Sailors can evacuate six from Venice in self-denial (10)
I believe the answer is:
abstinence
'venice in self-denial' is the definition.
'abstinence' can be an answer for 'self-denial' (abstinence is a kind of self-denial). I'm not certain of the 'venice in' bit.
'sailors can evacuate six' is the wordplay.
'sailors' becomes 'abs' (AB is short for able seaman).
'can' becomes 'tin' (both are metal containers).
'evacuate six' becomes 'ence' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'abs'+'tin'+'ence'='ABSTINENCE'
'from' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for abstinence that I've seen before include "Self-denial" , "Practice of refraining from indulging an appetite" , "Going without" , "Teetotalism" , "Temperance" .)