Monday, February 19, 2007
SUNDAY 18 FEB 07-- SUNNY AFTERNOON WITH MODERATE WINDS-- EVENING SAIL
This day started out like yesterday with no wind until mid-afternoon. We headed out, solo, about 4 pm, just before the marina got too shallow with the negative tide.
As we exited the marina, the flags indicated a breeze of about three or four knots, so we hoped for a stronger breeze out on the bay.
After putting out full canvas, we headed out into the central bay where quite a few boats were heading toward home port-- some sailing and some motorsailing.
We sailed out to the west a distance and then tacked into the lee of pier 45, passing the end of pier 39 where a sailboat was sailing downwind, and the flags were fluttering in a breeze of 5-7 knots.
As we tacked away from the lee of pier 45, we fell off the wind and headed for the weather side of Alcatraz, with the city in brilliant sunshien receding behind us.
A number of sailboats were sailing back from the gate, fighting the strong ebb current that was carrying us westward as we sailed northward.
Alcatraz was bathed in brilliant sunshine as we passed, sailing through some substantial wind waves on Alcatraz shoal, and watching the Alcatraz ferry steaming all the way around the island.
We continued on toward the weather side of Angel Island sailing on broad reach port tack, but the wind softened and we could see that there was no wind west of Angel Island so we gybed and headed back toward Alcatraz and watched some race boats motoring toward home port, like TOBASCO....
...and ABSOLUTE O2.
Fortunately, the breeze freshened again as we approached Alcatraz so we were able to make good headway against the strong ebb current, sailing toward the A-B span of the Bay Bridge with the thought that we might sail around Treasure Island if the wind stayed strong enough, and meanwhile enjoying views of the city in the late sunshine.
After passing Blossom Rock buoy, it was clear that we needed to gybe and head north if we wanted to see the sundown through the gate, so we did and the sun was hovering over Alcatraz as we passed to the east of the island.
With a combination of broad reach port tack and some wing and wing, we sailed to the east of buoy 4, and caught this shot of the buoy blocking the setting sun.
The highly enlarged sun was starting to set as we sailed northward.
A ferry blasted past between us and the setting sun.
We saw a large freighter heading out to sea so we came about and headed back to the southeast to minimize how long the freighter would block our view of the sundown
We caught the last rays of the sun through the gate, and then continued sailing on close reach starboard tack toward the D-E span of the Bay Bridge.
We sailed past the Naval Museum on Treasure Island as dusk was turning to twilight.
Another large freighter steamed through the D-E span heading out the outbound sea lane.
The Bay Bridge looked beautiful against the background of the twilight sky, and if you look close, you can see that the lights are on in the Giants ballpark
We sailed through the D-E span and then headed up to sail parallel to the bridge to avoid another outbound freighter leaving the Oakland Estuary and to catch some views of the financial district framed by the Bay Bridge.
Venus was shining brightly above the Bay Bridge as we sailed past the Charlie embankment at the center of the bridge.
The wind softened so we tacked and sailed through the B-C span of the bridge, just ghosting along. We finally picked up a light breeze and sailed to the northwest with a bit of headway in the slack current, but then the wind softened to almost no velocity and we were just ghosting toward home port. Since we had another hour to go before we could enter our port and land in our slip, we just ghosted along and as 8 pm approached, we turned on the engine and motored to home port, dousing the jib as we motored along, and dousing the main after passing pier 33. We motored into the marina and landed fine despite the waxing flood current.
This day started out like yesterday with no wind until mid-afternoon. We headed out, solo, about 4 pm, just before the marina got too shallow with the negative tide.
As we exited the marina, the flags indicated a breeze of about three or four knots, so we hoped for a stronger breeze out on the bay.
After putting out full canvas, we headed out into the central bay where quite a few boats were heading toward home port-- some sailing and some motorsailing.
We sailed out to the west a distance and then tacked into the lee of pier 45, passing the end of pier 39 where a sailboat was sailing downwind, and the flags were fluttering in a breeze of 5-7 knots.
As we tacked away from the lee of pier 45, we fell off the wind and headed for the weather side of Alcatraz, with the city in brilliant sunshien receding behind us.
A number of sailboats were sailing back from the gate, fighting the strong ebb current that was carrying us westward as we sailed northward.
Alcatraz was bathed in brilliant sunshine as we passed, sailing through some substantial wind waves on Alcatraz shoal, and watching the Alcatraz ferry steaming all the way around the island.
We continued on toward the weather side of Angel Island sailing on broad reach port tack, but the wind softened and we could see that there was no wind west of Angel Island so we gybed and headed back toward Alcatraz and watched some race boats motoring toward home port, like TOBASCO....
...and ABSOLUTE O2.
Fortunately, the breeze freshened again as we approached Alcatraz so we were able to make good headway against the strong ebb current, sailing toward the A-B span of the Bay Bridge with the thought that we might sail around Treasure Island if the wind stayed strong enough, and meanwhile enjoying views of the city in the late sunshine.
After passing Blossom Rock buoy, it was clear that we needed to gybe and head north if we wanted to see the sundown through the gate, so we did and the sun was hovering over Alcatraz as we passed to the east of the island.
With a combination of broad reach port tack and some wing and wing, we sailed to the east of buoy 4, and caught this shot of the buoy blocking the setting sun.
The highly enlarged sun was starting to set as we sailed northward.
A ferry blasted past between us and the setting sun.
We saw a large freighter heading out to sea so we came about and headed back to the southeast to minimize how long the freighter would block our view of the sundown
We caught the last rays of the sun through the gate, and then continued sailing on close reach starboard tack toward the D-E span of the Bay Bridge.
We sailed past the Naval Museum on Treasure Island as dusk was turning to twilight.
Another large freighter steamed through the D-E span heading out the outbound sea lane.
The Bay Bridge looked beautiful against the background of the twilight sky, and if you look close, you can see that the lights are on in the Giants ballpark
We sailed through the D-E span and then headed up to sail parallel to the bridge to avoid another outbound freighter leaving the Oakland Estuary and to catch some views of the financial district framed by the Bay Bridge.
Venus was shining brightly above the Bay Bridge as we sailed past the Charlie embankment at the center of the bridge.
The wind softened so we tacked and sailed through the B-C span of the bridge, just ghosting along. We finally picked up a light breeze and sailed to the northwest with a bit of headway in the slack current, but then the wind softened to almost no velocity and we were just ghosting toward home port. Since we had another hour to go before we could enter our port and land in our slip, we just ghosted along and as 8 pm approached, we turned on the engine and motored to home port, dousing the jib as we motored along, and dousing the main after passing pier 33. We motored into the marina and landed fine despite the waxing flood current.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 12:47 AM 
