T&T: Skinwalker crosses Okeechobee--barely

[Wayne & Lynn Flatt]

MVs Skinwalker, Freedom & Kismet III crossed Lake Okeechobee east bound
today.

It was trying.

Skinwalker has a 46 full keel protecting its props.  Freedom has a 4 6
shallower keel with the props positioned to catch the bottom first.

East bound between Clewiston and Red 14 is challenging.  It is shallow along
the inside edges of the channel.  A boat with a 46 draft must be dead center
in the channel to make it across with no touches, if that is possible.  Even
so we suspect there are some places exactly at our depth or shallower in some
of the softer areas. The key is staying in the channel.  But that is ever so
difficult.  In a 10 to 15 knot breeze out of the east or southeast it is
almost impossible to properly judge the correct line in the channel.  Even in
the channel we found a few places where we bumped along over hard sand or
gravel.

It may be possible if one goes slowly, keeping the stern from squatting the
boat centered in the channel, but still a challenge.
Freedom drifted slightly out of the channel, as we all did from time to time.
Freedom is now traveling on one engine due to severe vibration that started
after he hit bottom.  We believe his prop now looks like a tulip. We scrapped
some paint off the bottom ourselves, but with our full keel we slid up and
over or simply crushed through it.

I find I cannot advise anyone on crossing the lake.  We pride ourselves on
being vigilant and seldom straying from any channel.  We know how to line up
marks fore and aft, yet, all three of us were blown out of the channel at one
point or another.
 We cannot recommend going or not going through the lake, because it is almost
a promise that you will touch, if you have a 4 draft or more.  How hard one
touches is the only question.

I am sure there will be a few who try and have complete success, while most
will suffer some bumping or worst.

I say to all, good luck.  We made it, glad we arent going back that way just
now.

Our confidence has been tattered but a flagon of rum should mend the fabric
well enough.

Wayne & Lynn FlattMV SkinwalkerPendarvis Cove, Stuart, Florida27.12 N80.16 W