Tuesday, March 06, 2007
SUNDAY 4 MARCH 07-- 2 BRIDGE KISS AND NIGHT SAILING
Carol and Svetlana joined us for an afternoon sail and we left port about an hour later than planned due to bad traffic problems delaying their arrival. No matter as there was very little wind during that time. We left port, hoping for a freshening breeze, and passed boat neighbor GO DOG GO sailing out of port. We raised full main heading north out of the marina and then put out full jib and headed out into the central bay.
Behind us, the DOG was sailing along the west side of pier 35 heading for the central bay, but a short time later, we saw them heading back into port, apparently fearing the stong ebb current and light winds since they have no engine on board.
We headed northeast toward Treasure Island in the light northerly breeze with the ebb current carrying us northward. Ahead of us, in the distance, we could see the Lady Washington and a large sailboat flying a cruising spinnaker,and about to pass the Lady.
Some dramatic cloud patterns overhead and in the west created some interesting light and shadow patterns.
The breeze freshened out of the west and we were soon making some good headway toward the A-B span of the Bay Bridge after gybing. We sailed to near the cityfront at around pier 19 and then gybed away to the east again, hoping to be able to sail to the D-E span of the Bay Bridge, with the helming being handled by Svetlana....
....and Carol.
After a while, I took the helm and Carol and Svetlana took the opportunity to enjoy some cabernet. [As skipper, I never drink any alcohol while out on the water.]
Another sailboat was heading west closer to the cityfront.
The breeze was strong enough to give us headway against the declining ebb current and we managed to sail through the D-E span of the Bay Bridge and then we came about and headed north on close reach port tack.
This Catalina passed to starboard, heading for the Bay Bridge.
As we sailed northward, we gradually caught up to this Beneteau, sailing a bit more off the wind, but much slower than we.
As we sailed well to the east of Alcatraz, a bit of sunset color was hanging over the island in the southwest.
After passing Alcatraz, the sunset color was now seen through and above the gate....
and later over the Marin Headlands.
The wind gradually shifted into the southwest and intensified to the point that we were on the verge of being overpowered, so we tacked and sailed a bit off the wind, with sails eased out until we reached a quiet zone in the lee of Alcatraz where we could pull in the jib to a much smaller size, and then continued sailing toward the cityront, arriving just west of Aquatic Park at a time that city lights were coming up.
We then tacked toward the gate, covered by overcast skies, and now lighted.
As we approached the gate, this sailboat passed astern.
The GGB looked brilliant in the dramatic twilight sky, here the south tower ...
...and the north tower, also backed by light and shadow twilight skies.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside, sailing on broad reach, with essentially slack current, and slowly sailing back toward home port, hoping to see the full moon rising, but frustrated by heavy cloud cover over the east bay hills, but we enjoyed the city lights as we sailed along.
After passing pier 45 the wind died down, so we started motoring, pulling in the jib and then readying the boat for landing, and dousing the main after passing the east marina, and then motoring into the marina and landing fine in the strong flood current.
Carol and Svetlana joined us for an afternoon sail and we left port about an hour later than planned due to bad traffic problems delaying their arrival. No matter as there was very little wind during that time. We left port, hoping for a freshening breeze, and passed boat neighbor GO DOG GO sailing out of port. We raised full main heading north out of the marina and then put out full jib and headed out into the central bay.
Behind us, the DOG was sailing along the west side of pier 35 heading for the central bay, but a short time later, we saw them heading back into port, apparently fearing the stong ebb current and light winds since they have no engine on board.
We headed northeast toward Treasure Island in the light northerly breeze with the ebb current carrying us northward. Ahead of us, in the distance, we could see the Lady Washington and a large sailboat flying a cruising spinnaker,and about to pass the Lady.
Some dramatic cloud patterns overhead and in the west created some interesting light and shadow patterns.
The breeze freshened out of the west and we were soon making some good headway toward the A-B span of the Bay Bridge after gybing. We sailed to near the cityfront at around pier 19 and then gybed away to the east again, hoping to be able to sail to the D-E span of the Bay Bridge, with the helming being handled by Svetlana....
....and Carol.
After a while, I took the helm and Carol and Svetlana took the opportunity to enjoy some cabernet. [As skipper, I never drink any alcohol while out on the water.]
Another sailboat was heading west closer to the cityfront.
The breeze was strong enough to give us headway against the declining ebb current and we managed to sail through the D-E span of the Bay Bridge and then we came about and headed north on close reach port tack.
This Catalina passed to starboard, heading for the Bay Bridge.
As we sailed northward, we gradually caught up to this Beneteau, sailing a bit more off the wind, but much slower than we.
As we sailed well to the east of Alcatraz, a bit of sunset color was hanging over the island in the southwest.
After passing Alcatraz, the sunset color was now seen through and above the gate....
and later over the Marin Headlands.
The wind gradually shifted into the southwest and intensified to the point that we were on the verge of being overpowered, so we tacked and sailed a bit off the wind, with sails eased out until we reached a quiet zone in the lee of Alcatraz where we could pull in the jib to a much smaller size, and then continued sailing toward the cityront, arriving just west of Aquatic Park at a time that city lights were coming up.
We then tacked toward the gate, covered by overcast skies, and now lighted.
As we approached the gate, this sailboat passed astern.
The GGB looked brilliant in the dramatic twilight sky, here the south tower ...
...and the north tower, also backed by light and shadow twilight skies.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside, sailing on broad reach, with essentially slack current, and slowly sailing back toward home port, hoping to see the full moon rising, but frustrated by heavy cloud cover over the east bay hills, but we enjoyed the city lights as we sailed along.
After passing pier 45 the wind died down, so we started motoring, pulling in the jib and then readying the boat for landing, and dousing the main after passing the east marina, and then motoring into the marina and landing fine in the strong flood current.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 11:29 AM 
