Dec 13 Longboat Key to Venice

Dec 13


Longboat Key Club was an enjoyable stop for us.  Mostly because we got to reconnect with our buddy boat friends Russ and Jax from Cat and Dogs. They started their great loop adventure from here last Feb.  and celebrated the achievement of “crossing their wake” and changing from the “in process” white AGLCA burgee to raising the “completed” gold AGLCA burgee. Raising the gold is a special occasion for loopers and we were honored to be there.

Russ and Jax and "The Dogs" raise the Gold flag!!

We first crossed paths with them on our first looper day out of Charleston.  We were sitting on a sandbar waiting for the tide to turn (read about it on the April 16 blog) and they were kind enough to at least radio us and make sure we were OK.   We ran into them at marinas and anchorages throughout the Carolinas and became quick friends and wound up traveling together for most of the next 6-7 months.  So many good memories together.  They have enjoyed the cruising lifestyle so much they are going to continue in the spring.  In the meantime, they purchased a newer Endeaver power catamaran with a different layout and a pilothouse.  Very sweet!!  We helped them get a start at moving some of their belongings onto the new boat. Our plans are to get together again for Christmas in Naples.  Hopefully it will be the maiden voyage with their new boat.

Some very nice big boats in the marina at Longboat key.

Today it was time for us to continue  on our loop.  So with Russ and Jax there to release our lines  we headed out for our next destination – Venice,FL.    Our travel days have been short since departing Tarpon Springs.   Typically only a few hours and around 25 miles.  We’re in no hurry  which was good since we had to pass through a fair number of "Slow Speed" and "Minimal Wake"  manatee zones.  Also had to get 2 of the 4 bridges we passed to open up for  us but at least they were "Open on Demand" and required no long waiting.

Going through the  last swing bridge left  in Sarasota county

This bascule bridge was just a few feet too low for us to get under.

Most of the day was cruising behind the barrier islands so plenty of mangrove islands and big expensive houses. We're trying to  explore the Gulf coast towns since we don't know much about this area. We can leave at 9AM and be docking around noon.   That gives us time to go exploring for a few hours before it gets dark.  

The house on the point of land on the right caught our attention.

It's surrounded by water on 3 sides.  Martha was checking prices on  Realtor.com  and thought she saw it was  for sale at just $2.6 million.   That wound up being the price for the LOT next to it. 

 After settling in at Fisherman’s Wharf Marina and a quick lunch at the on site Dockside Grill we walked over the bridge to downtown.   Very cute town.  Somewhat upscale, somewhat touristy.  Some good restaurants we’ll need to try.  Surprisingly, no local brewery nearby.  Interesting town history. Back in 1925 during the  Florida land boom the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE) bought 30,000 acres of land and actively  laid out a new town as a retirement community for it’s members.   Between the land boom going bust and the great depression the town fell on hard times.   It got a boost in 1932 when the Kentucky Military Institute began using the town as a winter school for it’s cadets.  Then during WWII an air base was built outside town training combat  fighter pilots. In 1960 the Ringling Bros. Circus  chose Venice as their winter headquarters.  Each of these seemed to come at just the right time to keep the town alive and moving forward.  Today it’s a snowbird favorite location with a completely revitalized mainstreet in a semi Italian Renassance style and it’s listed as a Top 10 Happiest Seaside Towns by Coastal Magazine.

Palm lined median decorated for Christmas in Venice.

They also have direct access to the gulf coast  with a well protected inlet and without any barrier islands.  It's known as the “Shark Tooth Capital of the World” for the fossilized sharks teeth you can find on the beaches..

The tooth on the far left fills up the palm of your hand!!

We’re hanging around here a few days.  We’ll explore the town a bit more and  use it as a base  for traveling up to Sarasota to check out that area.  

Journey for Dec 13