There seems to be a lot of misconceptions about the two routes across Lake Okeechobee.
We have done the rim route three times, and the lake route about twice that often. We never hit anything in either route. I have heard a lot of stories about old cars, fridges, and other junk in the rim canal, but we haven't seen any of it. This is not like the dismal swamp canal. There are no big trees close to the canal. The rim route canal is the same dimensions as the canal from Clewiston to Moorehaven.
If you follow my advise (see post #7), the rim route is slightly deeper than the lake route. The shallow spot on the rim route is just south of Port Mayaca and can be avoided. The shallow spot on the lake route is a dome of rock in the dredged channel about 4 1/2 miles north of Clewiston, and there is no way around it.
On the rim route, there is a marina at Pahokee (two stars ActiveCaptain rating), and a good anchorage at mile 63. On the lake route there is no place to stop between Port Mayaca and Clewiston.
Because it hugs the eastern shore, the rim route is sheltered in strong east winds. With strong west winds, the north half of the rim route is just as rough as the lake route.
The rim route is 11 miles longer. And then there is the Torry Island bridge, the one that is temporarily closed. It is manually operated. The bridge tender doesn't come out of his house until he sees a boat waiting. Then he sticks a long crank in a hole in the floor and walks in circles to open the bridge. Reminds me of a donkey powering a sugar cane press in some third world country. The process is very slow.
If you are in a hurry, the lake route is the choice. If you like to go slow and "smell the roses", or if there is a strong east wind, then the rim route is preferred.
