Sunday, March 18, 2007
SATURDAY 17 MARCH 07-- SUMMER WEIGHT WINDS-- 2 BRIDGE KISS -- AROUND YERBA BUENA, TREASURE ISLAND AND ANGEL ISLAND.
Saturday started out overcast with a marine layer that finally started clearing off about 2:30 pm.
Very strong summer weight winds, probably over 20 knots, were blowing as we left port about 3:30 pm and raised single reefed main.
We headed down the cityfront, pulling out the jib to full, and following a small flotilla of sailboats, most of them probably headed home.
We had good winds about 2/3 of the way to the A-B span of the Bay Bridge and then we arrived in a large wind hole that earlier had swallowed several other sailboats like this one ahead of us.
\
We gybed to the northeast to sail and drift out of the windhole, gybed again onto starboard tack and finally arrived in a moderate westerly breeze again as this well reefed sailboat passed to port heading west.
This lovely Beneteau passed to starboard looking good with full canvas flying-- perhaps too much for the central bay winds, but she has both main and jib roller furling so sail reduction is very easy.
The Bay Bridge was gleaming in the mid-afternoon sunshine as we sailed under the D-E span against a moderate ebb current.
Way off to port, a small sailboat was sailing east and passing between the shore of Yerba Buena Island and the E tower of the Bay Bridge.
She was a small and well-reefed Tartan, headed south.
Behind us was a double-reefed Hunter that had followed us through the D-E span, and a great view of the city through the Bay Bridge.
The ebb current helped us to move northeastward as we sailed eastward and eventually we gybed and headed around Yerba Buena Island, enjoying the view of our favorite little lighthouse on the south point of YBI and a colony of harbor seals on the shore.
A sailboat heading toward YBI on port tack, but the leeward boat forced us to fall off to give right of way and then they started tacking just as we passed, and we exchanged greetings about the great weather. I warned them that the winds in the central bay were very strong since they were flying full canvas.
As we headed toward the break on the east span of the Bay Bridge, we reefed the jib in anticipation of strong winds once past Treasure Island, and also noticed that they are working on building the large support for the single tower suspension span planned to link YBI to the causeway portion of the new bridge span.
A nice small sailboat passed to port as we sailed under the east span of the Bay Bridge.
The new east span is moving right along and the far eastern sections must be all completed because they have removed the sky cranes from that portion of the bridge. There were over a dozen such cranes before, and now they are down to six. So it seems likely that this portion of the new east span will be totally finished before the year is over.
As we ghosted up the east shore of Treasure Island, this lovely small race boat passed to starboard.....
....followed by a lovely boat named BALEANA....
...and this beautiful large yawl.
Once past the east shore of Treasure Island, we were again in strong wind of about 20 knots and so were blasting northwestward across the central bay, taking lots of spray, some blasts into the cockpit, with this jib-only sailboat behind us and the city ghostly in the haze on the bay.
We sailed just to the west of this stationary navigation platform way to the east of Angel Island so as to keep in good winds and have less ebb current to fight, pulling out the jib to full again when we encountered lighter winds in the lee of Angel Island..
We headed up slightly when we reached a point opposite the eastern mouth of Raccoon Straits, and the wind then shifted more into the west, so we hardened in the sails, and finally had to motor a a few yards to get out of a wind hole, and arrive in a good breeze again. We watched a number of sailboats closer to the lee shore of Angel Island struggling against the stronger current there.
As we headed for the east mouth of Raccoon Straits, with the wind shifting more into the southwest again, we passed in front of this lovely center-cockpit ketch that was sailing northwesward across the mouth of the straits. The skipper yelled to us: 'Nice boat!" as we passed, and we returned the compliment.
We tacked over toward the shore of Angel Island and then tacked again to the west to sail past Ayala Cove which was pretty full of boats at the buoys and some still at the docks.
Ahead of us, the GGB was only partially obscured by the fog hanging around.
As we sailed toward Belvedere, passing Tiburon, we enjoyed this view of Mt. Tam, towering over Tiburon, but somewhat ghostly in the marine haze.
Entering light air in the lee of Belvedere, we tacked to the southeast again and sailed out of Raccoon Straits, passing starboard to starboard with this sailboat entering the straits.
We took a video as we slowly caught up with this nice full-canvas sailing boat headed southeast at the time, and then after taking this photo, we fell off to dead downwind and reefed the jib again since winds in the central bay were bound to be much stronger again.
You can find the video clip at this youtube.com url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQv4q4FuKZk
After reefing the jib, we came about and sailed to the west for a while and then tacked to the south to head across the central bay, watching to see that we had plenty of speed to cross well in front of this large container ship, heading out to sea.
We blasted across the central bay with the ebb current carrying us westward, taking many blasts of spray over the bow and some into the cockpit as we sailed along through some big wind waves, and finally we encountered this lone windsurfer still out and enjoying the strong winds of the early evening.
The winds stayed very strong, well over 20 knots, all the way to near the shore of the city, so we had sails eased out to avoid being overpowered, and approaching the shore, we tacked to head toward the gate as the sun was dropping down and here was behind the south tower of the GGB.
As we sailed westward, off the wind again on port tack, to avoid being overpowered, the south tower of the GGB was backed by some fog taking on some sunset color.
Ahead of us, as we approached the gate, the sun dropped behind the Marin Headlands, coloring some blobs of fog hung up on the peaks of the Marin Headlands.
As we sailed out just inside the north tower, the fog pieces took on some beautiful sunset colors.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside, pulling out the jib to full for our downwind blast toward home port, and as we blasted home, some sunset color persisted over the fog bank on the horizon.
City lights were coming up at dusk as we passed Aquatic Park, averaging about 8 knots
in the good breeze on broad reach starboard tack. Brightening lights makes it magic time on the bay!
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the sails and, later, as we motored around the end of pier 35, the planet Venus was shining brilliantly in the twilight sky over the marina. [You may need to look at the full size image to see the planet.]
We motored into port, once again filled with the pleasure and contentment that comes from spending 4 or so delicious hours on our beautiful bay!
Saturday started out overcast with a marine layer that finally started clearing off about 2:30 pm.
Very strong summer weight winds, probably over 20 knots, were blowing as we left port about 3:30 pm and raised single reefed main.
We headed down the cityfront, pulling out the jib to full, and following a small flotilla of sailboats, most of them probably headed home.
We had good winds about 2/3 of the way to the A-B span of the Bay Bridge and then we arrived in a large wind hole that earlier had swallowed several other sailboats like this one ahead of us.
\
We gybed to the northeast to sail and drift out of the windhole, gybed again onto starboard tack and finally arrived in a moderate westerly breeze again as this well reefed sailboat passed to port heading west.
This lovely Beneteau passed to starboard looking good with full canvas flying-- perhaps too much for the central bay winds, but she has both main and jib roller furling so sail reduction is very easy.
The Bay Bridge was gleaming in the mid-afternoon sunshine as we sailed under the D-E span against a moderate ebb current.
Way off to port, a small sailboat was sailing east and passing between the shore of Yerba Buena Island and the E tower of the Bay Bridge.
She was a small and well-reefed Tartan, headed south.
Behind us was a double-reefed Hunter that had followed us through the D-E span, and a great view of the city through the Bay Bridge.
The ebb current helped us to move northeastward as we sailed eastward and eventually we gybed and headed around Yerba Buena Island, enjoying the view of our favorite little lighthouse on the south point of YBI and a colony of harbor seals on the shore.
A sailboat heading toward YBI on port tack, but the leeward boat forced us to fall off to give right of way and then they started tacking just as we passed, and we exchanged greetings about the great weather. I warned them that the winds in the central bay were very strong since they were flying full canvas.
As we headed toward the break on the east span of the Bay Bridge, we reefed the jib in anticipation of strong winds once past Treasure Island, and also noticed that they are working on building the large support for the single tower suspension span planned to link YBI to the causeway portion of the new bridge span.
A nice small sailboat passed to port as we sailed under the east span of the Bay Bridge.
The new east span is moving right along and the far eastern sections must be all completed because they have removed the sky cranes from that portion of the bridge. There were over a dozen such cranes before, and now they are down to six. So it seems likely that this portion of the new east span will be totally finished before the year is over.
As we ghosted up the east shore of Treasure Island, this lovely small race boat passed to starboard.....
....followed by a lovely boat named BALEANA....
...and this beautiful large yawl.
Once past the east shore of Treasure Island, we were again in strong wind of about 20 knots and so were blasting northwestward across the central bay, taking lots of spray, some blasts into the cockpit, with this jib-only sailboat behind us and the city ghostly in the haze on the bay.
We sailed just to the west of this stationary navigation platform way to the east of Angel Island so as to keep in good winds and have less ebb current to fight, pulling out the jib to full again when we encountered lighter winds in the lee of Angel Island..
We headed up slightly when we reached a point opposite the eastern mouth of Raccoon Straits, and the wind then shifted more into the west, so we hardened in the sails, and finally had to motor a a few yards to get out of a wind hole, and arrive in a good breeze again. We watched a number of sailboats closer to the lee shore of Angel Island struggling against the stronger current there.
As we headed for the east mouth of Raccoon Straits, with the wind shifting more into the southwest again, we passed in front of this lovely center-cockpit ketch that was sailing northwesward across the mouth of the straits. The skipper yelled to us: 'Nice boat!" as we passed, and we returned the compliment.
We tacked over toward the shore of Angel Island and then tacked again to the west to sail past Ayala Cove which was pretty full of boats at the buoys and some still at the docks.
Ahead of us, the GGB was only partially obscured by the fog hanging around.
As we sailed toward Belvedere, passing Tiburon, we enjoyed this view of Mt. Tam, towering over Tiburon, but somewhat ghostly in the marine haze.
Entering light air in the lee of Belvedere, we tacked to the southeast again and sailed out of Raccoon Straits, passing starboard to starboard with this sailboat entering the straits.
We took a video as we slowly caught up with this nice full-canvas sailing boat headed southeast at the time, and then after taking this photo, we fell off to dead downwind and reefed the jib again since winds in the central bay were bound to be much stronger again.
You can find the video clip at this youtube.com url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQv4q4FuKZk
After reefing the jib, we came about and sailed to the west for a while and then tacked to the south to head across the central bay, watching to see that we had plenty of speed to cross well in front of this large container ship, heading out to sea.
We blasted across the central bay with the ebb current carrying us westward, taking many blasts of spray over the bow and some into the cockpit as we sailed along through some big wind waves, and finally we encountered this lone windsurfer still out and enjoying the strong winds of the early evening.
The winds stayed very strong, well over 20 knots, all the way to near the shore of the city, so we had sails eased out to avoid being overpowered, and approaching the shore, we tacked to head toward the gate as the sun was dropping down and here was behind the south tower of the GGB.
As we sailed westward, off the wind again on port tack, to avoid being overpowered, the south tower of the GGB was backed by some fog taking on some sunset color.
Ahead of us, as we approached the gate, the sun dropped behind the Marin Headlands, coloring some blobs of fog hung up on the peaks of the Marin Headlands.
As we sailed out just inside the north tower, the fog pieces took on some beautiful sunset colors.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside, pulling out the jib to full for our downwind blast toward home port, and as we blasted home, some sunset color persisted over the fog bank on the horizon.
City lights were coming up at dusk as we passed Aquatic Park, averaging about 8 knots
in the good breeze on broad reach starboard tack. Brightening lights makes it magic time on the bay!
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the sails and, later, as we motored around the end of pier 35, the planet Venus was shining brilliantly in the twilight sky over the marina. [You may need to look at the full size image to see the planet.]
We motored into port, once again filled with the pleasure and contentment that comes from spending 4 or so delicious hours on our beautiful bay!
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 11:58 PM 
