Scenic cruise...

Well, sorta.  I was looking to exercise the motor, so while Joan went to the store, I took the dinghy out for a scenic cruise... and the opportunity to put a GPS on it to get an idea of how fast it actually goes.

Turns out, the speed would best be considered: leisurely.  ;-)  About 2 knots at just above idle, all the way up to 4 1/2 knots as you twist the throttle.  Beyond that, it makes more noise and squats a bit, but the speed doesn't change much... maybe I had the current against me?

Heading out the canal...

A bit breezy again - the dinghy handles MUCH better with two of us onboard... balancing the weight from side to side.  By myself, the term that best describes it: snake wake.

I came out of our canal and into the ICW.  Just in time to come face to face with a Coast Guard boat.  I looked at the faces onboard as they looked back at me... apparently looking for registration numbers.  I had a life jacket, a throwable, a sound device, and the proper paperwork onboard.  Oh, and the dinghy handles wake just fine.  They were on their way to the fuel dock, and apparently decided I wasn't worth the time delay.

I turned towards the old shrimp basin - so named because it is where the shrimp boats used to tie off when that industry was in its prime.  Not many boats there anymore.  This one looks like it could use some attention...

Some other boats that seem to be perpetually being worked on...

The marina on the other side of the channel...

And some shrimpers that are in better condition...

It was just nice to be out and about on the water.  Since we knew we wouldn't be here much this season, we left Wild Blue in the Pacific Northwest.  I thought I wouldn't miss having her here... I was wrong.

I made my way down the ICW aways, then turned back into our canals.  You can tell from the photos, it was a beautiful day.  Shorts and a t-shirt kinda day.  Back at our dock, this beats bottom paint...

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For inquiring minds: the motor started on the second pull and ran smooth... well, as smooth as you'd expect from a small, single cylinder motor.  ;-)

I stopped a couple times along the way - it started on the first pull.  Makes my heart soar like an eagle... not to be confused with my shoulder, which is so sore it should be illegal.