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!
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 10:32 PM 
