Wednesday, June 13, 2007
SUNDAY 10 JUNE 07-- BLUSTERY WINDS IN CENTRAL BAY, SOFTER WINDS IN LEE OF ANGEL AND IN RACCON STRAITS
Greg and his son, Michael, came down from the Placerville area again for our afternoon outing, and Michael Irish also joined us for the outing. We left port about 2:30 pm, raised double-reefed main, put out reefed jib and headed north toward the lee side of Angel Island.
Winds were strong and had built some large wind waves so we were rocking and rolling and taking some spray as we crossed the central bay. Winds softened in the lee of Angel Island and it was nice to have some soft winds for a while. We sailed northward, staying far away from the east shore to stay in the winds, pulling out the jib to full for more power and successfully ghosted our way toward the east mouth of Raccoon Straits.
Then an unfortunate incident happened-- which is why there are no photos in this blog so far-- I was grinding the winch for the jib sheet on the starboard side and, as I pulled out the winch handle, my elbow banged into the camera in my pocket and knocked it out and right over the side into the bay, KERPLUNK! A sinking feeling gripped me as it sunk out of sight.
With my back up camera now in that pocket, we sailed into the mouth of Raccoon Straits, joining some other sailboats heading in different directions.
This Santana 25 passed in front of us, heading out of the straits.
We entered the straits just inside the north shore, and then tacked toward Angel Island, tacking again after approaching the shore of the island, and sailing past Ayala Cove, where a few boats were still tied up at the buoys and at the docks of the small marina.
Young Michael, who has become a sailing and racing enthusiast, along with his dad, was at the helm as we sailed toward the west mouth of the straits in light winds against a moderate flood current.
A smal sailboat was sailing westward along the shore of the island.
This lovely sailboat, flying full canvas, passed to starboard, looking good!
We were gradually catching up to a Catalina 36, flying full canvas, despite our double-reefed main and smaller jib.
A bit later, she tacked our way along with another sailboat, so we tacked also to avoid conflict and the Catalina, named MOONSHADOW, was now behind us off our port side.
A catamaran, flying main only, was sailing down the straits near the shore fo the island.
A few more tacks took us out of the straits into a area of almost no wind, and we were eventually forced to turn on the engine and motor out of the wind hole and then sailing up the westher side of the island, passing the large and lovely center cockpit Swan that we see on the bay from time to time.
A small Hunter approached, heading for the straits.
We soon encountered strong winds and tacked toward Sausalito, sailing westward until we found a soft spot in the wind and then reefed the jib to a hankie size before heading southeast toward home port, and watching this large and well-reefed sailboat heading for Sausalito.
The crossing was blustery and rough but we had the right amount of canvas for the 25-35 knot winds that we encountered. Winds were quite southerly so we were sailing on close hauled course and still could not point high enough to clear the buoy on the weather side of Alcatraz. So we sailed past the lee side of the island, where some gusty spots and dead wind spots were encountered, as usual, and then after passing the southeast point of the island, we encountered the strongest winds of the day as we crossed over toward the marina.
We eventually sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the sails and get ready to land. Another outing that combined some extreme sailing and enjoyment of varying microclimes of the bay.
Greg and his son, Michael, came down from the Placerville area again for our afternoon outing, and Michael Irish also joined us for the outing. We left port about 2:30 pm, raised double-reefed main, put out reefed jib and headed north toward the lee side of Angel Island.
Winds were strong and had built some large wind waves so we were rocking and rolling and taking some spray as we crossed the central bay. Winds softened in the lee of Angel Island and it was nice to have some soft winds for a while. We sailed northward, staying far away from the east shore to stay in the winds, pulling out the jib to full for more power and successfully ghosted our way toward the east mouth of Raccoon Straits.
Then an unfortunate incident happened-- which is why there are no photos in this blog so far-- I was grinding the winch for the jib sheet on the starboard side and, as I pulled out the winch handle, my elbow banged into the camera in my pocket and knocked it out and right over the side into the bay, KERPLUNK! A sinking feeling gripped me as it sunk out of sight.
With my back up camera now in that pocket, we sailed into the mouth of Raccoon Straits, joining some other sailboats heading in different directions.
This Santana 25 passed in front of us, heading out of the straits.
We entered the straits just inside the north shore, and then tacked toward Angel Island, tacking again after approaching the shore of the island, and sailing past Ayala Cove, where a few boats were still tied up at the buoys and at the docks of the small marina.
Young Michael, who has become a sailing and racing enthusiast, along with his dad, was at the helm as we sailed toward the west mouth of the straits in light winds against a moderate flood current.
A smal sailboat was sailing westward along the shore of the island.
This lovely sailboat, flying full canvas, passed to starboard, looking good!
We were gradually catching up to a Catalina 36, flying full canvas, despite our double-reefed main and smaller jib.
A bit later, she tacked our way along with another sailboat, so we tacked also to avoid conflict and the Catalina, named MOONSHADOW, was now behind us off our port side.
A catamaran, flying main only, was sailing down the straits near the shore fo the island.
A few more tacks took us out of the straits into a area of almost no wind, and we were eventually forced to turn on the engine and motor out of the wind hole and then sailing up the westher side of the island, passing the large and lovely center cockpit Swan that we see on the bay from time to time.
A small Hunter approached, heading for the straits.
We soon encountered strong winds and tacked toward Sausalito, sailing westward until we found a soft spot in the wind and then reefed the jib to a hankie size before heading southeast toward home port, and watching this large and well-reefed sailboat heading for Sausalito.
The crossing was blustery and rough but we had the right amount of canvas for the 25-35 knot winds that we encountered. Winds were quite southerly so we were sailing on close hauled course and still could not point high enough to clear the buoy on the weather side of Alcatraz. So we sailed past the lee side of the island, where some gusty spots and dead wind spots were encountered, as usual, and then after passing the southeast point of the island, we encountered the strongest winds of the day as we crossed over toward the marina.
We eventually sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the sails and get ready to land. Another outing that combined some extreme sailing and enjoyment of varying microclimes of the bay.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 5:12 PM 
