Image of the Week: Road Warriors
Given that they live in the picturesque Southern California beach town of Ventura, Dan and Lisa Ellis are under no pressure to take their immaculate 2008 Cigarette 38’ Top Gun to a “nicer environment. “ For casual sunset cruises, they can play in the protected waters inside Channel Islands Harbor. When they want to play rough, they can run outside in the open—and sometimes ferocious—Pacific Ocean. On the right day, they can head out to Anacapa or Santa Cruz Island for an afternoon of whale watching or harbor-hop north to Santa Barbara for lunch.
Dan and Lisa Ellis of Ventura, Calif., took their Cigarette 38′ Top to the Miami Boat Show Poker Run. Photo by Jay Nichols/Naples Image.
The only thing they lack in Ventura is a vibrant go-fast boating scene. Knowing that won’t materialize in their hometown anytime soon, Dan and Lisa Ellis frequently take their 38-footer on the road and that can mean anywhere from Arizona’s Lake Havasu to Key West, Fla.. When it comes to pursuing their hobby, they are as mobile as they come.
Most recently—as in a little more than a week ago—they hit the Florida Powerboat Club’s Miami Boat Show Poker Run to Islamorada. While their Top Gun was far from the newest or fastest V-bottom in the 100-boat fleet, it still managed to stand out for photographer Jay Nichols, who captured the 38-footer from his standard perch on a bridge before the lunch stop at Gilbert’s Tiki Bar in Key Largo.
So don’t be surprised if you meet Dan and Lisa Ellis at poker run or rendezvous near you. They love boating in their hometown, but they also have no trouble taking their act on the road.
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