Friday, February 02, 2007
TUESDAY 30 JANUARY 07-- TO THE GGB AND BACK UNDER CLOUDY SKIES
With a negative tide in the mid-afternoon, we decided to go out in the late morning so we could be back in the marina by 2 pm or so.
A strong westerly wind was blowing as we left port, so we put up a full main and put out a small jib as we headed out into the central bay.
Skies over the city were heavily overcast as we sailed into the lee of pier 45, after tacking out a ways and then tacking back toward the city.
This sailboat was sailing main only toward the city and then did a chicken-gybe onto port tack and began pulling out the jib as it sailed past Alcatraz.
We sailed to the west in almost-summer-weight winds, which along with the strong ebb current, generated some substantial wind waves, producing lots of spray as we blasted through the waves.
Skies were mostly clear in the north where Angel Island was backing in hazy sunshine.
Sausalito had sunshine, but Mt. Tam was almost completely obscured by cloud or fog.
We tacked to the south for a bit and then tacked to the west again and sailed toward Horseshoe Cove with the ebb current pulling us westward and creating big wind waves just outside Horseshoe Cove.
After sailing past the north tower, we tacked and headed across the gate, blasting through these wind waves, as the ebb current pulled us toward the gate, which was dismal under overcast skies.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside on port tack broad reach, noticing a group of herring boats just outside the north tower, which together with a huge flock of seabirds, suggested that they were finding herring there.
Ahead of us, a sailboat was sailing past Angel Island
After sailing to the north against the heavy ebb, we did a chicken gybe, and headed for home port, letting out the jib to full for more downwind power.
A sailboat was heading out into the bay from one of the marinas as we blasted toward home port.
The city was still under heavy overcast as we sailed between pier 45 and pier 39.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the main and prepare for landing.
With a negative tide in the mid-afternoon, we decided to go out in the late morning so we could be back in the marina by 2 pm or so.
A strong westerly wind was blowing as we left port, so we put up a full main and put out a small jib as we headed out into the central bay.
Skies over the city were heavily overcast as we sailed into the lee of pier 45, after tacking out a ways and then tacking back toward the city.
This sailboat was sailing main only toward the city and then did a chicken-gybe onto port tack and began pulling out the jib as it sailed past Alcatraz.
We sailed to the west in almost-summer-weight winds, which along with the strong ebb current, generated some substantial wind waves, producing lots of spray as we blasted through the waves.
Skies were mostly clear in the north where Angel Island was backing in hazy sunshine.
Sausalito had sunshine, but Mt. Tam was almost completely obscured by cloud or fog.
We tacked to the south for a bit and then tacked to the west again and sailed toward Horseshoe Cove with the ebb current pulling us westward and creating big wind waves just outside Horseshoe Cove.
After sailing past the north tower, we tacked and headed across the gate, blasting through these wind waves, as the ebb current pulled us toward the gate, which was dismal under overcast skies.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside on port tack broad reach, noticing a group of herring boats just outside the north tower, which together with a huge flock of seabirds, suggested that they were finding herring there.
Ahead of us, a sailboat was sailing past Angel Island
After sailing to the north against the heavy ebb, we did a chicken gybe, and headed for home port, letting out the jib to full for more downwind power.
A sailboat was heading out into the bay from one of the marinas as we blasted toward home port.
The city was still under heavy overcast as we sailed between pier 45 and pier 39.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the main and prepare for landing.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 11:28 PM 
