South from St Augustine.

[Dulcesuenos]

I may be bringing a sailboat from St Augustine to Tampa. Is it doable to go outside and sail overnights heading south? I see lots of whale areas??. And is the current a big issue. having mainly sailed the gulf any advice would be good. I have about 8 days to it. mast height is not an issue for the okechobee waterway under 49 ,3ft draft, but I hear the locks are often broken. how can one check ahead ? Not opposed to going thru Marathon. But still want to know about outside to Hawks channel.
Thanks!

[osirissail]

No problemo, as they say in the new South. As far as current goes, I normally stay within a mile of the beachline to try to catch the southbound counter-current. However, examine your charts carefully as there are some shoals that extend out from the beach that may require you to go further offshore.

Hawk Channel is "piece of cake" and is protected by the reefs to seaward. Again watch your charts as getting off the "purple line" can get you into areas where channels cut from shore have underwater berms that can be quite shallow.

You are looking at about 600 nm total (including some zig-zagging) and maybe 5 days of round the clock. That would make it a very grueling experience and basically no fun. Having only 2 or 3 days for weather slippage or mechanical problems is a might sparse. I would suggest 10 days to 2 weeks is more realistic.

[Dulcesuenos]

Any better cutting thru okechobee or are the locks truly a constant issue?

[jmackay]

I agree with Osirissail, you need to get in tight and "feel" the counter current. It usually isn't a bad trip south but this spring I had a friend who is very experienced spend 72 hours between St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral. Bad head winds and rough sea state. Tight timeframes can make for uncomfortable passages.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Any better cutting thru okechobee or are the locks truly a constant issue?

You can check this web site for navigation updates from the CoE.


U.S. Army Corps of Engineers®*— Jacksonville District

[xsboats]

For the most part, I've found the southbound current along the east coast of Florida to be at it's max around the 10 fathom curve. This is also outside of the influence of the ebb and flood of the tides through the inlets.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Any better cutting thru okechobee or are the locks truly a constant issue?

So long as you'll fit under the Lift Bridge just east of Port Myaca (49'--which you should) you'll save a whole lotta time/distance by taking the St. Lucie Canal/Lake/Caloosahatchee River route. The locks really aren't much of a problem as long as you've got a crew to help and some fat fenders and a good fender board. It is a long trip, however, and can get pretty boring after awhile although lift/swing bridges and swift currents at a few spots can add some excitement. We went from Stuart to the Indian Town Marina in one day. From Indian Town to Moore Haven the second; and, from Moore Haven to Ft. Myers on the third. The River from Ft. Myers to the east side of the "Miserable Mile" can be something of a challange as the shoals migrate around and one must remember that the marks follow inland rules until one reaches Pine Island Sound.

From St. Augustine to St. Lucie Inlet is about 180 miles but you could stop mid-way at Cape Canaveral easily enough. The St. Lucie inlet can be a bit of a pip but if you take it at low-water slack with an on-shore wind it is doable (here I prefer low water as there is no doubt where the shallows are). The marks at St. Lucie are not charted as the channel moves around too much and the marks are adjusted accordingly. Good binoculars and a watch-mate are very helpful.

FWIW...

[Amapola]

Lake Okeechobee is virtually shut down for a few months to repair the Moore Haven Lock. You can get the lock phone numbers from this site. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers®*— Jacksonville District