Out on the bay, there was a light easterly breeze blowing so we headed northeast on starboard tack close reach, but our headway was not enough to stem the waning, but still strong ebb current, so we were being dragged north and west by the current. We tacked back toward the shore and the current was then sweeping us backwards toward the gate.
Skies over the city were overcast, and now there was almost no breeze, just enough to keep the sails full.
Off in the east, this vessel was slowly motoring toward the Bay Bridge. There was no indication of her function, but I though that she might be a Corps of Engineers boat devoted to plucking junk out of the bay.
Smoke seemed to be pouting out of a building in or near the financial district.
Finally, after much imploring of Mother Nature for a breeze, a light southwesterly breeze came up and we were able to start sailing, but the breeze was accompanied by a dark cloud heading our way and threatening rain. A light drizzle did start in a short while.
The breeze wasn't strong enough to sail against the current, but I knew the tide would turn to flood before sundown, so we beat toward the gate as this small power boat out of the San Francisco Marina steamed past us.
Skies in the west were lighter so we hoped the rain would be temporary-- and it was-- light and short-lived.
As we sailed past the Ft. Mason piers on starboard tack close reach, I noticed these insignias on the ends of the piers. I suppose they are an insignia of some branch of military service.
As we tacked away to the west again, this Coast Guard copter approached, flying low over the water.
A fully loaded container ship steamed into the bay-- we don't see many of these currently.
As we continued beating toward the gate, skies in the west started to show some blue and this gave me some hope of sufficient clearing to produce a nice sunset.
However, that dark cloud from the southwest was now hanging over the city.
In the southwest, interesting cloud patters at different altitudes had developed.
We were sailing toward Horseshoe Cove and spotted this nice Tartan sailboat headed for the gate and approaching Yellow Bluff.
The wind shifted more into the southwest and we were sailing directly toward the gate while that Tartan sailboat was sailing past Horseshoe Cove. The headlands behind were greened up by the recent rains.
As we continued toward the gate, the Tartan tacked and passed astern of us on starboard tack.
Her two person crew wasn't paying enough attention to the lazy jib sheet and it was dragging in the water on the starboard side. Her jib was huge-- probably a 130.
As we shot the gate just inside the north tower of the bridge, another container ship was steaming into the bay.-- this one lightly loaded.
We just ducked out the gate and then came about and headed back inside as that Tartan sailboat sailed out-- being dragged out by the still strong ebb current .
We sailed to the ESE on beam reach starboard tack, hoping to get well out of the way of another inbound freighter, and meanwhile enjoying the interesting cloud patterns outside the gate.
Skies in the west continued to show some expanding blue areas in the sky.
We sailed past the Blackaller buoy and continued on toward Anita Rock which is just west of the St. Francis YC.
That inbound container ship steamed past us and she was quite fully loaded.
Skies had brightened quite a bit and the top of the Palace of Fine Arts was looking nice on shore as we sailed past.
We gybed to the north as we approached Anita Rock...
... and noticed that a lovley white-colored cloud was frosting the top of Angel Island, now enjoying sunshine.
Behind us, another container ship was inbound and it appeared that the sun was shining out on the ocean, increasing our hope for a nice sundown and sunset.
In the west, the peak of Mt. Tam was completely socked in with low clouds.
We continued sailing northward to get into position north of Alcatraz to watch the sundown through the gate and clearing skies reinforced our nice sunset hopes.
Parts of Tiburon were bathed in sunshine...
...as was Pt. Blount on Angel Island.
As sundown neared, some dramatic sky patterns developed between us and the gate.
A puffy white sunlit cloud hung over the city.
In the north, it appeared that smoke was rising from a fire there.
Parts of the city were now illuminated by the setting sun and some sun relections were greeting our eye.
Sunset color developed on clouds over the headlands, while dark rainclouds were moving in from the west.
Brilliant sunset color developed on the clouds over the bay as sundown neared.
Lovely sunset color also developed on clouds over the city.
Dramatic sunset color continued to develop over the bay as sundown neared.
Interesting sunset color patterns also developed over the city.
The sun was now showing through the gap in the clouds just above the sea and brilliant sunset color persisted over the bay.
Way in the west, that Tartan sailboat was heading back toward the bay and backlit by the setting sun.
Dramatic pink clouds stretched over the city from west to east.
Sunset colors on clouds nearest us began to fade a bit...
.... but dramatic skies persisted as we headed toward home port.
Pink sunset-colored clouds persisted over the city for many minutes...
... and the same was true for the higher clouds over the central bay as we sailed past Alcatraz.
The sunset color began to fade toward the gate....
... as city lights began to brighten at dusk.
Ahead of us, lights in the office towers were beginning to brighten in the darkening skies.
Sunset color was fading fast now...
... as city lights brightened on shore.
Soon we could see the green illumination of Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill along with the brightening lights on shore an in building windows.
Coit Tower was a brilliant green as we motored into the marina at dark.
Once parked in our slip, we took this shot of Coit Tower and its brilliant green illumination -- it would be great if this was a harbinger of the green energy revolution!
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