TUESDAY, 27 JANUARY 09 -- TIME ON THE BAY GETTING ALMOST NOWHERE

Monday there was not enough wind for sailing. Monday night a strong northerly breeze came up and in the morning it was still blowing, but only lasted until about 10 am and then died away. I was doing some teak oiling in the afternoon and around 1:30 pm a westerly wind started to blow up, so I had a quick lunch and got ready to head out for some sailing.

I raised full main just outside the marina exit and then headed out into the central bay where a waxing ebb current was already quite strong.



We headed east, sailing across the current initially and being dragged northward by the current, passing astern of the cruise ship tied up at pier 35. Seemed quite unusual to have one in port this time of year.




We sailed eastward toward Treasure Island, while behind us this Red and White ferry was headed back toward her home port with many more passengers than she usually has this time of the year.




Ahead of us, this J-boat was sailing northward, with the current...




....but TRICKSTER soon changed her mind and had come about to head back to the south against the current.




The city was enjoying warm sunshine, but the buildings were in shadow due to the sun angle at this time of year.





There were some other sailboats out on the bay, like this catamaran just off the shore of Angel Island..




... and some sailboats way in the west, just inside the gate.





After passing Blossom Rock, we gybed and headed south toward the Bay Bridge, while TRICKSTER was over by the shore of the city trying to make headway south in light winds there and having no success. She eventually began motorsailing toward the Bay Bridge.




Over in the north, a thick cloud of black smoke was rising over the hills from some kind of fire.





We could see the breeze coming closer as it propagated across the dead wind zone we were in....




... and that sailboat with the kite was closing the gap between us.





The wind finally reached us and we began to make a little bit of progress to the south again, but noted that that kite-flying sailboat had gybed and was now headed northeast on port tack.




Way in the west, a container ship was steaming in, accompanied by some sailboats....




... and off in the east, near Yerba Buena Island, a tug was waiting to escort her into the Port of Oakland and help her dock.




That kite-flying sailboat had now gybed again and was headed our way on starboard tack.




We started to lose the breeze again and that kite-flying boat gybed away again to stay in the breeze further north of us. We could now spot her name, Frisky. Behind her that cloud of smoke from the fire was spreading.




Frisky had a two person crew and they seemed to be handling the boat very well in the gybes.




The wind filled in around us again and Frisky gybed again to head for the Bay Bridge...




... but eventually arrived in a dead wind zone and her kite was then tenidng to collapse.




We had managed to sail a short ways past pier 29 the wind was alternately puffind and disappearing, while behind us that container ship was steaming toward the Bay Bridge.



I gave up on sailing at this point and pulled in the jib while downwind and then came about to head for home on main only, being dragged by the current. With the cruise ship at pier 35, we coulding go there for wind relief, so I doused the main while traversing between piers 33 and 35, then motored to the west side of pier 35 to tied up the main and ready for landing. We then motored into the marina and landed fine by going in low and playing the current.