Start time and hours 0840 3525.66 MM 50 OWW Rim Route
End time and hours 1400 3530.51 MM 89
OWW Rim Route
We awoke in the
luxurious confines of the Pahokee Municipal Marina to find that we were unable
to locate the showers. We found the
bathrooms, but wish we didn’t. They were
serviceable at best, probably close to your worst roadside gas station men’s room. We had good water at the dock so we got to
take boat showers with extra water, what a treat.
We paid our $1
per foot marina fee and got off th[JD1] e
dock without too much trouble. There was
an old tug with someone living aboard that had lines going across the fairway
blocking it completely. This limited our
room to back up and turn but we managed.
The first few
miles of the Rim Route was a little exposed to the lake. The winds were from the Northeast at about
15mph most of the day and there was a moderate chop of about 1-2feet. After about eight miles of this we got into
the sheltered portion of the route. It
has the levee on one side and spoil islands on the other that blocked the
wind.
The Rim Route is
scenic. The spoil islands are filled
with birds, trees, mangroves, and a few alligators. It is better than staring at open water for
twenty five miles.
There was one
bridge along this route that opens manually.
It is the Torry Island Swing Bridge.
You need to call them before you get there so someone can come out and
open it. The person uses a long pole to
turn a gear in the center of the bridge to make the bridge rotate. It is fascinating to watch.
We also had one
lock to contend with today. The Moore
Haven lock is on the western edge of Lake Okeechobee and opens up into the
Caloosahatchee Canal. It was a windy day
and we first entered the lock for a port tie but the wind quickly changed our
decision to starboard side. Once again
we were the only boat in the lock and that helped us maneuver inside.
After the lock we
tied up at the Moore Haven town dock. It
is a convenient side tie with good power and water. The bathrooms and showers are nothing
special. At $1 per foot it is a bargain.
We met some folks
who are just finishing up the Great Loop.
They only have to go to New Smyrna to finish but they said they might go
to the Bahamas first. It sounded like a
great adventure, five thousand miles and eleven months on their boat so far.
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