Tuesday, May 15, 2007
SUNDAY 13 MAY 07-- ANGEL ISLAND PICNIC SAIL-- ABORTED
Ravil and Deva and their two girls, Connie and Maya, along with Deva's brother, Andy joined us in the morning, a little after 11 am, for a sail over to Angel Island where we intended to picnic and do a bit of walking around the island. Winds had been easterly earlier in the morning but turned to a freshening westerly before we headed out.
With single-reefed main and small jib, we headed out into the central bay, heading west for the weather side of Alcatraz, as this large sailboat passed to port, heading east.
A neighbor boat that motored out of the marina as we were raising sails was heading north in the lumpy seas of the bay.
Way off in the southwest, a flotilla of race boats under spinnaker was headed for their leeward mark.
That large sailboat earlier heading east had gybed and was now heading north.
That fleet of race boats had rounded the leeward mark and were now headed upwind toward the windward mark.
After passing the weather side of Alcatraz, we fell off to a beam reach and watched as the schooner owned by CALL OF THE SEA.ORG passed in front of us with a substantial load of passengers.
This fully canvassed Islander was heading across the bay and looking good.
Way over by Yellow Bluff, along the shore of the Marin Headlands, the ALMA was sailing under full canvas.
This beautiful race boat passed to port, looking great!
As we sailed up the weather shore of Angel Island, we watched these two sailboats sailing down Raccoon Straits.
As we approached the west mouth of the straits, we could see ADVENTURE CAT2 sailing westward along the Tiburon shore-- a bit unusual to see her in Raccoon Straits.
We sailed into the straits, and did a chicken gybe to head down the straits, and tried to start the engine as we approached Ayala Cove, but it wouldn't start after many attempts, so we had no choice but to abort our planned docking at the island, and instead headed back up Raccoon Straits, passing this well-reefed Catalina as we did so.
A bit later we spotted the charter schooner, BAY LADY, heading down the straits, doing wing and wing dead downwind...
... and she soon passed us to port.
After exiting the straits, we tacked and headed for home port, sailing up the weather side of Angel Island again, and watching this large center-cockpit sloop gradually pass us to starboard-- flying full canvas and looking great!
A bit of fog was hanging over the south end of the gate as we blasted into the central bay in good winds.
Behind us, the ALMA was now heading for Raccoon Straits, doing wing and wing.
That large center cockpit sloop was now passing us, having reefed it's mast furling main sail a bit in the meanwhile, but flying a lot more canvas than we were.
We enjoyed the somewhat extreme off the wind sail to home port, and still could not start the engine, so sailed into the slip on the end of A dock. After dousing the sails, the engine did start-- wouldn't you know it-- and we backed out of that slip and headed for our home slip, docked there and then enjoyed our picnic lunch in the warm, sunny cockpit of ANTICIPATION.
Ravil and Deva and their two girls, Connie and Maya, along with Deva's brother, Andy joined us in the morning, a little after 11 am, for a sail over to Angel Island where we intended to picnic and do a bit of walking around the island. Winds had been easterly earlier in the morning but turned to a freshening westerly before we headed out.
With single-reefed main and small jib, we headed out into the central bay, heading west for the weather side of Alcatraz, as this large sailboat passed to port, heading east.
A neighbor boat that motored out of the marina as we were raising sails was heading north in the lumpy seas of the bay.
Way off in the southwest, a flotilla of race boats under spinnaker was headed for their leeward mark.
That large sailboat earlier heading east had gybed and was now heading north.
That fleet of race boats had rounded the leeward mark and were now headed upwind toward the windward mark.
After passing the weather side of Alcatraz, we fell off to a beam reach and watched as the schooner owned by CALL OF THE SEA.ORG passed in front of us with a substantial load of passengers.
This fully canvassed Islander was heading across the bay and looking good.
Way over by Yellow Bluff, along the shore of the Marin Headlands, the ALMA was sailing under full canvas.
This beautiful race boat passed to port, looking great!
As we sailed up the weather shore of Angel Island, we watched these two sailboats sailing down Raccoon Straits.
As we approached the west mouth of the straits, we could see ADVENTURE CAT2 sailing westward along the Tiburon shore-- a bit unusual to see her in Raccoon Straits.
We sailed into the straits, and did a chicken gybe to head down the straits, and tried to start the engine as we approached Ayala Cove, but it wouldn't start after many attempts, so we had no choice but to abort our planned docking at the island, and instead headed back up Raccoon Straits, passing this well-reefed Catalina as we did so.
A bit later we spotted the charter schooner, BAY LADY, heading down the straits, doing wing and wing dead downwind...
... and she soon passed us to port.
After exiting the straits, we tacked and headed for home port, sailing up the weather side of Angel Island again, and watching this large center-cockpit sloop gradually pass us to starboard-- flying full canvas and looking great!
A bit of fog was hanging over the south end of the gate as we blasted into the central bay in good winds.
Behind us, the ALMA was now heading for Raccoon Straits, doing wing and wing.
That large center cockpit sloop was now passing us, having reefed it's mast furling main sail a bit in the meanwhile, but flying a lot more canvas than we were.
We enjoyed the somewhat extreme off the wind sail to home port, and still could not start the engine, so sailed into the slip on the end of A dock. After dousing the sails, the engine did start-- wouldn't you know it-- and we backed out of that slip and headed for our home slip, docked there and then enjoyed our picnic lunch in the warm, sunny cockpit of ANTICIPATION.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 12:17 AM 
