Friday, June 08, 2007
THURSDAY, 7 JUNE 07-- SAILING OUT THE GATE IN BLUSTERY WINDS
We stayed in port on Tuesday because the winds were howling-- in the 25-35 knot range and I just didn't feel like dealing with those conditions. Today, the day started with moderate winds and with brilliant sunshine, the temperatures started to warm nicely.
Steve from Australia joined us again for an afternoon sail and we headed out about 2:15 pm for an afternoon sail with wind velocity already increasing.
We raised double-reefed main in expectation of the same blustery winds we have been experiencing recently, and put out a reefed jib and headed out into the cental bay to begin tacking toward the gate. The flags on the end of pier 39 were pegged out in the strong winds as we tacked away from the pier on our 3rd tack.
The city was enjoying the brilliant sunshine and clear air as we sailed away to the west.
We had some company on the blustery bay with this large ketch way in the east, heading for the Bay Bridge.
We tacked toward the lee of pier 45 and found some light air to reef the jib down to a double reef before tacking to the west again with Steve at the helm and enjoying the warm sunshine for a while.
This Islander 37 was sailing eastward down the cityfront with full canvas-- the sun drenched roof of the Palace of Fine Arts in the background.
We were blasting westward against the waxing flood current on the southwest breeze, passing Alcatraz with its increasingly whitewashed cliffs.
A few people were out on Alcatraz Island enjoying the sunshine.
Way behind us as we continued blasting westward were a few sailboats, one motoring and one sailing jib only.
Another sailboat was crossing the bay way behind us
Adventure Cat was heading westward with reefed main.
Way off on the southwest, a sailboat was heading for the gate on the sparkling waters of the bay.
Winds moderated after we sailed past Harding Rock, so we tacked to the southeast to go back into the stronger winds and continue our beat toward the gate with the GGB sparkling in the afternoon sunshine.
The hills of the Marin Headlands are still a bit green but quickly transforming toward Califonia gold color.
As we blasted across the bay in the winds of at least 25 knots, we began to see some windsurfers like this one.....
... and some kite surfers like this one...
...and another windsurfer like this one between us and the gate.
The windsurfer was having a blast being dragged by his kite across the bay's surface-- mostly flattened by the strong flood current. A couple of times a kite surfer went airborne but we didn't manage to catch them on film.
Several tacks later, we were finally sailing out the gate, reaching it on port tack and then tacking out on starboard tack. A few more tacks had us blasting southward away from the gate with Steve at the helm.
Behind us, another sailboat that we had seen coming out of the north earlier, was now shooting the gate.
We enjoyed the view of the city through the picture frame of the bridge between the south tower and Fort Point.
We continued sailing to the southwest into blasting westerly winds and building seas, reaching a point about 2/3rds of the way to mile rock before coming about and heading back inside the bay, where kitesurfers were continuing to enjoy the strong winds, like these two...
... and this one.
Here are a couple of short video clips showing how much fun the kite surfers were having.
As we blasted toward home port with full jib out now, this Hunter sailboat was blasting across the bay behind us.
A rowboat, probably out of the Dolphin Club or its neighbor rowing club, was being towed back toward Aquatic Park.
The city was still enjoying brilliant sunshine as we sailed between pier 45 and pier 39.
A dredging ship that we haven't seen for a while was approaching the dumping ground at Alcatraz shoal as we approached home port.
The flags on the end of pier 39 were still pegged out in winds of 25 knots or so.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse sails and ready ANTICIPATION for landing, after enjoying an amazingly quick trip back to home port covering about 6 miles over the bottom in about a half hour. Another 4 hours or so of enjoyable, sometimes extreme sailing on our wonderful bay.
We stayed in port on Tuesday because the winds were howling-- in the 25-35 knot range and I just didn't feel like dealing with those conditions. Today, the day started with moderate winds and with brilliant sunshine, the temperatures started to warm nicely.
Steve from Australia joined us again for an afternoon sail and we headed out about 2:15 pm for an afternoon sail with wind velocity already increasing.
We raised double-reefed main in expectation of the same blustery winds we have been experiencing recently, and put out a reefed jib and headed out into the cental bay to begin tacking toward the gate. The flags on the end of pier 39 were pegged out in the strong winds as we tacked away from the pier on our 3rd tack.
The city was enjoying the brilliant sunshine and clear air as we sailed away to the west.
We had some company on the blustery bay with this large ketch way in the east, heading for the Bay Bridge.
We tacked toward the lee of pier 45 and found some light air to reef the jib down to a double reef before tacking to the west again with Steve at the helm and enjoying the warm sunshine for a while.
This Islander 37 was sailing eastward down the cityfront with full canvas-- the sun drenched roof of the Palace of Fine Arts in the background.
We were blasting westward against the waxing flood current on the southwest breeze, passing Alcatraz with its increasingly whitewashed cliffs.
A few people were out on Alcatraz Island enjoying the sunshine.
Way behind us as we continued blasting westward were a few sailboats, one motoring and one sailing jib only.
Another sailboat was crossing the bay way behind us
Adventure Cat was heading westward with reefed main.
Way off on the southwest, a sailboat was heading for the gate on the sparkling waters of the bay.
Winds moderated after we sailed past Harding Rock, so we tacked to the southeast to go back into the stronger winds and continue our beat toward the gate with the GGB sparkling in the afternoon sunshine.
The hills of the Marin Headlands are still a bit green but quickly transforming toward Califonia gold color.
As we blasted across the bay in the winds of at least 25 knots, we began to see some windsurfers like this one.....
... and some kite surfers like this one...
...and another windsurfer like this one between us and the gate.
The windsurfer was having a blast being dragged by his kite across the bay's surface-- mostly flattened by the strong flood current. A couple of times a kite surfer went airborne but we didn't manage to catch them on film.
Several tacks later, we were finally sailing out the gate, reaching it on port tack and then tacking out on starboard tack. A few more tacks had us blasting southward away from the gate with Steve at the helm.
Behind us, another sailboat that we had seen coming out of the north earlier, was now shooting the gate.
We enjoyed the view of the city through the picture frame of the bridge between the south tower and Fort Point.
We continued sailing to the southwest into blasting westerly winds and building seas, reaching a point about 2/3rds of the way to mile rock before coming about and heading back inside the bay, where kitesurfers were continuing to enjoy the strong winds, like these two...
... and this one.
Here are a couple of short video clips showing how much fun the kite surfers were having.
As we blasted toward home port with full jib out now, this Hunter sailboat was blasting across the bay behind us.
A rowboat, probably out of the Dolphin Club or its neighbor rowing club, was being towed back toward Aquatic Park.
The city was still enjoying brilliant sunshine as we sailed between pier 45 and pier 39.
A dredging ship that we haven't seen for a while was approaching the dumping ground at Alcatraz shoal as we approached home port.
The flags on the end of pier 39 were still pegged out in winds of 25 knots or so.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse sails and ready ANTICIPATION for landing, after enjoying an amazingly quick trip back to home port covering about 6 miles over the bottom in about a half hour. Another 4 hours or so of enjoyable, sometimes extreme sailing on our wonderful bay.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 1:13 AM 
