And We're Off!

Leaving The Harborage Marina

After months of talking and planning, we said   "see you later" to St. Petersburg this morning.  Our status as "Loopers" officially began when we entered the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) just past mile marker 105 in Tampa Bay.

Entering the ICW

What would a boating adventure be without a bit of drama?  Our drama this morning was that the engine wouldn't start.  April Fool's Day was supposed to be yesterday!  Troubleshooting narrowed the problem down to the starter solenoid, but rather than delay our departure, Lon "jumped" the engine so that we could get underway.  We would deal with the issue when we got to our first planned overnight stop in Venice.

It was a beautiful day for cruising.  Brilliant sunshine, clear blue skies, turquoise waters, and temps in the low 80's.  Lon was able to work on job audits while Pat drove.

Working on SSI Audits

 During our cruise today we passed two structures which gave very different meanings to the phrase "house on the water."

After 6 hours and 56 miles, we pulled into the Marine Max marina in Venice, FL to spend the evening.  Our friendly dock neighbor Ron helped us to "land" and we enjoyed his company for Happy Hour and conversation.

The very BEST news of the day came after dinner.  With visions of $$$$ signs dancing in our heads should we need substantial repair on the starter, Lon was able to isolate and fix the problem after a mere 15 minutes in the engine room.  We only hope that all future mechanical problems are so easily fixed.