 In 1751 he entered service in the Venetian navy as a "nobile di nave" (gentleman cadet), going on his first sea voyage in the same year.Already in 1755 he was captain of a warship, distinguishing himself in convoy escort duties against the attacks of pirates.In 1758 he was charged to lead an expedition to the Atlantic Ocean in order to escort home Venetian merchant vessels and conclude a new trade agreement with Portugal.