Tuesday, June 05, 2007
SUNDAY 3 JUNE 07-- MORE EXTREME WINDS ON S.F. BAY!
Stevan and Stella, originally from Serbia [former Yugoslavia] and later from Canada, joined us for an afternoon sailing outing. We headed out into the central bay with single-reefed main and small jib, sailed out to the west for a while and then tacked toward the lee of pier 45.
The flags on the end of pier 39 were pegged out in winds in the 15-20 knot range.
Stevan was at the helm as we sailed away from the cityfront.
The city was enjoying brilliant sunshine as we headed west on the southwest breeze.
This small catamaran passed to port, sailing downwind.
Off to starboard, this large sailboat was sailing past the north shore of Alcatraz, also sailing downwind.
A bit later, this small procket cruiser blasted past to port, heading downwind...
... as did this small sailboat.
There were fewer boats than on a usual Sunday afternoon, but this large ketch, flying jib and mizzen sails, was crossing the bay between us and the gate.
You can see some of the wind wave action hiding much of the port sides of this ketch.
The winds now started to increase dramatically in velocity as we were approaching the lee shore of the Marin Headlands-- more historically unusual wind behavior. THERE WAS NO LEE SHORE ANYWHERE. In fact, though the winds shifted into the west, they continued to increase in velocity, perhaps to as much as 30-35 knots sustained, and we kept falling off more and more until we were blasting downwind toward Raccoon Straits and surfing on wind waves crossing the mouth of Richardson Bay between Sausalito and Belvedere.
We passed in front of a sailboat flying full canvas and being clobbered by the strong winds- sails flogging dramatically. Several other sailboats heading for the usually calm waters of Richardson Bay were getting hammered by the blasting winds.
When we arrived at a point south of Belvedere, the winds softened and soon we found ourselves in a large wind hole created by the collision of the westerly coming over the Marin Headlands and the southwesterly coming through the gate.
We tried for some time to sail or drift out of the wind hole, watching this trimaran out of Raccoon Straits motor around us in the meanwhile.
This Hunter was also motoring southeastward to move out of the wind hole.
Finally we gave up and also turned on the engine to motor out of the windhole, and eventually arrived in moderate breezes southwest of Angel Island, then fell off to broad reach starboard tack toward the north end of Treasure Island, driven by winds increasing in velocity, and eventually watching this sailboat named DIXIE cross in front of us, heading westward in the strong winds.
Surprisingly, on the crossing toward Treasure Island, we spotted a kite surfer just south of Angel Island, very far from where he must have launched into the sea, and later, just north of Treasure Island we encountered some windsurfers, like this one.
As we headed up the lee shore of Treasure Island, winds moderated, and BUCKSKIN, a small OCSC sailboat passed to port flying full canvas. [Wonder if they later regretted the full canvas when they passed the lee shore and encountered the blasting winds of the central bay?]
We sailed around the south end of Yerba Buena Island until the city came into view through the Bay Bridge, and then we headed up to sail parallel to the bridge.
We passed the cute lighthouse and the house on the hill.
Winds were more moderate south of the bridge, with some small areas of gusty winds, so we enjoyed a quiet sail toward the A-B span of the Bay Bridge, while watching this sailboat sailing up the shore of the city, flying what might eventually be too much canvas.
After sailing through the A-B span toward the shore of the financial district, we spotted this lone kayaker heading toward the A tower of the bridge. Obviously, his port side paddle had just come out of the water as we snapped this shot.
The Bay Bridge was grayed out by the overcast skies.
On the shore, the bow and arrow sculpture was not enjoying the sunshine that we usually find it basking in most of the time.
Way over near Yerba Buena Island, just north of the D-E span of the Bay Bridge, we spotted a small sailboat headed our way in winds much stronger than we were now experiencing in the lee of the city.
Several people were standing on the walkway on top of the breakwater south of the Ferry Building as we ghosted past in light air.
Behind us, that same sailboat was now passing the Charlie tower of the bridge and we could see that she was a boat from Canada.
As she continued westward toward the cityfront, we could see that she had on her main sail the legend: LES GRANDS EXPLORATEURS, as well as a legend indicating that she originated from a port at the mouth of the St. Lawrence seaway in Quebec.
The financial district buildings were grayed out by the overcast as we continued ghosting northward along the shore in light air.
Way off to starboard, a large motorsailer, flying a lot of canvas was sailing downwind toward the Bay Bridge.
After tacking onto port tack, that Canadian sailboat, flying more canvas than we were, soon passed us to port, looking good.
She soon encountered much stronger winds on the central bay and was blasting westward into the blustery winds toward the fog bank in the west.
The sailboat DIXIE that earlier passed us heading west, now passed us on an eastward course toward the Bay Bridge and enjoying her downwind sail.
We sailed westward until we could tack into the lee of pier 35 and then did so, dousing sails there and readying ANTICIPATION for landing after a nice, but sometimes extreme four hours of sailing on our multi-climatic bay.
Stevan and Stella, originally from Serbia [former Yugoslavia] and later from Canada, joined us for an afternoon sailing outing. We headed out into the central bay with single-reefed main and small jib, sailed out to the west for a while and then tacked toward the lee of pier 45.
The flags on the end of pier 39 were pegged out in winds in the 15-20 knot range.
Stevan was at the helm as we sailed away from the cityfront.
The city was enjoying brilliant sunshine as we headed west on the southwest breeze.
This small catamaran passed to port, sailing downwind.
Off to starboard, this large sailboat was sailing past the north shore of Alcatraz, also sailing downwind.
A bit later, this small procket cruiser blasted past to port, heading downwind...
... as did this small sailboat.
There were fewer boats than on a usual Sunday afternoon, but this large ketch, flying jib and mizzen sails, was crossing the bay between us and the gate.
You can see some of the wind wave action hiding much of the port sides of this ketch.
The winds now started to increase dramatically in velocity as we were approaching the lee shore of the Marin Headlands-- more historically unusual wind behavior. THERE WAS NO LEE SHORE ANYWHERE. In fact, though the winds shifted into the west, they continued to increase in velocity, perhaps to as much as 30-35 knots sustained, and we kept falling off more and more until we were blasting downwind toward Raccoon Straits and surfing on wind waves crossing the mouth of Richardson Bay between Sausalito and Belvedere.
We passed in front of a sailboat flying full canvas and being clobbered by the strong winds- sails flogging dramatically. Several other sailboats heading for the usually calm waters of Richardson Bay were getting hammered by the blasting winds.
When we arrived at a point south of Belvedere, the winds softened and soon we found ourselves in a large wind hole created by the collision of the westerly coming over the Marin Headlands and the southwesterly coming through the gate.
We tried for some time to sail or drift out of the wind hole, watching this trimaran out of Raccoon Straits motor around us in the meanwhile.
This Hunter was also motoring southeastward to move out of the wind hole.
Finally we gave up and also turned on the engine to motor out of the windhole, and eventually arrived in moderate breezes southwest of Angel Island, then fell off to broad reach starboard tack toward the north end of Treasure Island, driven by winds increasing in velocity, and eventually watching this sailboat named DIXIE cross in front of us, heading westward in the strong winds.
Surprisingly, on the crossing toward Treasure Island, we spotted a kite surfer just south of Angel Island, very far from where he must have launched into the sea, and later, just north of Treasure Island we encountered some windsurfers, like this one.
As we headed up the lee shore of Treasure Island, winds moderated, and BUCKSKIN, a small OCSC sailboat passed to port flying full canvas. [Wonder if they later regretted the full canvas when they passed the lee shore and encountered the blasting winds of the central bay?]
We sailed around the south end of Yerba Buena Island until the city came into view through the Bay Bridge, and then we headed up to sail parallel to the bridge.
We passed the cute lighthouse and the house on the hill.
Winds were more moderate south of the bridge, with some small areas of gusty winds, so we enjoyed a quiet sail toward the A-B span of the Bay Bridge, while watching this sailboat sailing up the shore of the city, flying what might eventually be too much canvas.
After sailing through the A-B span toward the shore of the financial district, we spotted this lone kayaker heading toward the A tower of the bridge. Obviously, his port side paddle had just come out of the water as we snapped this shot.
The Bay Bridge was grayed out by the overcast skies.
On the shore, the bow and arrow sculpture was not enjoying the sunshine that we usually find it basking in most of the time.
Way over near Yerba Buena Island, just north of the D-E span of the Bay Bridge, we spotted a small sailboat headed our way in winds much stronger than we were now experiencing in the lee of the city.
Several people were standing on the walkway on top of the breakwater south of the Ferry Building as we ghosted past in light air.
Behind us, that same sailboat was now passing the Charlie tower of the bridge and we could see that she was a boat from Canada.
As she continued westward toward the cityfront, we could see that she had on her main sail the legend: LES GRANDS EXPLORATEURS, as well as a legend indicating that she originated from a port at the mouth of the St. Lawrence seaway in Quebec.
The financial district buildings were grayed out by the overcast as we continued ghosting northward along the shore in light air.
Way off to starboard, a large motorsailer, flying a lot of canvas was sailing downwind toward the Bay Bridge.
After tacking onto port tack, that Canadian sailboat, flying more canvas than we were, soon passed us to port, looking good.
She soon encountered much stronger winds on the central bay and was blasting westward into the blustery winds toward the fog bank in the west.
The sailboat DIXIE that earlier passed us heading west, now passed us on an eastward course toward the Bay Bridge and enjoying her downwind sail.
We sailed westward until we could tack into the lee of pier 35 and then did so, dousing sails there and readying ANTICIPATION for landing after a nice, but sometimes extreme four hours of sailing on our multi-climatic bay.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 12:02 PM 
