Friday, March 16, 2007
THURSDAY 15 MARCH 07-- 2 BRIDGE KISS-- LARGE MIDWEEK CREW
Thursday was another sunny and warm day in San Francisco-- we're really stringing them together this month. Bob, a Thursday regular, brought a friend, Bruce; John joined us for the second time, and Joe [another sfsailing.com contact] came for the first time. John was a bit late in arriving, so we moved ANTICIPATION over to the end slip on A dock to avoid dragging the keel in the mud at low tide.
We left the marina about 2 pm with a moderate westerly wind fluttering the flags, and raised full main, then headed out into the central bay, gybed toward the east and headed down the cityfront after pulling out the jib to full.
Winds were light most of the way down the cityfront and we watched a sailboat heading
our way from the east, but after sailing under the Bay Bridge, she turned around and headed back to the east again.
We ghosted past the Ferry Building and enjoyed views of it and the financial district, with the sun illuminating the south sides of the buildings.
The Bay Bridge was gleaming in the afternoon sunshine.
We ghosted to with twenty or so yards of the A-B span, declared a one bridge kiss, and came about and headed north with the ebb current, and into a freshening breeze out of the WNW, watching some fellow sailors heading their sailboats to the east.
The breeze shifted into the southwest and so we were soon sailing on close reach port tack toward the weather side of Angel Island, planning to check out the wind in Raccoon Straits if the breeze persisted. As we sailed along, we watched a Tartan sailboat heading eastward and way off out port side.
As we approached Angel Island, we entered a large wind hole with some backwinding off the island and, after trying to sail or drift out of the hole for 15 minutes or so, with no success, we turned on the engine, motored about 30 yards and arrived in a strong breeze out of the SSW. We sailed on starboard tack close reach toward Alcatraz for a while and then tacked to the west. We sailed toward Sausalito until we arrived in a softening wind area, then reefed the jib and headed to the south on port tack.
Bruce took the helm as we blasted across the central bay with the ebb current pulling us westward.
A large sailboat passed astern flying full canvas but sailing well off the wind.
As we blasted across the bay, we were accosted by a windsurfer blasting over the sea and crossing in front of us.
We sailed to near the Blackaller buoy, got into some flukey winds and currents and then tacked toward the gate, sailing out on port tack between the south tower and midspan, enjoying our view of the north tower of the GGB.
Bruce was still at the helm as we sailed out to the west in softening winds with the GGB receding behind us.
We sailed to near the shore of the Marin Headlands and then tacked to the south, planning to sail out to a bit past Pt. Bonita, and Joe took the helm as we sailed along.
We continued sailing to the south into some growing swells, but softening wind, so we pulled the jib out to full for more power, then tacked toward Pt. Bonita, sailing through irregular swells, one of them a sharp one that lifted the bow and slammed it down on the other side. With softening winds, we decided to come about and head back inside, sailing toward Baker Beach first, then toward the Presidio as the wind shifted more into the southwest.
Approaching the shore, we gybed and sailed back inside the bay, enjoying our view of
the GGB as we sailed inside the bay between midspan and the north tower.
We continued sailing to the north for a while and then gybed toward home port, sailing in a freshening breeze and making great headway toward home port, with the crew now well-mellowed-out and happy after a few hours of sailing in ideal conditions: Joe and Bruce here.....
John here....
...and Bob here.
As we passed pier 45, another sailboat was approaching the cityfront.
\
A lovely blue-hulled sailboat was approaching from the north on starboard tack, and we fell off to give her right of way so she could pass in front of us, and looking good except that her sails were flogging a bit.
The city was enjoying late slanted sunshine as we sailed past pier 39, pulling in the jib as we sailed along.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the main and ready ANTICIPATION for landing. A strong flood current was flowing through the marina as we motored in, landing quite well by going in high and letting the current push us down into the slip. A very nice outing through many sailing conditions.
Thursday was another sunny and warm day in San Francisco-- we're really stringing them together this month. Bob, a Thursday regular, brought a friend, Bruce; John joined us for the second time, and Joe [another sfsailing.com contact] came for the first time. John was a bit late in arriving, so we moved ANTICIPATION over to the end slip on A dock to avoid dragging the keel in the mud at low tide.
We left the marina about 2 pm with a moderate westerly wind fluttering the flags, and raised full main, then headed out into the central bay, gybed toward the east and headed down the cityfront after pulling out the jib to full.
Winds were light most of the way down the cityfront and we watched a sailboat heading
our way from the east, but after sailing under the Bay Bridge, she turned around and headed back to the east again.
We ghosted past the Ferry Building and enjoyed views of it and the financial district, with the sun illuminating the south sides of the buildings.
The Bay Bridge was gleaming in the afternoon sunshine.
We ghosted to with twenty or so yards of the A-B span, declared a one bridge kiss, and came about and headed north with the ebb current, and into a freshening breeze out of the WNW, watching some fellow sailors heading their sailboats to the east.
The breeze shifted into the southwest and so we were soon sailing on close reach port tack toward the weather side of Angel Island, planning to check out the wind in Raccoon Straits if the breeze persisted. As we sailed along, we watched a Tartan sailboat heading eastward and way off out port side.
As we approached Angel Island, we entered a large wind hole with some backwinding off the island and, after trying to sail or drift out of the hole for 15 minutes or so, with no success, we turned on the engine, motored about 30 yards and arrived in a strong breeze out of the SSW. We sailed on starboard tack close reach toward Alcatraz for a while and then tacked to the west. We sailed toward Sausalito until we arrived in a softening wind area, then reefed the jib and headed to the south on port tack.
Bruce took the helm as we blasted across the central bay with the ebb current pulling us westward.
A large sailboat passed astern flying full canvas but sailing well off the wind.
As we blasted across the bay, we were accosted by a windsurfer blasting over the sea and crossing in front of us.
We sailed to near the Blackaller buoy, got into some flukey winds and currents and then tacked toward the gate, sailing out on port tack between the south tower and midspan, enjoying our view of the north tower of the GGB.
Bruce was still at the helm as we sailed out to the west in softening winds with the GGB receding behind us.
We sailed to near the shore of the Marin Headlands and then tacked to the south, planning to sail out to a bit past Pt. Bonita, and Joe took the helm as we sailed along.
We continued sailing to the south into some growing swells, but softening wind, so we pulled the jib out to full for more power, then tacked toward Pt. Bonita, sailing through irregular swells, one of them a sharp one that lifted the bow and slammed it down on the other side. With softening winds, we decided to come about and head back inside, sailing toward Baker Beach first, then toward the Presidio as the wind shifted more into the southwest.
Approaching the shore, we gybed and sailed back inside the bay, enjoying our view of
the GGB as we sailed inside the bay between midspan and the north tower.
We continued sailing to the north for a while and then gybed toward home port, sailing in a freshening breeze and making great headway toward home port, with the crew now well-mellowed-out and happy after a few hours of sailing in ideal conditions: Joe and Bruce here.....
John here....
...and Bob here.
As we passed pier 45, another sailboat was approaching the cityfront.
\
A lovely blue-hulled sailboat was approaching from the north on starboard tack, and we fell off to give her right of way so she could pass in front of us, and looking good except that her sails were flogging a bit.
The city was enjoying late slanted sunshine as we sailed past pier 39, pulling in the jib as we sailed along.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the main and ready ANTICIPATION for landing. A strong flood current was flowing through the marina as we motored in, landing quite well by going in high and letting the current push us down into the slip. A very nice outing through many sailing conditions.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 9:05 PM 
