Sunday, April 29, 2007
SATURDAY 28 APRIL 07-- SUNSET SAIL WITH BLASTING WINDS AT SUNSET
We headed out in the late afternoon, around 5:30 pm, for a sail to the gate and back.
Moderate winds were blowing when we left port and it was tempting to raise a full main, but out of abundance of caution, we put up a single-reefed main in case the blasting winds came up later.
We headed out into the central bay, sailing northward on a northwesterly breeze, and pulled out the jib to full. Way off to starboard, down the cityfront, a sailboat flying main only was accompanied by a dingy for some unknown reason-- possibly the sailboat's engine wouldn't start and the people on the foredeck were getting ready to toss the dingy a tow line.
Neighbor boat, PRIVATEER, which operates a charter service, headed out of port after we did, motored past us and put up full main and jib, but we eventually caught up with her and easily passed her, both of us being pushed eastward by the waxing flood current.
After we were well ahead of PRIVATEER, we tacked toward the southwest and left her behind as she continued sailing to the northwest.
Much further behind us was the charter sloop, RUBY, also out for a charter sunset sail.
The city was enjoying hazy sunshine as we sailed westward after tacking away and having the wind shift into the southwest and begin to freshen.
Russian HIll and Hyde Street-- the cable car hill-- were enjoying the afternoon sunshine as we passed.
Alcatraz was enjoying the late sunshine.
The haze thickened and as we blasted westward, on the verge of being overpowered as the wind freshened past 12-15 knots, and the city behind was barely visibile.
Overhead, the near-full moon was shining brightly in the late afternoon sky.
A bit of sunset color was displayed over the fog bank on top of the Marin Headlands.
Eventually we had to come about and fall off to dead downwind to reef the jib as the wind had now freshened to well over 15 knots--- perhaps 20, and we noticed that the San Francisco Belle-- that garish looking party boat-- was steaming toward the gate.
We continued beating against the waxing flood courrent toward the gate for a while, but as the wind continued to increase to around 25 knots-- what gives with this freshening breeze at 8 pm?????-- we decided to head for home port with the fog starting to move toward the bay.
The fog blasted into the bay and by the time we were at home port, the fog bank had obscurred all the west part of the bay up to Alcatraz.
We headed out in the late afternoon, around 5:30 pm, for a sail to the gate and back.
Moderate winds were blowing when we left port and it was tempting to raise a full main, but out of abundance of caution, we put up a single-reefed main in case the blasting winds came up later.
We headed out into the central bay, sailing northward on a northwesterly breeze, and pulled out the jib to full. Way off to starboard, down the cityfront, a sailboat flying main only was accompanied by a dingy for some unknown reason-- possibly the sailboat's engine wouldn't start and the people on the foredeck were getting ready to toss the dingy a tow line.
Neighbor boat, PRIVATEER, which operates a charter service, headed out of port after we did, motored past us and put up full main and jib, but we eventually caught up with her and easily passed her, both of us being pushed eastward by the waxing flood current.
After we were well ahead of PRIVATEER, we tacked toward the southwest and left her behind as she continued sailing to the northwest.
Much further behind us was the charter sloop, RUBY, also out for a charter sunset sail.
The city was enjoying hazy sunshine as we sailed westward after tacking away and having the wind shift into the southwest and begin to freshen.
Russian HIll and Hyde Street-- the cable car hill-- were enjoying the afternoon sunshine as we passed.
Alcatraz was enjoying the late sunshine.
The haze thickened and as we blasted westward, on the verge of being overpowered as the wind freshened past 12-15 knots, and the city behind was barely visibile.
Overhead, the near-full moon was shining brightly in the late afternoon sky.
A bit of sunset color was displayed over the fog bank on top of the Marin Headlands.
Eventually we had to come about and fall off to dead downwind to reef the jib as the wind had now freshened to well over 15 knots--- perhaps 20, and we noticed that the San Francisco Belle-- that garish looking party boat-- was steaming toward the gate.
We continued beating against the waxing flood courrent toward the gate for a while, but as the wind continued to increase to around 25 knots-- what gives with this freshening breeze at 8 pm?????-- we decided to head for home port with the fog starting to move toward the bay.
The fog blasted into the bay and by the time we were at home port, the fog bank had obscurred all the west part of the bay up to Alcatraz.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 11:48 PM 
