Wayne,
I'm planning a trip to a marina in Marathon (Boot Key Harbor) in May. I
haven't been to the Keys by boat, so I've been studying charts.

The shortest route seems to be a more direct route running well to the west
of Cape Romano Shoal. The only concern that I have is running aground on
one of the shoals when I get down close to daybeacon #17 (Bullard Bank). I
think I have it figured out, but I'm not sure. There seems to be a lot of
shallow water to the west of Bullard Bank.

The other route (and the one recommended by my neighbor) is to duck in the
Marco River and come out around Coon Key...and then follow the coastline and
daybeacons until Cape Sabal...before cutting across to daybeacon #17
(Bullard Bank). After that, I have a "Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys"
that explains the pitfalls to watch out for.

Which route do you recommend?

The total distance for each route differs by only 9 miles according to my
chart-plotting software. But the inside route means a good 30 or so minutes
of slow speed running.

If the weather is calm, I'll be travelling 30 knots the whole way.