Friday, April 06, 2007
THURSDAY-- BLUSTERY SAIL TO THE GATE AND BACK
Winds were moderate when we left port around 3 pm....
....and this sailboat was just tacking to the west as we were
getting ready to raise the main outside the marina.
We expected stronger winds later in the afternoon, so we put up single-reefed main and headed out into the central bay where this Catalina was dousing her main sail....
...and SHOOTER was motoring past.
We pulled out the jib to full and headed westward for a while on the southwesterly breeze, then tacked toward the lee of pier 45, but was forced to tack again by a tug that was steaming along and too close for comfort.
As we sailed westward, the city behind us was enjoying hazy sunshine.
After a while, we noticed a large motor vessel named GLOBAL SENTINEL that looked like a research vessel steaming toward the gate on the north side of Alcatraz with a lovely Tartan sailboat headed toward her.
Alcatraz was also enjoying hazy sunshine....
...and this time there were people walking around on the outside of the buildings.
The breeze now started to freshen dramatically, and soon we were on the verge of being overpowered, so decided to come about, head dead downwind and reef the jib to a small size, before coming about again and heading westward.
We were approaching Yellow Bluff and enjoying the view of the GGB standing stately at the gate, and the ADVENTURE CAT heading back inside the bay....
... and eventually headed our way to avoid an outbound tanker and passing to port.
We tacked in the lighter winds approaching Yellow Bluff to sail to the southeast a while, then tacked into Horseshoe Cove, and from there tacked to sail parallel to the gate when we saw this lone kitesurfer headed our way...
... and blasting past our stern.
A while later, we had tacked to sail out the gate, and the kitesurfer was blasting toward us, veered off as he approached and launched off our small wake into the air about 20 feet off the water-- wish we could have made a video of that, but alas....
We sailed out the gate a short distance about midspan and then fell off to head back inside as the fog was beginning to obscure the south tower of the GGB.
We gybed in lighter air just southeast of Horseshoe Cove, and headed for home port on broad reach starboard tack, pulling out the jib for more power for our downwind sail with the city in front of us locked in haze or a thin marine layer.
A sailboat flying jib only crossed way in front of us.
Another sailboat with full canvas was heading northeast.
The city was looking beautiful in hazy sunshine as we sailed past pier 45.
We were surfing on some wind waves, especially on some wind gusts, as we reached for home port.
Pier 39 flags were still pegged out in the 20-25 knot winds as we passed the end of the pier, then sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the sails.
As we were motoring toward the marina entrance, GO DOG GO was sailing out of port, perhaps heading for McCovey cove to try to catch a Bond's homerun ball.
\
Winds were moderate when we left port around 3 pm....
....and this sailboat was just tacking to the west as we were
getting ready to raise the main outside the marina.
We expected stronger winds later in the afternoon, so we put up single-reefed main and headed out into the central bay where this Catalina was dousing her main sail....
...and SHOOTER was motoring past.
We pulled out the jib to full and headed westward for a while on the southwesterly breeze, then tacked toward the lee of pier 45, but was forced to tack again by a tug that was steaming along and too close for comfort.
As we sailed westward, the city behind us was enjoying hazy sunshine.
After a while, we noticed a large motor vessel named GLOBAL SENTINEL that looked like a research vessel steaming toward the gate on the north side of Alcatraz with a lovely Tartan sailboat headed toward her.
Alcatraz was also enjoying hazy sunshine....
...and this time there were people walking around on the outside of the buildings.
The breeze now started to freshen dramatically, and soon we were on the verge of being overpowered, so decided to come about, head dead downwind and reef the jib to a small size, before coming about again and heading westward.
We were approaching Yellow Bluff and enjoying the view of the GGB standing stately at the gate, and the ADVENTURE CAT heading back inside the bay....
... and eventually headed our way to avoid an outbound tanker and passing to port.
We tacked in the lighter winds approaching Yellow Bluff to sail to the southeast a while, then tacked into Horseshoe Cove, and from there tacked to sail parallel to the gate when we saw this lone kitesurfer headed our way...
... and blasting past our stern.
A while later, we had tacked to sail out the gate, and the kitesurfer was blasting toward us, veered off as he approached and launched off our small wake into the air about 20 feet off the water-- wish we could have made a video of that, but alas....
We sailed out the gate a short distance about midspan and then fell off to head back inside as the fog was beginning to obscure the south tower of the GGB.
We gybed in lighter air just southeast of Horseshoe Cove, and headed for home port on broad reach starboard tack, pulling out the jib for more power for our downwind sail with the city in front of us locked in haze or a thin marine layer.
A sailboat flying jib only crossed way in front of us.
Another sailboat with full canvas was heading northeast.
The city was looking beautiful in hazy sunshine as we sailed past pier 45.
We were surfing on some wind waves, especially on some wind gusts, as we reached for home port.
Pier 39 flags were still pegged out in the 20-25 knot winds as we passed the end of the pier, then sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the sails.
As we were motoring toward the marina entrance, GO DOG GO was sailing out of port, perhaps heading for McCovey cove to try to catch a Bond's homerun ball.
\
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 11:11 PM 
