A Storm Approaching

Many abandoned and unused buildings from the past are seen along the canals

Departing Caorle, we continued west along Canale Commessera and Canale Revedoli. 

The remains of a boat along the canal

While underway, we received a text message from House Boat.it/LeBoat personnel warning of a pending storm with 35 knot winds and were told that we should hold-up somewhere safe and not make any transits the following day.  We chose the small town of Cortellazzo, where we could wait out the storm.  The impending storm was a good reminder to pad the itinerary with extra days for unexpected events. 

This bridge is open only during certain hours of the day

Before reaching our destination, we needed to pass through a bridge that was only open to boats during certain hours of the day (8am to Noon and 2:30pm to 6:30pm).  We arrived for the later bridge opening; a blast of the horn alerted the bridge attendant to open the bridge.  Next, came a lock at Revedoli, which like many others, remains open for boats to pass.  Locks along the canals are quite narrow, requiring careful maneuvering so as not to scrape the sides of the boat or damage the stern; the bow thruster helped greatly when maneuvering in tight spaces. 

A Snug Fit in our Moorage

Speaking of tight spaces, when we arrived at Marina Cortellazzo, we found one moorage space left which barely fit the width of our boat, with no room to spare. 

Tied-down and ready for the storm

As a team, we successfully backed the boat into the space and tied-off the stern and bow lines to the poles, front and aft; wedged in tight, the boat wouldn’t be going anywhere during the storm.  Cortellazzo is a small hamlet or village at the mouth of the Piave River with a quiet beach; however, when the storm arrived, large swells crashed onto the beach and standing waves were present at the river bar entrance from the Adriatic.  Cortellazzo is both a farming community and a fishing community. 

Huge Fish Nets at the mouth of the Piave River to the Adriatic

Huge nets are suspended over the river and lowered into the water during the fishing season; many of the restaurants serve fresh fish caught locally.  Our stay at Cortellazzo afforded the opportunity to use the bicycles (kept on board) to tour the area.   

Storm Waves crashing over the River Bar

We bicycled to the beach to view the storm waves, and also bicycled the countryside, stopping at a farm stand selling fruits and vegetables. 

Bicycles came in handy at many of our destinations for both touring and picking up groceries.

A Fruit and Vegetable Stand at a Local Farm

We also stopped by the local fish market which had a wide selection of special delicacies.

If you would like more information on Canal Boating in Europe, or to book a canal boat trip for 2019, contact Mark Bunzel, (mark.bunzel@gmail.com) for information and briefings on canal boat trips in France and Italy now being planned.