We used to take our 19ft aluminum hull, 90 hp FORCE out to the edge all the time. Just gotta pick your days and know whats going on around you. Some people are overly cautious and will tell you, you need 2 motors, epirbs, SPOT, food for 6 months water for a year and yadda yadda just to leave the pass, truth is trust your gut, if your not comfortable leaving the pass in anything less than a yacht then don't but there are thousands of us that don't mind. If I die tomorrow on my boat all of my family knows i will have died doing what i live and went out how i wanted to, so it don't bother me to push the limit a little.