Day's log for Thursday, August 16th, 2001 - Clewiston, FL

Bob came down to the dock. He had found someone in a runabout with a great big outboard that would do the job. They took off. I paid for my dockage and

1010 - left dock

1020 - passed SM 65

1100 - passed SM 70

Is this where the US Army Corps of Engineers store their paperwork?

1106 - saw alligators - or rather their eyes. When I approached the eyes would pop below the surface leaving some ripples.

1123 - passed tug and barge "Leitner". Later I heard on the VHF that they requested lockage. Even this US ACE tug had to wait because of the water restrictions.

1127 - heard "clank" from below - probably a stick hitting the prop

What's with all of these dead trees?

1150 - passed SM 75

1220 - arrived Moore Haven Lock and Dam.

1230 - I asked the lockmaster where a good anchorage spot was and he said anywhere. So I anchored by the restricted area above the spillway and had lunch.

1240 - a powerboat "Suite Deern" arrived and anchored across the channel

1345 - started motor and raised anchor.

1405 - turned boat in circles to keep load on the diesel. It is not good for the diesel to run under no load and low temp for long periods. The boat turned in a neat circle of about thirty feet radius.

1426 - completed lockage for 6" drop

1445 - passed SM 80

A great big roach skittered on the rubrail. I helped it to walk the plank.

1535 - passed SM 85

1550 - noted engine temp up slightly

1620 - passed SM 90

1650 - approaching Ortona Lock

1715 - finished locking through with "Suite Deern" again. I got there just in time for the 1700 lockage. They must have waited a while.

1726 - passed SM 95

1748 - constructed a table relating engine RPM to knots through water.

1800 RPM - 5.91 kts

1700 RPM - 5.68 kts

1600 RPM - 5.34 kts

1100 RPM - 4.08 kts

700 RPM - 2.40 kts

1757 - resumed 1700 RPM

1806 - passed SM 100

Just cruisin' till the cows come home - or so it seemed like here. I went through a lot of farm country.

1837 - approaching bridge

1845 - passed through LaBelle Bridge. The bridge tender had me talk to her on VHF channel 16 - didn't want 9 for some reasonn.

1920 - passed SM 105

1930 - passed Ft. Denaud Bridge

1956 - passed SM 110

2050 - dropped anchor. Here I dropped two anchors. I wanted to be parallel to the shoreline and as close as possible to reduce the possibility of a drunk person in a speed boat ramming me at 0200 the next morning. It being a steel boat this is something the person would definitely remember or it would be their last experience on Earth. It would put a huge dent in my boat requiring expensive repairs too. I heard a story of a couple in a Venture 24 sailboat getting killed this way.

There were a lot of mosquitoes so I put the screens up and burned a citronella candle for a bit before turning in.