I pulled up a single reefed main in front of pier 35 where there was a bit of lee effect and then headed north on main only, hoping to catch some of the RegattaPro racing in Berkeley Circle. I eventually pulled out the jib to full for more speed since we were sailing downwind on starboard tack broad reach.
Skies over the western part of the bay were partly cloudy with some beautiful cloud patterns.
However, the city was completely overcast.
We didn't see any race boats anywhere, but this J105 was heading along the shore of Treasure Island, probably heading home after finishing the race.
We were on course to pass port to port with a tugboat pulling a barge when she changed course and headed at us, forcing us to change course and luff up the sails until we passed them. The tug had stopped pulling the barge and was backing toward the stern of the barge for some unknown reason.
As we continued northward, this race boat named HARRY passed to port.
After sailing well past Alcatraz, I decided to do a chicken gybe and head for the gate on port tack, then spotted a neighbor boat also headed west on port tack. This boat left port behind us, raised full canvas in the same area and headed west while we headed north, so I was surprised to see her north of Alcatraz. She was looking good as she sailed west under full canvas.
A bit later, this same neighbor boat was heading southwest on port tack with a single reef in the main, sailing closer to the wind than we were.
We were sailing directly toward the GGB and this Coast Guard copter passed us, flying low over the water.
The city was enjoying partial sunshine at this time.
As we continued toward the gate, this large center-cockpit cutter-rigged sailboat was heading east along the shore of Angel Island.
Sausalito was overcast and Mt. Tam's peak was obscurred by a low flying cloud.
Winds were highly variable from 5 knots to 20 knots as we sailed toward the gate, and behind us, these two sailboats passed each outher along the shore of Angel Island. The schooner heading toward Sausalito was probably the SEAWARD operated by the Call of the Sea organization.
Ft. Baker and the Marin Headlands were mostly in shadow as we sailed past Horseshoe Cove, but we could see that the headlands are greening up nicely with all the rain we've been receiving lately.
As we continued toward the gate, the sun was smiling on Fort Baker for a while.
We had been watching a sailboat out on the ocean heading for the gate and she passed us to port as we approached the gate.
As she continued eastward, we could see that she is a trimaran and her name is SOLARA. She looked to have 5 or 6 people on board.
Off to port, a harbor seal poked his head out to take a peek at us before submerging again.
Our neighbor boat had beat us to the gate and was now heading back toward the bay from outside the gate, as we approached the gate.
The GGB was in shadow but large patches of blue sky were visible in the northwest.
We sailed out the gate near midspan, enjoying the views of the bridge and the beautiful headlands.
We just ducked out a short ways and then came about and headed back inside. In the distance, the city was now basking mostly in sunshine.
Off to starboard, that neighbor boat was sailing toward home port closer to shore and now was sailing under full canvas again, so the skipper had taken time to shake out the reef.
Alcatraz was drenched in sunshine at this time.
Russian Hill and North Beach were basking in sunshine, while the Financial District was in shadow.
We were a little bit ahead of the neighbor boat as we passed the San Francisco Marina.
Another large sailboat had left the marina and was heading west under full canvas, but with a high-clew jib like ours.
As we continued on toward home port, that dark-hulled center cockpit cutter, seen earlier heading east, was heading back to the west.
Beautiful cloud patterns had formed over the bay as we sailed past Alcatraz.
We and the neighbor boat were in sunshine at this time, while the city was mostly overcast. The neighbor sailboat was now ahead of us....
.... and looking good.
The pier 39 flags were in wind lee territory and so behaving erratically.
The eastern span of the Bay Bridge was in sunshine and some interesting cloud patterns were visible in the east.
Our neiighbor boat was dousing sails approaching pier 35 as we continued on, planning ot sail to the Bay Bridge and back to complete a 2 bridge kiss.
Behind us, storm clouds were gathering and I hoped we wouldn't experience heavy rain and wind before reaching home port.
It was about 4:35 pm as we sailed well to the east of the Ferry Building.
A bright area of sky showed up behind Telegraph Hill as we continued sailing toward the D-E span of the Bay Bridge on close reach starboard tack.
A Coast Guard fast boat blasted past us to starboard, almost completely hidden by the spray she was sending up.
A freighter was steaming out of the south bay and passing through the B-C span of the Bay Bridge.
The wind shifted more into the southeast as we approached the bridge, we were forced to change course to head for the gap between the E tower and the shore of Yerba Buena Island, now sailing against a waxing ebb current.
We just sailed a bit past the Bridge and then came about and headed back toward home port.
Now, ahead of us, we could see some rain heading our way, ghosting out the scenery in the west and eventually reached us as a light rain shower that lasted only a short while.
With ebb current support, we made good headway toward home port, eventually sailing into the lee of pier 33 to douse sails and prepare for landing before motoring around pier 35 and headed into the marina as a bit of sundown showed through a gap in the clouds in the southwest.
We landed fine in our slip playing the ebb current, and stopped ANTICIPATION with the stern sticking out of the slip a few feet, then jumped off and went to the bow to wait for the wind to push her into the slip, then pushed on the bow to stop her while grabbing the bow lines and quickly tying her up so she wouldn't get blown in too far-- quite a challenge.
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