Yes, if you know what you are doing as Mike K, you certainly can take shortcuts. After we sold our charter boat we bought a glacier bay 27 ft power cat to island hop while staying on Virgin Gorda.

I would always use Walkers approach and didn't worry about it. After developing a serious neuropathy following some radiation that lasted 2 years during which just getting up from a chair was a difficult procedure, taking out by ourselves was not an option. We have a good friend on island who was with Dive BVI for years, now captain for Little Dix and dove lobster for years. Any way we would grab Rudy on his day off and go somewhere, the two of us and Rudy. He had spent many days lobstering around anegada. So the first time he went with us to Anegada we went in as usual. Coming back he just turned left and we took off through the maze of coral heads at enough speed they looked like a picket fence. . The boat had about an 18 inch or so draft but I did wonder if we might oughta trim up those engines a bit more. I will admit to some concern but it was no problem..out in the middle somewhere he waved at someone coming fast in the other direction. He said it was one of the Soares.

Anyway like many other things "don't try this at home." Unless you are sure you know what you are doing and preferably with one's own boat.