What was the first thing Noah did after the Ark's waters receded?

After the Ark’s waters receded, Noah removed the Ark’s covering.

Genesis 8:13 says that in Noah’s 601st year, on the first day of the first month, he removed the covering and saw that the ground was drying. This action occurs before Genesis records Noah leaving the ark or building an altar.

The chronology distinguishes several stages: Noah opened the window earlier, sent out the raven and dove, removed the covering when the surface appeared dry, and finally left after God instructed him to do so. The story therefore presents observation and waiting as part of the disembarkation process.

Noah’s vineyard comes later, in Genesis 9:20, while the altar is built immediately after he leaves the ark in Genesis 8:20. Those events are often remembered together but occur in a different order.