This morning we started out early with a return trip to the Three Sisters to try to see manatees 
again. This time we could see them clearly in the sparkling water. They were huge. We didn’t even get out of the dinghy because I had to be back on the boat by 9 am for work.
When we left Pete’s Pier, we headed down Crystal River towards the Gulf , unfortunately, at low tide. Cruising in the channel, we managed to
hit something which really made the boat shake. Since we had the new snorkel gear, Tom decided to check it out. Remember my commenting on the crab pots? Well some had left one unmarked in the channel and the tide was so low that we hit it with our starboard propeller. Luckily, we were not far from Twin Rivers marina. Twin Rivers marina is at the junction of the Crystal River and the Salt River and they have the only boat lift within 50 miles. We proceeded there slowly using only the port engine. We bought diesel fuel ($2.40/gallon) and ate lunch at their fuel dock. We had to have the boat taken out of the water and the crab pot cut off with heavy wire cutters. We were also lucky that it did not damage the propellers!
Our cruise down to Tarpon Springs was beautiful 
and the Gulf was SO CALM! The whole world looked blue as the water blended into the sky. The water surface was glossy as we traveled 
south about 5 miles off shore. We saw a porpoise jump out of the water, and saw some low white crab boats working their traps in about 15 feet deep water.
As we pulled into Tarpon Springs we saw a serious, busy, working waterfront with fishing boats 
docked double at the piers, and crab boats unloading their catch into a processing operation.
Tonight we are docked at the Tarpon Springs City Marina and we will sleep well tonight!
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