On 2 Feb 2007 10:02:46 -0800, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:

From St. Pete, we'd expected to go to Marathon, and cross there.
Various people have suggested crossing at Rodriguez Key, being a
lovely sheltered place to hang out for the window. It's also been
characterized as the thinnest place (least time in the stream) to
cross in that area. However, that's substantially north of Marathon,
a distance we'd have to make up on the other side.

Skip,

You have to go north from Marathon anyway since there is no safe
passage to Georgetown south of Andros Island. We did the reverse trip
last April crossing from Chub Cay to Hawk Channel via Northwest
Channel, Russell Tower and the passage just south of Castle Rock.
There is plenty of water across the banks there as long as you don't
stray too far from the rhumb line routes.

You can clear customs at Chub Cay although you may have to dinghy in
if the marina work has not been completed. You can call from the
states and find out. 242-325-1490

http://www.chubcay.com/

Once you clear in at Chub, you are officially out of Florida and the
US.