The End of Our Canal Cruise In Italy
Scheduled to return Magnifique 7 on June 27, we departed Venice, stopping at Burano to take on fuel. Our boat held 300 liters or approximately 80 gallons of fuel. The 40-horsepower diesel engine ran efficiently, but the fuel gauge never moved off of full; perhaps the gauge didn’t function properly. To be on the safe side, we took on some fuel at 1.70 EURO dollars per liter (7 U.S. dollars per gallon).
Confident we had plenty of fuel, we headed north up the Canale Silone, passing through the Portegrandi lock, which is closed between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. This time we turned left into the Fiume Sile and reached the busy town of Casale Sul Sile where we spent the night tied along the town’s bulkhead.
Founded in 1100 the town was inhabited by the boatmen who transported goods and people to the nearby Venice lagoon. The 14th Century Torre (tower) Carrarese is all that remains of a once medieval military fortification that once stood here. We found the adjacent 18th Century parish churchyard active with energetic children at summer camp, playing soccer and other games. Located along a major highway route, the community was busy with a stream of cars passing through town. We left early the following morning to motor the last hour up the Sile River and return the boat at the Le Boat Base of Lughignano Cendon. This stretch of the Fiume Sile has several beautiful villas along its banks, with large yards and gardens. In earlier times, the Venetians had grand summer homes along the river. The villas or homes we saw were still occupied and well cared for; one large home, however, seemed abandoned and appeared to be the grandest of them all in its day.
What should have been an hour to our home base took longer than expected due to running against the river current; certain spots and bends in the river were quite narrow, requiring constant attention. The Le Boat marina, located inside a protected basin, is accessed through a sliding bridge; we were to call when we reached the bridge to have it opened.
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