I have been thinking of trailering our 20 ft bowrider to Ft Meyers and going 1/2 way across to Lake Okeechobee , staying overnight (most likely at Roland Martins) and returning next day. Wife is scared of the "boat over night" but I figure it would be about 5 hr boat ride and hotel at the destination. I have heard the locks are cool and they can take some time depending. We live in Tampa Bay area and enjoy Captiva/Sanibel area but it has gotten stupid expensive in season and looking for new adventure. Is the ride cool and interesting or will we bored silly? Any advice or thoughts?

I've talked to lot of people that have made the trip up the Calloosahatchee to the locks and the say it's worth taking. In fact I want to make the trip all the way across the lake from Ft Pierce to Ft Meyers.

I've read a lot of articles and they give great info about trip. Call Southern Boating in Ft Lauderdale and see if they can send you articel from archives. Also might want to get some navigation software called First Mate from www.thecapn.com and take the trip for practice on your computer. It will show a lot of the detail you need to knoe before you take the trip.

i want to take that trip in my cig later in the year or this spring

Mike, I've gone back and forth across the entire waterway to Stuart, twice. It's the best boating adventue I've done. When you're at Roland Martins's (which is GREAT) two restaurants will come pick you up and bring you back. Go the the Clewiston Inn, the bar has a four walled Okochobee "landscape/mural" painted all the way around and it's bathed in tourquoise light. It's unreal.

Be sure to check that all the locks are operating. Once in a while one goes down for repairs. Also, the sides of the locks are SUPER slimey. Have a couple of poles ready to be able to keep yourself away from the sides.

You'll have a blast. Very few speed zones. Julie will love it. Russ

Here are Corps of Engineer websites about the OWW--good starting point.

http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/recrea...map/owwmap.pdf

http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/recreation/

I live on the river, about 5 miles from the Franklin locks and 3 miles east of I-75. Theres a launch ramp 2 blocks from my house and I can keep an eye on your trailer if ya want.

DanB, your avatar is then BEST..