampton how was the water levels and which route did you take?

 

[Hampton]

Hampton how was the water levels and which route did you take?

The water was adequate. I don't know the quoted numbers, but we knew that the route was open. Only one route was open, and that's the one we took. The other had debris in it from previous storms. I don't remember which was which, but we went WSW across the lake, in between some shallow grounds to the SW corner, then up along the edge (not across the area the locals cut across), then back into the ICW.

 

[Morpheus]

http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/sfoo/images/maps/owwmap/owwmap.pdf

Hmm so it sounds like Route 1 is how you went, route to goes around the edge of the lake where route 1 starts on the edge and then cuts across.