Sunday, February 25, 2007
SUNDAY 25 FEB. 07-- RAINY DAY SAIL TO GGB AND BACK
Possibility of showers was predicted for the afternoon, but the weather radar showed only a few cells around, so we headed out for an outing around 3:30 pm. Winds had moderated from the strong 15-20 knots earlier in the day, but we pulled up a single-reefed main in case the wind blew up strong again, and pulled out full jib and headed out into the central bay.
Winds were westerly at only a few knots as we sailed westward past the end of pier 39.
Just as we were about to tack into the lee of pier 45, the breeze freshened and shifted more into the southwest, so we continued sailing straight toward the gate on port tack close reach, with the city overcast as we sailed between pier 39 and pier 45.
A short time later we saw a sailboat returning from the gate that had just put up its cruising spinnaker and trimmed it for a beam reach downwind.
She passed between us and Alcatraz, looking great!
After continuing to the west a bit longer, we saw another sailboat returning from the gate and tacked toward the cityfront to make a rendezvous.
After passing in front of her, we tacked toward the gate again, and CATBIRD passed us to starboard, looking good!
A short time later it started to rain, a slight drizzle at first turned into a steady light rain with increased wind from the SSW, so we continued sailing toward the gate on close reach port tack-- sometimes easing out the traveller when the wind was stronger.
After an hour or so, the rain stopped and the wind shifted into the west, so we tacked toward the cityfront shore and watched as the GGB grew grayer in the darkening skies.
As we neared the SF shoreline, we noticed that a small break in the clouds in the southwest was letting some brilliant sunbeams shine down on the ocean as an outbound freighter headed out to sea.
The beautiful and dramatic sunbeams were a welcome change from the almost universal grayness of the late afternoon skies and surroundings.
The rain was obscurring all the geography of the north bay.
We tacked away from the SF shore, sailing parallel to the gate, as another sailboat was trying to head for the gate and was stuck in the flood current in front of Horseshoe Cove, both of us now finding little or no wind on the bay..
Eventually that sailboat motored out the gate and then headed back in as we continued to try to find some wind that would enable us to fight the flood current and make it out the gate.
After a while, we gave up and started toward home port, mostly just drifting with the flood current. Then, as we were in the process of shaking out the reef in the main for more power, a light southwesterly of about 5-7 knots blew up, so we headed for the gate and enjoyed views of the GGB as dusk fell.
We sailed out the gate near midspan, just ducking out and then coming about to head back inside and to sail toward home port on beam to broad reach starboad tack with flood curent assist. City lights were bright as we passed Aquatic Park.
The breeze stayed in the 5-7 knot range all the way to pier 45 and after passing, we fell off to pull in the jib and then started putting on the fenders. We doused the main after passing the marina, and Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill was looking beautiful as we motored into port, happy to have had a nice outing, despite the rain.
The rain quit early enough that the sails were dry, and the surge in the marina had abated substantially, so we made a good landing in the slip-- going in high and drifting down with the flood current. Another memorable winter outing!
Possibility of showers was predicted for the afternoon, but the weather radar showed only a few cells around, so we headed out for an outing around 3:30 pm. Winds had moderated from the strong 15-20 knots earlier in the day, but we pulled up a single-reefed main in case the wind blew up strong again, and pulled out full jib and headed out into the central bay.
Winds were westerly at only a few knots as we sailed westward past the end of pier 39.
Just as we were about to tack into the lee of pier 45, the breeze freshened and shifted more into the southwest, so we continued sailing straight toward the gate on port tack close reach, with the city overcast as we sailed between pier 39 and pier 45.
A short time later we saw a sailboat returning from the gate that had just put up its cruising spinnaker and trimmed it for a beam reach downwind.
She passed between us and Alcatraz, looking great!
After continuing to the west a bit longer, we saw another sailboat returning from the gate and tacked toward the cityfront to make a rendezvous.
After passing in front of her, we tacked toward the gate again, and CATBIRD passed us to starboard, looking good!
A short time later it started to rain, a slight drizzle at first turned into a steady light rain with increased wind from the SSW, so we continued sailing toward the gate on close reach port tack-- sometimes easing out the traveller when the wind was stronger.
After an hour or so, the rain stopped and the wind shifted into the west, so we tacked toward the cityfront shore and watched as the GGB grew grayer in the darkening skies.
As we neared the SF shoreline, we noticed that a small break in the clouds in the southwest was letting some brilliant sunbeams shine down on the ocean as an outbound freighter headed out to sea.
The beautiful and dramatic sunbeams were a welcome change from the almost universal grayness of the late afternoon skies and surroundings.
The rain was obscurring all the geography of the north bay.
We tacked away from the SF shore, sailing parallel to the gate, as another sailboat was trying to head for the gate and was stuck in the flood current in front of Horseshoe Cove, both of us now finding little or no wind on the bay..
Eventually that sailboat motored out the gate and then headed back in as we continued to try to find some wind that would enable us to fight the flood current and make it out the gate.
After a while, we gave up and started toward home port, mostly just drifting with the flood current. Then, as we were in the process of shaking out the reef in the main for more power, a light southwesterly of about 5-7 knots blew up, so we headed for the gate and enjoyed views of the GGB as dusk fell.
We sailed out the gate near midspan, just ducking out and then coming about to head back inside and to sail toward home port on beam to broad reach starboad tack with flood curent assist. City lights were bright as we passed Aquatic Park.
The breeze stayed in the 5-7 knot range all the way to pier 45 and after passing, we fell off to pull in the jib and then started putting on the fenders. We doused the main after passing the marina, and Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill was looking beautiful as we motored into port, happy to have had a nice outing, despite the rain.
The rain quit early enough that the sails were dry, and the surge in the marina had abated substantially, so we made a good landing in the slip-- going in high and drifting down with the flood current. Another memorable winter outing!
SATURDAY 24 FEB. 07-- OVERCAST SAIL OUT THE GATE AND BACK
The weather was threatening rain, but after returning from lunch with my daughter, I checked the local radar and saw that there was little to no shower activity in the area or in the west, so i called Micael and told him I was heading out in a half hour or so, and he decided to drive over to join us.
We left port about 3 pm with a gusty south wind blowing, raised a single-reefed main and put out a small jib and headed out into the central bay and then headed for the gate on port tack. Winds were highly variable in velocity, so that sometimes we were just ghosting along in light winds and sometimes we were blasting along, well heeled over.
Off to starboard a sailboat was motoring eastward-- motoring when we had good winds and the boat had both main and jib roller furling-- what sense does that make?
The city was grayed out under overcast skies as we sailed between pier 39 and pier 45.
A Hunter sailboat with well reefed main and jib passed to starboard, heading east.
As we continued sailing toward the gate, with Michael at the helm the whole time-- I was adjusting the traveller frequently in the gusty wind conditions-- my hands getting a bit tired-- and way off to starboard, a small sailboat was heading east with a large crew aboard.
A bit later, this small Catalina passed to starboard looking good.
Looking behind us, for a brief time, the city was bathed in some sunshine.
We tacked only one time to ride a large freighter wake, rather than blast through it, then tacked again to head for the gate, and enjoying some of the cloud patterns over Angel Island.
Michael was still at the helm as we shot the gate between the south tower and mid-span.
The city was overcast again as we viewed it through the GGB.
We sailed out about half way to Pt. Bonita in seas with swells growing in size and sharpness, so decided to head back, now sailing with the flood current, so making great headway on starboard tack, seeing a couple of small dolphins swimming westward but not having the camera ready-- no pictures-- and then quickly arriving back inside the gate with Michael still at the helm.
I took over the helm about a mile inside the gate and we were blasting homeward on starboard tack beam reach, doing perhaps 10 knots over the ground with flood assist, and so soon we were back at pier 39 with the city still overcast and grayed out.
Behind us, the skies were seriously darkening with the coming rain.
We pulled in the jib in a quiet spot in the lee of pier 39-- south wind, remember, then doused the main just northeast of pier 35, where we found another lee spot from the south wind. After getting ready to land, we motored into the marina and landed Anticipation by stopping her when she was only about 2/3 of the way into the slip so we could get to the bow before the south wind could push her too far into the slip. It was still not raining yet after we tied her up and covered the main and helm, and it was nice to beat the rain that way after a pleasurable sailing outing.
The weather was threatening rain, but after returning from lunch with my daughter, I checked the local radar and saw that there was little to no shower activity in the area or in the west, so i called Micael and told him I was heading out in a half hour or so, and he decided to drive over to join us.
We left port about 3 pm with a gusty south wind blowing, raised a single-reefed main and put out a small jib and headed out into the central bay and then headed for the gate on port tack. Winds were highly variable in velocity, so that sometimes we were just ghosting along in light winds and sometimes we were blasting along, well heeled over.
Off to starboard a sailboat was motoring eastward-- motoring when we had good winds and the boat had both main and jib roller furling-- what sense does that make?
The city was grayed out under overcast skies as we sailed between pier 39 and pier 45.
A Hunter sailboat with well reefed main and jib passed to starboard, heading east.
As we continued sailing toward the gate, with Michael at the helm the whole time-- I was adjusting the traveller frequently in the gusty wind conditions-- my hands getting a bit tired-- and way off to starboard, a small sailboat was heading east with a large crew aboard.
A bit later, this small Catalina passed to starboard looking good.
Looking behind us, for a brief time, the city was bathed in some sunshine.
We tacked only one time to ride a large freighter wake, rather than blast through it, then tacked again to head for the gate, and enjoying some of the cloud patterns over Angel Island.
Michael was still at the helm as we shot the gate between the south tower and mid-span.
The city was overcast again as we viewed it through the GGB.
We sailed out about half way to Pt. Bonita in seas with swells growing in size and sharpness, so decided to head back, now sailing with the flood current, so making great headway on starboard tack, seeing a couple of small dolphins swimming westward but not having the camera ready-- no pictures-- and then quickly arriving back inside the gate with Michael still at the helm.
I took over the helm about a mile inside the gate and we were blasting homeward on starboard tack beam reach, doing perhaps 10 knots over the ground with flood assist, and so soon we were back at pier 39 with the city still overcast and grayed out.
Behind us, the skies were seriously darkening with the coming rain.
We pulled in the jib in a quiet spot in the lee of pier 39-- south wind, remember, then doused the main just northeast of pier 35, where we found another lee spot from the south wind. After getting ready to land, we motored into the marina and landed Anticipation by stopping her when she was only about 2/3 of the way into the slip so we could get to the bow before the south wind could push her too far into the slip. It was still not raining yet after we tied her up and covered the main and helm, and it was nice to beat the rain that way after a pleasurable sailing outing.
Friday, February 23, 2007
FRIDAY 23 FEB. 07-- OUT TO PT. BONITA AND BACK-- GREAT OUTING!
Yesterday, we headed out for a sail, hoping to go the fuel dock to refuel, but the rain started as soon as we left port, so we aborted the mission.
Today, Quelan, a Vietnamese young woman from Southern California visiting her parents in San Jose, joined us for an afternoon outing. Another sfsailing.com contact. We headed out about 2:30 and pulled out a reefed jib to sail jib only over to the fuel dock. Wifh flood current resisting us, we sailed out to the lee of Alcatraz, then tacked back to the cityfront at Aquatic Park, tacking again to sail westward for a bit and then tacking again to sail into the lee of the Fort Mason piers, where we pulled in the jib after starting the engine. We then motored against the strong wind and flood current into Gashouse Cove where the fuel dock is located. The SF Police boat was just finishing refueling as we arrived and left so we could dock at the fuel dock.
After fueling up, we headed out and raised single-reefed main and put out small reefed jib and sailed westward with the city behind us enjoying mid-afternoon sunshine in clear air.
Quelan was at the helm as we sailed along toward the Marin Headlands.
Way behind us another sailboat was crossing the bay and it was nice to have some company out there.
Mt. Tam was towering over Sausalito and both enjoying brilliant afternoon sunshine.
The breeze shifted more into the west and softened so we pulled the jib out to full for more power and then tacked to the south, sailing toward the south tower of the GGB for a while as a kite surfer came blasting toward us from Crissy Field....
.... and passed astern, looking great!
Meanwhile a large, well-reefed sailboat was headed our way from Richardson Bay.
As we sailed along, the breeze shifted more into the southwest again and we were blasting southeastward on close reach starboard tack, watching another kite surfer off starboard blasting across the bay surface....
....passing in front of us and heading back toward Chrissy Field.
We sailed to inside Blackaller Buoy and then tacked toward the gate, hoping to sail out on port tack close reach, and watching this lone windsufer enjoying the strong winds at the gate.
The wind shifted more westward again so this tack eventually had us sailing parallel to the gate, so we tacked out as we approached the north tower, and sailed out north of midspan--- Quelan enjoying her first experience of shooting the gate as we blasted southward in good winds.
The Marin Headlands and the GGB looked spectacular as usual in the late afternoon sunshine.
The city looked beautiful as usual when framed by the GGB.
Sailing against the flood current and into seas building with ocean swells, the GGB receded behind us.
We sailed out to a point where we could look past Pt. Bonita to the north coast, and then came about and headed back toward the gate with flood current assist.
Seacliff and Twin Peaks in the distance were enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.
We were soon well inside the gate and enjoying views of the city as sundown neared.
A large sailboat sailing with jib only crossed in front of us, heading for Sausalito.
We sailed northward until the sun dropped behind the Marin Headlands, and then came about and headed for home port to watch the sundown through the gate.
The city looked great in sunset color.
A fog bank on the horizon is what was eventually gobbling up the sun....
...giving us some brilliant sunset colors behind the gate.
The sunset continued to develop just above the horizon in the southwest....
...brilliantly illuminating the underside of a cloud finger extending across the sky outside the gate.
Eventually the sunset became some firery oranges on the cloud finger over the Presidio.
As we approached pier 39, it was again magic time on the bay with the city lights brightening, and we eventually fell off to pulling in the jib.
We sailed past pier 35 and enjoyed a great view of Telegraph Hill and the financial district buildings at dusk, then headed up to the weather side of pier 35 while preparing to douse the main.
After dousing and tying up the main and finishing readying Anticipation for docking, we motored into port and landed fine, playing the flood current just right, and full of pleasure from a great sailing outing.
Yesterday, we headed out for a sail, hoping to go the fuel dock to refuel, but the rain started as soon as we left port, so we aborted the mission.
Today, Quelan, a Vietnamese young woman from Southern California visiting her parents in San Jose, joined us for an afternoon outing. Another sfsailing.com contact. We headed out about 2:30 and pulled out a reefed jib to sail jib only over to the fuel dock. Wifh flood current resisting us, we sailed out to the lee of Alcatraz, then tacked back to the cityfront at Aquatic Park, tacking again to sail westward for a bit and then tacking again to sail into the lee of the Fort Mason piers, where we pulled in the jib after starting the engine. We then motored against the strong wind and flood current into Gashouse Cove where the fuel dock is located. The SF Police boat was just finishing refueling as we arrived and left so we could dock at the fuel dock.
After fueling up, we headed out and raised single-reefed main and put out small reefed jib and sailed westward with the city behind us enjoying mid-afternoon sunshine in clear air.
Quelan was at the helm as we sailed along toward the Marin Headlands.
Way behind us another sailboat was crossing the bay and it was nice to have some company out there.
Mt. Tam was towering over Sausalito and both enjoying brilliant afternoon sunshine.
The breeze shifted more into the west and softened so we pulled the jib out to full for more power and then tacked to the south, sailing toward the south tower of the GGB for a while as a kite surfer came blasting toward us from Crissy Field....
.... and passed astern, looking great!
Meanwhile a large, well-reefed sailboat was headed our way from Richardson Bay.
As we sailed along, the breeze shifted more into the southwest again and we were blasting southeastward on close reach starboard tack, watching another kite surfer off starboard blasting across the bay surface....
....passing in front of us and heading back toward Chrissy Field.
We sailed to inside Blackaller Buoy and then tacked toward the gate, hoping to sail out on port tack close reach, and watching this lone windsufer enjoying the strong winds at the gate.
The wind shifted more westward again so this tack eventually had us sailing parallel to the gate, so we tacked out as we approached the north tower, and sailed out north of midspan--- Quelan enjoying her first experience of shooting the gate as we blasted southward in good winds.
The Marin Headlands and the GGB looked spectacular as usual in the late afternoon sunshine.
The city looked beautiful as usual when framed by the GGB.
Sailing against the flood current and into seas building with ocean swells, the GGB receded behind us.
We sailed out to a point where we could look past Pt. Bonita to the north coast, and then came about and headed back toward the gate with flood current assist.
Seacliff and Twin Peaks in the distance were enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.
We were soon well inside the gate and enjoying views of the city as sundown neared.
A large sailboat sailing with jib only crossed in front of us, heading for Sausalito.
We sailed northward until the sun dropped behind the Marin Headlands, and then came about and headed for home port to watch the sundown through the gate.
The city looked great in sunset color.
A fog bank on the horizon is what was eventually gobbling up the sun....
...giving us some brilliant sunset colors behind the gate.
The sunset continued to develop just above the horizon in the southwest....
...brilliantly illuminating the underside of a cloud finger extending across the sky outside the gate.
Eventually the sunset became some firery oranges on the cloud finger over the Presidio.
As we approached pier 39, it was again magic time on the bay with the city lights brightening, and we eventually fell off to pulling in the jib.
We sailed past pier 35 and enjoyed a great view of Telegraph Hill and the financial district buildings at dusk, then headed up to the weather side of pier 35 while preparing to douse the main.
After dousing and tying up the main and finishing readying Anticipation for docking, we motored into port and landed fine, playing the flood current just right, and full of pleasure from a great sailing outing.
