Venice Florida
Ambler Isle
V and S
Mon 6 Jun 2011 15:19
|
27.06N
82.28W
June 3, 2011
We enjoyed wonderfully calm seas again today.
Sticking less than a mile from shore we could see the skylines of the cities we
passed. A few stray, left over lobster pots were the only hazard.
Lobster season is closed from April 1-July 31. The law requires removal of
all the lobster traps, but a few are always forgotten. We are sad to think
of creatures trapped there. Also sad that we have to watch for these
hazards: if we wrap a line around our prop, we have to dive down to free
it. The winds were less than 10k. Nearing Venice we were
surprised to see "diver down" flags. Attached to small inner tubes or
floats, divers could explore the seafloor. But such tiny warning flags
were hard to see. What could they be diving for here, in 15-20' of water
offshore? Small boats go much faster than we do, and could easy run over
someone before they saw them.
Entering the Venice Inlet, the tide was coming out, and
the winds blowing from the NW. This created a mini rage. The jetty
walls along the inlet were dotted with fishermen and others enjoying the
water. Some stopped to look at the boat. Through the inlet, past the
Crow's Nest Marina, we found the marked channel leading to the City of Venice
free dock. A regular stop for us, it has no electricity nor water.
Just a place to tie up. This lets us go ashore for a walk and to have
dinner out. The town is about a mile away. A brand new sign
bolted to the dock wall said no overnight dockage. We'd always stayed here
on prior trips. We decided to stay anyway, we had few other
options. Maybe they would give us a ticket. Maybe they'd ask us to
leave. We'd make a note on the chart for future trips. We would not
return to Venice. A small sailboat occupied the front of the dock
wall. 10-12 teenagers sat on the boat, enjoying the sunshine. They
waved and complimented the boat. Once tied up we walked over to say hi to
them. They were very outgoing and fun to talk with. The young fellow
who owned the boat had just bought it and planned to learn to sail as he
went. Next we called George and Inga Svinte who live in
Venice. George is a long time family friend of Valt's. He and
his father came from Latvia after World War II, and the parents were great
friends when they all lived in Michigan. Although very short notice, they
were delighted to hear from us and agreed to drive over and see
us. Aboard Amber Isle we enjoyed drinks and fun
conversation. They'd moved to Venice 8 years ago, and we try to see them
when we pass through. George was getting ready to celebrate his 79th
birthday. He'd had a few health problems the past few years, and we were
anxious to see him. They both looked great. They were traveling,
going on cruises, flying to Europe. Their life was full and happy.
George insisted we go to their house, he'd just built a tiki bar in his lanai
and wanted us to see it. We went to their beautiful home. The
grounds were immaculate. Palm trees, floor beds, and decorative
lighting were breathtaking. Inside we sat out at the tiki bar and Inga
served us tasty snacks. Their solar panel heated pool was warm as a
bath. Inga remarked that George was a little down in the dumps
today: he was reminiscing about old friends and how rarely he sees them
anymore. Then we called and seemed an answer to his prayers. The
town of Venice is very nice. Back at the boat we were tired, but happy for
the fun, rewarding visit.
|