Holiday Voyage, day 1

Today we started the journey to Key West. We had a few things still to do in Palmetto, like storing the scooters for the month or so we'll be gone. By 1 pm, we were underway.

Weather cooperated. Fair winds, calm waters. In the ICW waters aren't much of an issue, but we were traversing the section of Tampa Bay where, last time, the dinghy swayed to badly we had to turn back. This time, smooth sailing.

A friend used Google Maps to plot a walk from Palmetto to downtown Sarasota, pointing out that it would take 4 hours. Apparently, one doesn't boat for speed.

We've become a bit more familiar with the dinghy and our davit system. Looking back we're convinced it wasn't set up right at all when we got Cat-n-Dogs. Now when we travel that little boat doesn't so much as shutter let alone sway. It's been outfitted with a new outboard motor -- propane. That was another small feat, to get the old motor off the boat and put the new one on. The new one is missing a remote which apparently is needed to pilot from the little helm on the boat. Otherwise we'll use the tiller, which is the current plan. 

Big boats all around. Well, except for that pontoon.

We docked in Jack Marina, Sarasota around 4 pm. We had to back into the slip which, thankfully, I'd done a number of times in Palmetto so it felt like serendipity. This marina is very upscale, quite like Old Port Cove in West Palm Beach. We're surrounded by shiny, polished, huge mega-yachts. We feel like we're bringing down the neighborhood.

Haddock, asparagus, rice, and wine. Yum!

From there we took the dogs and walked the downtown of Sarasota to a Whole Foods, where I bought a few groceries including some haddock. We purposely left with "things to do" so we could get a feel for chores and tasks while underway. On the Great Loop, we'll be transient for the better part of a year.