[prelude]

You sound like a man with a dream. I live on the east coat of Florida and have sailed to the keys several times. The things that I have found most important for sailing here are draft (less than 5 feet), lots of ventilation, screens, and ziplok bags (humidity is a killes in the summer. I agree with the previous comment about having a boat that sails well. One knot may not os so may niot seem like much but it can make the difference of arriving in daylight or after dark. In the Keys daylight can be your best friend, considering the nature of the areas inside the reef. If i can help E mail me.