ACROSS FLORIDA AT 5 KNOTS

The mast of the O’Day 35 was just short enough to make the trip possible

I have delivered many sailboats between Miami and St. Petersburg, Florida since 2004, when I brokered a boat in Bradenton and the buyers asked me to help bring it to Miami. I know the shortest route through Florida Bay is about 300 miles and should take between 50 and 60 hours at a 6-knot average, depending on the weather. I had, however, never done a delivery across Florida on the Okeechobee Waterway and through Lake Okeechobee, mainly because the boats I delivered had masts that were too tall for the bridges you encounter.

Earlier this year, that changed when I was asked to deliver an O’Day 35 from St. Pete to Palm Beach. With an air draft of 47ft and a keel that drew 4ft 5in, it seemed a perfect boat for the trip. I also checked the distance. If I added the extra 70 miles from Miami to Palm Beach to the normal trip around the Keys through Florida Bay, the total distance would be about 375 miles, which meant the delivery