Feb. 24, 2023 Welaka to Silver Glen Spring

Fri. Feb. 24, 2023 Welaka to Silver Glen Spring - 19 miles

Been over a week and so about time for a pumpout. Had planned to stop at Georgetown marina at the northern entrance to Lake George but called and got response "Nope. Broken". They recommended Welaka Lodge. Fine - except I could find no mention of a Welaka Lodge in our cruising guides or charts. Internet was my friend, and we found their website. Small lodge with a small dock but yes, they had a working pumpout. So up anchor, and sure enough, just past the town wharf was Welaka Lodge's dock. Very nice folks. Will probably stop there again on our way back north.

That done we headed out. Down a bit of meandering river and then out onto Lake George. Very hot humid and hazy day with just a slight breeze to keep things comfortable on the flybridge. Lake George is big open shallow water. A sustained wind will whip seas into an uncomfortable chop. Pretty placid today which worked to our advantage since we would be anchored overnight a good half mile offshore of the spring entrance to stay in a suitable water depth. Anchor down. Dingy down. Off we went.

Passing fellow Loopers on their Endeavour Cat

Ft. Gates ferry crosses nearby - in operation since 1853

Beyond the opening is wide open Lake Goerge

Silver Glen Spring was our destination. One of the bigger springs in Florida. A class one spring pumping 65 million gallons a day of constant 73-degree water out a 200' diameter springhead. The crystal clear water flows down a 3300' sandy spring run that provides anchoring space for everything from houseboats to paddleboards as long as you can get over the 3' depth entrance. Good crowd in here today we thought. We stop amongst several boats, drop the dingy anchor and jump into the thigh high water to chat with some locals. They said if you want to see a sight - come back Sat afternoon. The place will be wall to wall boats and people with stereo music fights going late into the night. We decide we're more into wildlife than the wild life so make other plans for tomorrow.