Greg, With only six weeks to get all the way to St. Thomas I would skip Okeechobee and go direct from Mobile to Key West, then onward to (or through) the Bahamas after refueling in Miami. The problem is likely to be the wind and if you don't put distance behind you early in the trip you run the risk of running out of time. The Christmas Winds are very real and could be a game changer late in the trip. Beyond that, whether you chose to pick your way south through the Bahamas via the Thorny Path or go offshore is going to be personal preference and depend largely on the weather forecast. Regards, Randy Pickelmann Morning Star www.CruisingMorningStar.com Sent from my iPad