Saturday, September 22, 2007
FRIDAY, 21 SEPT. 07-- TRIP AROUND ANGEL ISLAND BEFORE THE EARLY RAIN CAME
Michael joined us for a mid-afternoon outing and we left port about 3 pm and headed north with the intention of sailing around Angel Island.
As we sailed northward, a large Matson freighter crossed in front of us, heavily loaded, and headed for Hawaii with cargo including a variety of new cars aboard.
This sailboat passed us, heading south....
...followed a bit later by this one, also heading south toward the Bay Bridge.
With a strong breeze, we were soon east of Angel Island, and enjoying a view of Mt. Tam towering over the Tiburon Headlands.
Eventually, this catboat approached....
....and DAZZLER passed astern of us....
.. before tacking to head for Raccoon Straits.
We headed up sometime later to head for the straits and just missed the north end of the eastern mouth of the straits, so had to tack to enter the straits, sailing toward Angel Island and watching this small sailboat heading east out of the straits, with a larger sailboat behind also leaving the straits.
A small raceboat was blasting down the straits under spinnaker-- perhaps a 29er or a 480.
After approaching the northeast shore of Angel Island, we tacked to sail west through the straits, and passed this nice looking sailboat headed east.
We sailed past Ayala Cove and noticed that four sailboats were tied up at the buoy field....
...while only two sailboats were tied up at the docks.
DAZZLER had sailed up the straits and was now headed back to the east along the Tiburon shore.
Another sailboat had entered the straits under spinnaker and then doused it and headed for one of the Tiburon marinas.
Winds drastically softened and became shifty in the middle section of the straits, and a flood current was flowing, so we started to struggle to make progress westward as we watched this fireboat blasting out sprays of water just east of Belvedere.
Behind us a couple of sailboats were crossing paths as they crossed the straits in different directions.
Eventually, we had to give up and start motoring through the rest of the straits, and as we did, enjoying the view of Mt. Tam, towering over Tiburon.
This sailboat behind us was tacking across the straits.
We motored around the northwest point of Angel Island and up hte western shore, passing this civil war era building on shore.
We eventually found some light breeze after motoring past the island, and so were able to begin sailing again, heading toward home port.
Ahead of us, LOLA, a charter sailboat out of pier 39 had come about and was heading back toward home port.
A nice looking large sailboat was behind us and sailing in almost the same directoin and looking good as she ghosted along.
Far to the southwest, another sailboat was crossing the bay, heading toward Raccoon Straits with the overcast GGB behind her.
The sun was illuminating some dramatic cloud patterns over the bay and the headlands, and we eventually encountered some much stronger winds that had us blasing toward home port.
This Islander was heading across the bay, sailing eastward and off the wind, and we watched as she seemed to be headed right for the now-hidden rock just west of Alcatraz, but then tried to head up to try to clear the buoy guarding the rock, but to no avail with the flood current pushing her east and forcing her to tack back to the west. She could have pointed closer to the wind like we were and then easily cleared the buoy.
Alcatraz was in shadow with an interesting pattern of cloud and blue sky overhead and in the distance.
The strong winds held all the way to home port, and the flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering smartly in the still-strong breeze.
Skies were darkening over the south half of the bay and the city as we sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse sail and ready for landing.
We then motored into port and tied up. The rain started with in the next half hour, so we were happy to have returned before the rain started.
Michael joined us for a mid-afternoon outing and we left port about 3 pm and headed north with the intention of sailing around Angel Island.
As we sailed northward, a large Matson freighter crossed in front of us, heavily loaded, and headed for Hawaii with cargo including a variety of new cars aboard.
This sailboat passed us, heading south....
...followed a bit later by this one, also heading south toward the Bay Bridge.
With a strong breeze, we were soon east of Angel Island, and enjoying a view of Mt. Tam towering over the Tiburon Headlands.
Eventually, this catboat approached....
....and DAZZLER passed astern of us....
.. before tacking to head for Raccoon Straits.
We headed up sometime later to head for the straits and just missed the north end of the eastern mouth of the straits, so had to tack to enter the straits, sailing toward Angel Island and watching this small sailboat heading east out of the straits, with a larger sailboat behind also leaving the straits.
A small raceboat was blasting down the straits under spinnaker-- perhaps a 29er or a 480.
After approaching the northeast shore of Angel Island, we tacked to sail west through the straits, and passed this nice looking sailboat headed east.
We sailed past Ayala Cove and noticed that four sailboats were tied up at the buoy field....
...while only two sailboats were tied up at the docks.
DAZZLER had sailed up the straits and was now headed back to the east along the Tiburon shore.
Another sailboat had entered the straits under spinnaker and then doused it and headed for one of the Tiburon marinas.
Winds drastically softened and became shifty in the middle section of the straits, and a flood current was flowing, so we started to struggle to make progress westward as we watched this fireboat blasting out sprays of water just east of Belvedere.
Behind us a couple of sailboats were crossing paths as they crossed the straits in different directions.
Eventually, we had to give up and start motoring through the rest of the straits, and as we did, enjoying the view of Mt. Tam, towering over Tiburon.
This sailboat behind us was tacking across the straits.
We motored around the northwest point of Angel Island and up hte western shore, passing this civil war era building on shore.
We eventually found some light breeze after motoring past the island, and so were able to begin sailing again, heading toward home port.
Ahead of us, LOLA, a charter sailboat out of pier 39 had come about and was heading back toward home port.
A nice looking large sailboat was behind us and sailing in almost the same directoin and looking good as she ghosted along.
Far to the southwest, another sailboat was crossing the bay, heading toward Raccoon Straits with the overcast GGB behind her.
The sun was illuminating some dramatic cloud patterns over the bay and the headlands, and we eventually encountered some much stronger winds that had us blasing toward home port.
This Islander was heading across the bay, sailing eastward and off the wind, and we watched as she seemed to be headed right for the now-hidden rock just west of Alcatraz, but then tried to head up to try to clear the buoy guarding the rock, but to no avail with the flood current pushing her east and forcing her to tack back to the west. She could have pointed closer to the wind like we were and then easily cleared the buoy.
Alcatraz was in shadow with an interesting pattern of cloud and blue sky overhead and in the distance.
The strong winds held all the way to home port, and the flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering smartly in the still-strong breeze.
Skies were darkening over the south half of the bay and the city as we sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse sail and ready for landing.
We then motored into port and tied up. The rain started with in the next half hour, so we were happy to have returned before the rain started.
# posted by charlie bergstedt @ 11:21 PM 
