Lake Okeechobee: Any good for sailing?

[offline]

Need some advice.

We're looking for a spot to put our sailboat (new to us) and am considering Lake Okeechobee as one alternative as it is close to home (we're in Palm Beach county).

What's the sailing like on the lake? Would it be good to cut our teeth on the new boat in the lake for a while?

Also considering a couple places on the intracoastal in PB county..

[boatsmith]

I would not consider the lake a good place to keep my boat. In Palm Beach you have Lake Worth to cruise around in and the inlet is a very calm one compared to many others because of the depth. The lake is muddy and shallow and boring.

[s/v 'Faith']

I normally think of the lake as a place to get across to get to the other side.

I suspect many who will answer will see it the same way... especially since it is often a concern in trip planning for it's depth. If it were in some inland state, it might be considered a great sailing destination... but it is not. It is in Florida, some of the most popular cruising grounds in the world.

That said... there is no reason it could not be a great place to do what you propose...

You might look at Indian Town.... good base of operations and close to the lock to get out on the lake...