Channel Key was said to be full of birds! And it lived up to it's reputation. Around sunset they began to fly in by the hundreds. extremely loud all night
7.08 Miles 2.25 hrs.

We dropped the ball and headed south. We had been dodging crab traps constantly. It is tiring to be vigilant to avoid them. So just as we are navigating a narrow channel, I notice something being dragged. And , yes it is a crab trap!!! So to maintain position we quickly drop the anchor, as wind and current are pushing us into shallow water. So as Diane called it, "Captain McGiver" jumps over board, knife in hand and remove the culprit. Free At Last!!
We continue on with nice 20knt winds to Channel Key
17 miles 4.5 hrs.

We leave Cat Paws with sad good byes and they head west for Tampa Bay area and we continue south. We make it to Shell Key state park, which have free mooring balls so we pick one up, do a little snorkeling and have a pleasant evening
7.16 miles 3.5 hrs