OLOH TV – How To Lock Through On The Okeechobee Waterway

In several of our videos you’ll see OLOH transiting the Okeechobee Waterway in Florida.  It’s the only way to travel between Florida’s east and west coasts by water without heading south through the Keys (which adds around 250 miles to the trip).  One of the more frequent requests we get is for information on the procedure of “locking through” the five locks boaters will experience on this journey.  While we included a primer in an earlier video as we traveled along the waterway to Fort Myers,  we’ve now broken out that section of the video so it stands alone as a tutorial.  If you’re planning to do the locks or just want to see what it’s like, watch and enjoy!

You’ll find comprehensive info on the Okeechobee Waterway including the latest navigational notes and depths as well as the US Army Corps Of Engineers’ “Safety In Locking Through” guide by clicking here.  While their guide mentions to “always carry at least two mooring lines onboard, each a minimum of 75-feet long,” lines are provided at the locks on the Okeechobee Waterway as indicated in our video.

Navigational Note: The St. Lucie Lock in Stuart will be closed for maintenance from January 2, 2022 to March 31, 2022. This will be the first total closure in 10 years. Maintenance is necessary to repair aging and damaged infrastructure in addition to improving public and vessel safety.  While the Okeechobee Waterway will remain open, this closure will preclude the possibility of fully transiting the waterway between coasts.

Please note that this video and the information herein is for informational purposes only and all vessel operators are responsible for the safe operation and navigation of their vessel.

⚓️ ⚓️ ⚓️

Be sure to subscribe to our blog on the top right of this page you’ll be notified whenever new content is posted.  You’ll also find us on Facebook and Instagram with close-to-realtime updates.  And be sure to subscribe to the Adventures Of OLOH YouTube Channel so you can always come along for the ride!