Friday, January 19, 2007
THURSDAY 18 JAN 07-- A FRESHENING BREEZE-- NICE SUNSET
Tuesday evening we finally had some rain in the evening and overnight, followed by a sunny and warmer day on Wednesday and a nice sunny day on Thursday. Bob from Kentfield came for the second time and Joy from San Rafael joined us for the first time. When they arrived there was very little wind, but some of the flags were beginning to flutter lightly, so we decided to head out and hope for a freshening breeze.
When we left port, the flag on Telegraph Hill was fluttering lightly in a breeze of 1-2 knots-- not enough to fight the waxing ebb current.
We put out full canvas and began motoring down the cityfront against the ebb current, while hoping for a freshening breeze, which began to arrive out of the west after we passed pier 27 and gradually freshened [HOORAY! HOORAY!] so that we turned off the engine and began sailing on broad reach port tack toward Treasure Island, watching another sailboat blasting northward with the ebb current.
After approaching the shore of Treasure Island, we gybed and headed for the D-E span of the Bay Bridge against the strong ebb current, passing the Naval Museum on the island.
The financial district was mostly in silhouette with the sun hazed out by thin cloud layers in the west.
In the stronger ebb current just west of Yerba Buena, with a bit less wind, we ended up crawling toward the D-E span of the Bay Bridge which was enjoying the hazy sunshine.
We ghosted through the D-E span and enjoyed views of the financial district behind us, framed by the bridge.
We hoped to be able to sail around Yerba Buena, but the strong current and light winds we encountered after gybing to the east precluded that, so we came about and headed back through the D-E span, then tacked to the north, sailing with the ebb current and enjoyng the view of the city with hazy sun behind.
We had some company out there with a sailboat sailing along the cityfront.
After passing way to the east of Alcatraz, as we blasted along in good winds and strong current, we noticed a layer of thicker haze extending from the gate into the bay.
We sailed way to the east of Angel Island, enjoying my favorite view of Mt. Tam towering over Tiburon, and watching a sailboat under spinnaker alone struggling against the current closer to the island.
The sun behind a cloud over Angel Island created a dramatic scene.
We came about and headed back toward the central bay to watch the sundown, then tacked toward Angel Island, falling off to head for Raccoon Straits if the winds remained strong enough. When they didn't we tacked to the southeast again and sailed past Angel Island toward the central bay. The wind out of the southwest intensified and we were on the verge of being overcanvassed, so we fell off to dead down wind and reefed the jib, and then came about and began beating toward the central bay.
After passing Pt. Blount, we tacked to the west and watched the sun drop behind the Marin Headlands just north of the gate.
Eventually, we tacked toward home port and watched the sun go down through the gate-- another spectacular sundown framed by the GGB.
We caught the last rays of the sun....
....and the following dramatic sunset colors behind the gate.
Sunset colors in the clouds over the city added drama to the brightening city lights in the growing dusk of evening.
The sunset continued with brilliant color near the horizon and pastel colors in clouds overhead as we continued toward home port.
Pastel sunset colors continued over the city as lights brightened.
As sunset colors started to fade in the southwest....
...sunset colors deepened over the city.
The breeze began to soften and, even with the jib full out now, we were just ghosting toward home port as city lights continued to brighten as we moved toward twilight.
For some reason, the engine wouldnt start, and after trying several things, we sailed into the marina and tied up at the first slip on A dock. After a half hour or so, the engine fired right up, so after the flood current filled in the marina sufficiently, we motored into our slip. Mother Nature was very kind to us and gave us another great afternoon of sailing!
Tuesday evening we finally had some rain in the evening and overnight, followed by a sunny and warmer day on Wednesday and a nice sunny day on Thursday. Bob from Kentfield came for the second time and Joy from San Rafael joined us for the first time. When they arrived there was very little wind, but some of the flags were beginning to flutter lightly, so we decided to head out and hope for a freshening breeze.
When we left port, the flag on Telegraph Hill was fluttering lightly in a breeze of 1-2 knots-- not enough to fight the waxing ebb current.
We put out full canvas and began motoring down the cityfront against the ebb current, while hoping for a freshening breeze, which began to arrive out of the west after we passed pier 27 and gradually freshened [HOORAY! HOORAY!] so that we turned off the engine and began sailing on broad reach port tack toward Treasure Island, watching another sailboat blasting northward with the ebb current.
After approaching the shore of Treasure Island, we gybed and headed for the D-E span of the Bay Bridge against the strong ebb current, passing the Naval Museum on the island.
The financial district was mostly in silhouette with the sun hazed out by thin cloud layers in the west.
In the stronger ebb current just west of Yerba Buena, with a bit less wind, we ended up crawling toward the D-E span of the Bay Bridge which was enjoying the hazy sunshine.
We ghosted through the D-E span and enjoyed views of the financial district behind us, framed by the bridge.
We hoped to be able to sail around Yerba Buena, but the strong current and light winds we encountered after gybing to the east precluded that, so we came about and headed back through the D-E span, then tacked to the north, sailing with the ebb current and enjoyng the view of the city with hazy sun behind.
We had some company out there with a sailboat sailing along the cityfront.
After passing way to the east of Alcatraz, as we blasted along in good winds and strong current, we noticed a layer of thicker haze extending from the gate into the bay.
We sailed way to the east of Angel Island, enjoying my favorite view of Mt. Tam towering over Tiburon, and watching a sailboat under spinnaker alone struggling against the current closer to the island.
The sun behind a cloud over Angel Island created a dramatic scene.
We came about and headed back toward the central bay to watch the sundown, then tacked toward Angel Island, falling off to head for Raccoon Straits if the winds remained strong enough. When they didn't we tacked to the southeast again and sailed past Angel Island toward the central bay. The wind out of the southwest intensified and we were on the verge of being overcanvassed, so we fell off to dead down wind and reefed the jib, and then came about and began beating toward the central bay.
After passing Pt. Blount, we tacked to the west and watched the sun drop behind the Marin Headlands just north of the gate.
Eventually, we tacked toward home port and watched the sun go down through the gate-- another spectacular sundown framed by the GGB.
We caught the last rays of the sun....
....and the following dramatic sunset colors behind the gate.
Sunset colors in the clouds over the city added drama to the brightening city lights in the growing dusk of evening.
The sunset continued with brilliant color near the horizon and pastel colors in clouds overhead as we continued toward home port.
Pastel sunset colors continued over the city as lights brightened.
As sunset colors started to fade in the southwest....
...sunset colors deepened over the city.
The breeze began to soften and, even with the jib full out now, we were just ghosting toward home port as city lights continued to brighten as we moved toward twilight.
For some reason, the engine wouldnt start, and after trying several things, we sailed into the marina and tied up at the first slip on A dock. After a half hour or so, the engine fired right up, so after the flood current filled in the marina sufficiently, we motored into our slip. Mother Nature was very kind to us and gave us another great afternoon of sailing!
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 10:49 PM 
