Sunday, March 04, 2007
SATURDAY 3 MARCH 07-- TALL SHIPS, PT. BONITA, SUNSET, FULL MOON
A brilliantly sunny morning leading to warming temperatures and very little wind for most of the morning, with some slight stirring of the wind in the early afternoon.
We noticed earlier that Adventure Cat2 was back in port, and in the early afternoon, when we went ot the end of the pier to check on the wind, we saw her heading out for a her first sail of the year.
Chris, the college professor from Quincy, arrived around 2 pm and we headed out for an afternoon sunset and full moon sail, putting out full canvas and heading down the cityfront in a light breeze out of the northeast.
We had some sailboat companions out there, like this small sailboat....
...and this one, with several others in the distance.
For a while we were virtually becalmed with the ebb current carrying us northward, but then we arrived in a freshening breeze from the north and we were then sailing nicely on port tack broad reach toward Yerba Buena Island when we noticed that the Hawaiian Chieftan (HC) and the Lady Washington (LW) were south of the Bay Bridge and hopefully headed our way.
Meanwhile, we crossed in front of this nice looking sailboat.
A short time later we were approaching the LW who was chasing the HC, both sailing east.
A short time later, the HC had gybed and was headed our way and about to pass us to port.
The LW was still sailing southeastward and not flying her main sail.
Boat neighbor FLAMBE was keeping the tall ships company.
We took a video clip of the HC as she sailed past us, also showing the LW coming about to chase after her; now flying full canvas, and a neighbor boat, FLAMBE, keeping them company-- you can find that clip at this youtube.com url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec9dXknXhAI
Here is the LW now chasing after the HC.
Christian on FLAMBE called to us to chase after the two tall ships, but we continued on toward Yerba Buena, intending to try to sail to the D-E span of the Bay Bridge, as this small sailboat passed to port.
Chris was enjoying helming as the tall ships and FLAMBE receded, with the LW firing a mock cannon at the HC.
Ahead of us was a lovely sailboat that had earlier motored out of the way of an outbound and empty LPG carrier-freighter.
The breeze softened after we gybed away from Yerba Buena and it was obvious that we would not be able to reach the Bay Bridge against the ebb current, so we headed up to chase after the tall ships, passing this small Catalina heading east.
Way off ot port, a sailboat with a colorful stipped jib was also heading east.
This center cockpit sloop passed to starboard, surprisingly flying a double-reefed main in such light winds-- leaving us wonder if perhaps the main was ripped further down.
Off to starboard a small sailboat, the BETTY ANN, with emerald green hull and flying an emerald green and white cruising spinnaker, was passing us and with those colors, we wondered if the owner might be irish.
We were on course to rendezvous with the HC and LW just southeast of Alcatraz, when we saw that the HC had changed course and was motorsailing rather rapidly in our direction and passed us to starboard.
The HC was followed by FAST FRIEND, also motorsailing with main only flying.
This lovely J120 passed to starboard, looking great!
We then noticed that the LW was now sailing to the east, so we fell off to rendezvous with her, and she passed in front of us, still flying full canvas and looking great!
It was tempting to gybe and follow her and take some more photos of her, but we resisted and headed up again to head for the gate with Chris at the helm and the LW receding into the distance
With ebb current assist, we made good headway toward the gate, with the sundrenced city receding into the background.
We sailed out the gate between midspan and the south tower....
...and soon enjoyed one of our favorite views of the city framed by the GGB.
Even with light winds outside the gate, the GGB was soon far behind us as we sailed southwestward into growing but pretty small swells.
As always, when we sail outside the gate, we enjoyed the views of the dramatic features of the Marin Headlands.
We sailed out past Pt. Bonita and watched as this small sailboat approached from the west and passed to starboard, flying a large genoa, and heading toward the gate with Pt Bonita in the background.
We came about and headed back toward the gate also, leaving the lighthouse on Pt. Bonita to port.
We had a decent breeze for a while and were making good headway toward the gate against the current, but as the wind softened we soon caught up with that small sailboat that had passed us out by Pt. Bonita.
We fell off to sail toward the east to try to get out of the heavier current, but as the breeze died away and the current was driving us backward, we decided to start motoring and hoping for a breeze to come up again, as the sun began to set behind us.
That small sailboat that we passed earlier and only a small outboard on her, and she was also being driven back by the current and was almost back to Pt. Bonita, so we decided to motor over and offer her a tow, passing in front of this double masted catboat on the pastel gray waters of the sea.
As we approached the small sailboat with a tow line ready, a new breeze came up near the shore and she was off sailing again with faster headway than we were experiencing, but we were now enjoying a view of the Marin Headlands turned golden by the setting sun now peeking out from under the cloud layer in the west.
A brilliant sunset developed behind us as we sailed toward the gate, and eventually had to start motoring again as the wind died away again.
As the sun was setting in the west, the full moon was rising, bright, orangy and huge, over the Berkeley hills-- SPECTACULAR!!!!!
We watched her rise into a thin cloud layer in the east, standing out over the GGB and brilliantly illuminating the surface of the sea.
We eventually arrived in a moderate breeze again and were able to cut off the engine and begin sailing toward the gate while enjoying the rising full moon, eventually re-entering the bay and after a couple of tacks, being able to sail on close reach port tack directly toward home port with the full moon rising higher over the city.
A brilliantly sunny morning leading to warming temperatures and very little wind for most of the morning, with some slight stirring of the wind in the early afternoon.
We noticed earlier that Adventure Cat2 was back in port, and in the early afternoon, when we went ot the end of the pier to check on the wind, we saw her heading out for a her first sail of the year.
Chris, the college professor from Quincy, arrived around 2 pm and we headed out for an afternoon sunset and full moon sail, putting out full canvas and heading down the cityfront in a light breeze out of the northeast.
We had some sailboat companions out there, like this small sailboat....
...and this one, with several others in the distance.
For a while we were virtually becalmed with the ebb current carrying us northward, but then we arrived in a freshening breeze from the north and we were then sailing nicely on port tack broad reach toward Yerba Buena Island when we noticed that the Hawaiian Chieftan (HC) and the Lady Washington (LW) were south of the Bay Bridge and hopefully headed our way.
Meanwhile, we crossed in front of this nice looking sailboat.
A short time later we were approaching the LW who was chasing the HC, both sailing east.
A short time later, the HC had gybed and was headed our way and about to pass us to port.
The LW was still sailing southeastward and not flying her main sail.
Boat neighbor FLAMBE was keeping the tall ships company.
We took a video clip of the HC as she sailed past us, also showing the LW coming about to chase after her; now flying full canvas, and a neighbor boat, FLAMBE, keeping them company-- you can find that clip at this youtube.com url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec9dXknXhAI
Here is the LW now chasing after the HC.
Christian on FLAMBE called to us to chase after the two tall ships, but we continued on toward Yerba Buena, intending to try to sail to the D-E span of the Bay Bridge, as this small sailboat passed to port.
Chris was enjoying helming as the tall ships and FLAMBE receded, with the LW firing a mock cannon at the HC.
Ahead of us was a lovely sailboat that had earlier motored out of the way of an outbound and empty LPG carrier-freighter.
The breeze softened after we gybed away from Yerba Buena and it was obvious that we would not be able to reach the Bay Bridge against the ebb current, so we headed up to chase after the tall ships, passing this small Catalina heading east.
Way off ot port, a sailboat with a colorful stipped jib was also heading east.
This center cockpit sloop passed to starboard, surprisingly flying a double-reefed main in such light winds-- leaving us wonder if perhaps the main was ripped further down.
Off to starboard a small sailboat, the BETTY ANN, with emerald green hull and flying an emerald green and white cruising spinnaker, was passing us and with those colors, we wondered if the owner might be irish.
We were on course to rendezvous with the HC and LW just southeast of Alcatraz, when we saw that the HC had changed course and was motorsailing rather rapidly in our direction and passed us to starboard.
The HC was followed by FAST FRIEND, also motorsailing with main only flying.
This lovely J120 passed to starboard, looking great!
We then noticed that the LW was now sailing to the east, so we fell off to rendezvous with her, and she passed in front of us, still flying full canvas and looking great!
It was tempting to gybe and follow her and take some more photos of her, but we resisted and headed up again to head for the gate with Chris at the helm and the LW receding into the distance
With ebb current assist, we made good headway toward the gate, with the sundrenced city receding into the background.
We sailed out the gate between midspan and the south tower....
...and soon enjoyed one of our favorite views of the city framed by the GGB.
Even with light winds outside the gate, the GGB was soon far behind us as we sailed southwestward into growing but pretty small swells.
As always, when we sail outside the gate, we enjoyed the views of the dramatic features of the Marin Headlands.
We sailed out past Pt. Bonita and watched as this small sailboat approached from the west and passed to starboard, flying a large genoa, and heading toward the gate with Pt Bonita in the background.
We came about and headed back toward the gate also, leaving the lighthouse on Pt. Bonita to port.
We had a decent breeze for a while and were making good headway toward the gate against the current, but as the wind softened we soon caught up with that small sailboat that had passed us out by Pt. Bonita.
We fell off to sail toward the east to try to get out of the heavier current, but as the breeze died away and the current was driving us backward, we decided to start motoring and hoping for a breeze to come up again, as the sun began to set behind us.
That small sailboat that we passed earlier and only a small outboard on her, and she was also being driven back by the current and was almost back to Pt. Bonita, so we decided to motor over and offer her a tow, passing in front of this double masted catboat on the pastel gray waters of the sea.
As we approached the small sailboat with a tow line ready, a new breeze came up near the shore and she was off sailing again with faster headway than we were experiencing, but we were now enjoying a view of the Marin Headlands turned golden by the setting sun now peeking out from under the cloud layer in the west.
A brilliant sunset developed behind us as we sailed toward the gate, and eventually had to start motoring again as the wind died away again.
As the sun was setting in the west, the full moon was rising, bright, orangy and huge, over the Berkeley hills-- SPECTACULAR!!!!!
We watched her rise into a thin cloud layer in the east, standing out over the GGB and brilliantly illuminating the surface of the sea.
We eventually arrived in a moderate breeze again and were able to cut off the engine and begin sailing toward the gate while enjoying the rising full moon, eventually re-entering the bay and after a couple of tacks, being able to sail on close reach port tack directly toward home port with the full moon rising higher over the city.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 10:28 PM 
