December 16th - Our arrival at Tarpon Springs

We broke off from the caravan at about 9:00 am to begin our course into Tarpon.  I was concerned as we had been told not to arrive before 10 am. The sun is still low enough in the sky before ten that it prevents boaters  from seeing the white crab pot markers. Fortunately we choose a course that brought us straight in rather than at an angle. This was definitely a good decision as the sun was still low but off to our starboard corner rather than straight on. OMG the crab pots!  Our fellow boaters definitely did not exaggerate and they were everywhere!!!  Regulations indicate that crab pots are not to be in a navigational channel, BUT, the lines of them came directly to the edge on either side and extended as far as the eye could see!  Until we were in the actual navigational channel on the inside of Anclote Key we really had to rely on our compass and course to keep us in a straight line and free from entanglement in the traps. We were relieved to finally come to markers for both sides of the channel headed for Anclote River and the Tarpon Springs Yacht Club Marina.  When we entered the river I slowed down.  This caused some serious problems as we about got run over!!  Boats were coming from behind passing us on both sides at full throttle. At one point two fishing boats came straight at us. I felt like I was playing chicken because I was not moving over out of the channel!!  The boat coming directly at me cut the other off and passed. You can imagine the wake!  Whatever happened to manners and a slow pass?  Definitely not the norm here.  About a mile in we passed a no wake sign and everyone finally slowed down.  Believe it or not a lady yelled at me from a restaurant to slow down!? That was wild. The Yacht Club is about 4 miles down river just before a low bridge.  It is very quiet.  All in all it took us about an hour and a half from the time we turned until we docked.