Florida

Fisherman’s Village Marina, Punta Gorda, FL.

If you’re on the west coast of Florida, this marina, just inside Charlotte Harbor, is a great place to stay.  Great amenities, friendly staff, bicycles to use for touring around town, pool, great shopping, wonderful restaurants, and lots of organized activities.  We spent a month here and enjoyed it immensely.

Lake Okeechobee, Florida

If you have the right draft, and mast height, you can cross thru Florida on Lake Okeechobee.  We draw just shy of five feet and our mast rises 50 feet above water level and we were able to make the crossing.  The waters are regulated by the US Army Corps of Engineers and you should check with them before making a crossing to ensure you can make it safely.  We were unable to tie to the docks at the marina in Cleweston (the half way point) due to water levels being too shallow.  We ended up tying to a barge at the mouth entrance to the lake, but were visited by the officials in the early morning hours telling us we had to leave.  The train bridge just east of the Port Myaca lock raises to 50 feet, give or take, based on the water level, so for us, the fit was pretty close.  We would recommend only doing this crossing during daylight hours, as the channel is quite narrow and the depths outside can be as shallow as 2 feet.

Indiantown, Marina, FL.

This is a great working marina, just east of Lake Okeechobee on the St. Lucie river.  We stored our boat here on the hard for hurricane season and then used their work yard to do a minor refurbishment and finish of a lot of unfinished jobs.  If you are here over the US Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, the marina staff organizes wonderful dinners, with entertainment.  Many thanks to owners Scott and family, Anne and Debbie in the marina office, Jessie, Alex, Eric, and Moose, always ready to lend a helping hand.