On Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:59:32 -0700 (PDT), Frogwatch
wrote:

Thanx, however, I am trailering her to the Keys. I do have the
cruising guide too.

OK, so it's just the Keys. There are probably people over on
"rec.boats.cruising" that know more about the Keys than I do but we
make the trip every year and have learned a few things along the way.
Some of the best small boat opportunities are up in the so called back
country north of the US 1 highway. There is good fishing up there,
mostly flat water and interesting scenery among the smaller islands.
One of the best spots I've found is Niles Channel east of Summerland
Key. A little further west is Kemp Channel east of Cudjoe Key.
Both of these channels take you all the way north to the Gulf and are
very protected and scenic. Navigation marks are few and far between
but the water is so clear that you can mostly eyeball it if you have
the chart, a depth sounder, good overhead sunlight and polarized sun
glasses. If you see white PVC pipes in the water they are usually
marking a shoal.

The best diving is south of Hawk Channel near Key Largo. This is
mostly big boat country on all but the calmest days. Your best bet
is to take one of the commercial dive boats out of John Pennekamp
Park.

http://www.pennekamppark.com/

There is a very cool waterfront restaurant called Snapper's near Key
Largo.

http://www.snapperskeylargo.com/

You can go there by boat and tie up at their dock if you choose but
the channel is shallow and difficult to find without local knowledge.
We took our dinghy in there by following some folks that we'd met
earlier in the day.