From Florida to the Chesapeake and Back: Rogue ICW Day 3

I keep hearing the Creedence Clearwater song saying "I hear the bullfrogs calling me yeah". Well that is what we listened to most of the night last night. Not a bad thing, just something new. If you've never been to the Rivers Edge Motel, not alot happening there. You meet some different characters along the way, and last night we met two. Both full time cruisers, Chris and Steve. Chris is an older guy who spends winters in Cuba and returns to Labelle for two reasons. It's cheap and it's quiet. Turns out he was from Baltimore. Don't know what he was into last night, but he was definitely not "sober". Rick thinks he was smokin' something, but he was definitely drinking something, alot.

We left the dock this morning after breakfast and some engine room checks to make sure everything is ok. Took off about 8:30 and started up the OWW. After a bit we had to negotiate the Oronton lock. Since we are now old hands at it, all went well. Had to wait about twenty minutes as there was westbound traffic coming through in the other direction, but all went well. Continued on for quite a while until the Moore Haven lock. This is the lock that raises you to the level of Lake Okeechobee.There were three other boats locking through with us so it was a little more crowded than yesterday. Had to wait again for westbound traffic to clear, but made it through no problem. Entered the canal surrounding Lake Okeechobee, and as we made the turn onto the waterway, a call came over the radio from another trawler westbound. Turns out is was Trawler Beach House whose blog I have been reading for quite some time. They saw Rogue's hailing port was Chestertown Md. and raised us on the radio. Turns out the woman on the Trawler Beach House grew up in Chestertown and graduated from Kent County H.S. in 1977. Small world. We then continued on to Clewiston where we made a sharp left and entered Lake Okeechobee. Boy, that is alot of water. The wind was blowing pretty good across the lake so there was quite a chop and whitecaps everywhere. Made for quite a rolly ride. Followed route #1 across, took almost three hours to get to the other side. We entered the St. Lucie canal. The lock at Port Mayaca was open so there was no need to lock through. The rest of the ride was pretty much more of the same down the canal to Indiantown Marina where we are tonight. Nice little place tucked away off the canal. Used as a hurricane hole when there is a blow.

Statistics for today are 73.8 miles, a total of 10:20 on the water, 9 hours moving, 1:20 stopped waiting for locks etc.

Tomorrow we move onward with the goal of making Vero Beach on the east coast.

Here are some pictures for today's adventure.