Hi Mark!

We stopped in Little Shark River last week and literally were eaten alive by noseeums! Several boats anchored just outside and probably had a little better luck with the critters.

We like Indian Key, just north of Little Shark - actually we anchor in Russell Bay which is more open - I wouldn't recommend going up Russell Creek or whatever it's called, if you stay out in the open, you should have fewer bugs. The only really really shallow spot was just after you make the turn at the green marker - can't remember the number offhand, but you'll know, it's a sharp left. It's not much further than Little Shark and if I remember your boat makes much better time than Winterlude at 4-5 knots.

If you have an extra day, you can easily take the dinghy into Everglades City - the Rod & Gun Club is an interesting place to have a drink just for history's sake -- be sure to look through all the photos on the walls inside. But take cash, not sure they take plastic. If your boat is shallow draft, you can get all the way up the channel & stay at the Rod & Gun Club dock - again, a piece of history.

We like going in to Everglades City just to walk around, have some seafood at one of the fishermen's places -- in your dinghy, keep going after you see the Rod & Gun Club (photo below) until you start to see Crab Boats & then you'll see City Seafood. We like to leave our dinghy - ask permission - and walk around. We have lunch at another spot just down the road and buy some shrimp from City Seafood to take back to the boat for shrimp cocktail either than night or the next. Everglades City is an interesting place if you enjoy old (and current) fishing towns.

We love the 10,000 Islands, spent 10 days or so in the Panther Key area earlier this year, but that's even further north and then you have to come out & around the Romano Shoal. If you want info on Panther Key, let me know. We liked it because there are multiple beaches, altho' not miles of soft sand, but picturesque and lots of shells. Lots of kayak/campers in the 10,000 Islands Nature Preserve too.

We cut through the Romano Shoal north of the light when we go to Indian Key/Russell Bay - your charts will clearly show a couple of different unmarked areas deep enough to cut across. Then we either sail to Marco or Naples, depending on the wind. We also made it from Little Shark to Marco/Factory Bay this year easily in a day - I'm guessing you could make it from Little Shark to Naples since it's only another 10 miles or less.

Depends on what you want to do. We've spent quite a bit of time in that area over the past two years, so feel free to e-mail me with questions!

Cheers! Jan