Saturday, February 17, 2007
SATURDAY 17 FEB 07-- WARM AND WINDY TO START-- COLD AND WINDY FINISH
For a long while it appeared that there would never be enough wind to go out and fight the strong afternoon ebb current, but a nice and freshening breeze came up around 2:30 pm, so we called Michael and Austin and let them know we would be heading out for a sail, after going over to the pump out station to pump out the waste holding tank. Boat neighbor Damien was having no luck finding people to go out with him, so we invited him to come along.
We headed over to the pump out station and got ANTICIPATION about 2/3 of the way into the slip and then had trouble moving her any further, but got her far enough in to do the pump out. Then when it was time to leave,Michael, Austin and her friends, Chip and Kathy had arrived, but we had a hell of a time backing away from the pump out dock-- must be the shallowest place in the now-too-shallow marina at low tide.Finally we barely managed to power out of the slip with the keel seriously dragging in the mud, and got into the clear, and then headed out of the marina.
We put out full canvas and headed out toward the lee side of Angel Island on a broad reach port tack with good winds and good speed and watching the city recede behind us with some thin cloud layer overhead.
After passing Alcatraz, the wind softened a bit, and this well-reefed sailboat passed to port.
Kathy, Austin and Chip were enjoying the warm sunshine as we sailed north, well away from the lee shore of Angel Island and encountering gradually softening breezes.
When it became clear that we could not hope to make it to Raccoon Straits, we came about and headed back toward the central bay, eventually encountering winds fresher than when we had initially crossed. We sailed to the southeast until well past Pt. Blount on the southeast side of Angel Island, and then tacked to the west to sail past the south shore of Angel Island and toward Sausalito.
This Catalina passed to port, looking good....
...as did this cutter-rigged sailboat, heading northeast and looking good also.
Michael was enjoying the helm in now cold and windy conditions that had us all layered up as we blasted toward Sausalito, sailing on port tack a bit off the wind to avoid being overpowered, but still being pulled to weather in some of the gusts.
After the sun went down behind the Marin Headlands, we came about and headed toward home port on beam reach starboard tack.
A thick fog bank that we had earlier spotted outside the gate was now starting to invade the bay and partially obscuring the south tower of the GGB.
The strong winds had whipped up some substantial wind waves as we caught the sun sinking behind the Marin Headlands while blasting along toward home port, headed for the weather side of Alcatraz.
Eventually we watched as the sun went down into the fog bank outside the gate-- the south tower of the GGB now totally obscurred.
A bit of sunset color developed over the gate as the sun went down behind the fog bank.
When we were about halfway to Alcatraz, the GGB disappeared behind the fog bank now seriously invading the bay.
Ahead the city was in a dusky haze with just a bit of sunshine striking the west side of the top floors of the Bank of America tower.
City lights were brightening as we watched a sailboat sailing past Aquatic Park.
A bit of sunset color was presented to us over the Presidio Hills as we continued to blast toward home port.
A hazy dusk covered Telegraph Hill and the Financial District as we approached Pier 39.
We ducked behind pier 35 to douse the jib and the main and ready ANTICIPATION for landing, motoring around the pier into a slip on A dock as the marina was still too shallow for us to be able to land in our slip on E dock due to the negative tide. We downloaded the photos from the outing, then took a short nap before leaving A dock for our slip on E dock.about 7:30 pm.
For a long while it appeared that there would never be enough wind to go out and fight the strong afternoon ebb current, but a nice and freshening breeze came up around 2:30 pm, so we called Michael and Austin and let them know we would be heading out for a sail, after going over to the pump out station to pump out the waste holding tank. Boat neighbor Damien was having no luck finding people to go out with him, so we invited him to come along.
We headed over to the pump out station and got ANTICIPATION about 2/3 of the way into the slip and then had trouble moving her any further, but got her far enough in to do the pump out. Then when it was time to leave,Michael, Austin and her friends, Chip and Kathy had arrived, but we had a hell of a time backing away from the pump out dock-- must be the shallowest place in the now-too-shallow marina at low tide.Finally we barely managed to power out of the slip with the keel seriously dragging in the mud, and got into the clear, and then headed out of the marina.
We put out full canvas and headed out toward the lee side of Angel Island on a broad reach port tack with good winds and good speed and watching the city recede behind us with some thin cloud layer overhead.
After passing Alcatraz, the wind softened a bit, and this well-reefed sailboat passed to port.
Kathy, Austin and Chip were enjoying the warm sunshine as we sailed north, well away from the lee shore of Angel Island and encountering gradually softening breezes.
When it became clear that we could not hope to make it to Raccoon Straits, we came about and headed back toward the central bay, eventually encountering winds fresher than when we had initially crossed. We sailed to the southeast until well past Pt. Blount on the southeast side of Angel Island, and then tacked to the west to sail past the south shore of Angel Island and toward Sausalito.
This Catalina passed to port, looking good....
...as did this cutter-rigged sailboat, heading northeast and looking good also.
Michael was enjoying the helm in now cold and windy conditions that had us all layered up as we blasted toward Sausalito, sailing on port tack a bit off the wind to avoid being overpowered, but still being pulled to weather in some of the gusts.
After the sun went down behind the Marin Headlands, we came about and headed toward home port on beam reach starboard tack.
A thick fog bank that we had earlier spotted outside the gate was now starting to invade the bay and partially obscuring the south tower of the GGB.
The strong winds had whipped up some substantial wind waves as we caught the sun sinking behind the Marin Headlands while blasting along toward home port, headed for the weather side of Alcatraz.
Eventually we watched as the sun went down into the fog bank outside the gate-- the south tower of the GGB now totally obscurred.
A bit of sunset color developed over the gate as the sun went down behind the fog bank.
When we were about halfway to Alcatraz, the GGB disappeared behind the fog bank now seriously invading the bay.
Ahead the city was in a dusky haze with just a bit of sunshine striking the west side of the top floors of the Bank of America tower.
City lights were brightening as we watched a sailboat sailing past Aquatic Park.
A bit of sunset color was presented to us over the Presidio Hills as we continued to blast toward home port.
A hazy dusk covered Telegraph Hill and the Financial District as we approached Pier 39.
We ducked behind pier 35 to douse the jib and the main and ready ANTICIPATION for landing, motoring around the pier into a slip on A dock as the marina was still too shallow for us to be able to land in our slip on E dock due to the negative tide. We downloaded the photos from the outing, then took a short nap before leaving A dock for our slip on E dock.about 7:30 pm.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 9:48 PM 
