Day 2 – Manatee River to Venice. Beautiful sunny day with the wind pushing us south. Beth sat on the rear deck all afternoon just enjoying the view out to sea (think big sunburn!). It was a bit wavy coming into Venice, but once past the entry rocks the water calmed right down. We had been to Venice last year so had no problems making our way to ‘our’ spot – head down the channel, into the ICW, into another channel, make sharp right, head up into the wind…and SQOOSH, right into the mud. Oh no, we were aground!
After a great deal of engine reversing and moving people from one side of the boat to the other, Mike (what a hero!) walked the anchor so we could try winching the boat off by pulling against the anchor. We watched march out anchor on his shoulder and with every step sink lower and lower, moving slower and slower, as the anchor (and chain) got heavier and heavier. That shifted the boat around a bit, but we were still stuck – time to call Towboat US.
A tiny little red tugboat arrived (it looked like it should be in someone’s bathtub) and pulled us off the shoal in about 3 minutes! After finding out that the inn was full (there were no slips at the Crow’s Nest Marina), the nice man from Towboat US took us back to ‘our’ spot and helped us anchor in a less muddy location. Don’t know if it’s true or not, but he did make us feel better by saying the anchorage was shallower than he had seen it in years.
After a great deal of engine reversing and moving people from one side of the boat to the other, Mike (what a hero!) walked the anchor so we could try winching the boat off by pulling against the anchor. We watched march out anchor on his shoulder and with every step sink lower and lower, moving slower and slower, as the anchor (and chain) got heavier and heavier. That shifted the boat around a bit, but we were still stuck – time to call Towboat US.
A tiny little red tugboat arrived (it looked like it should be in someone’s bathtub) and pulled us off the shoal in about 3 minutes! After finding out that the inn was full (there were no slips at the Crow’s Nest Marina), the nice man from Towboat US took us back to ‘our’ spot and helped us anchor in a less muddy location. Don’t know if it’s true or not, but he did make us feel better by saying the anchorage was shallower than he had seen it in years.
A deck dinner with wine and grilled Mahi-Mahi was well deserved and enjoyed by all!
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