The flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering in a breeze of 10-12 knots and skies above had a thin layer of cloud.
We sailed west for a while and then tacked toward the lee of pier 45, watching as PRIVATEER sailed dowwind toward home port with a large load of passengers.
A small sailboat also passed and behind her you can see the city bathed in hazy sunshine.
Further out on the bay, a Beneteau was sailing westward.
This lovely cruising yacht passed to starboard after we tacked to the west again and then tacked toward the shore.
The crew was split between the foredeck and the cockpit-- all enjoying the afternoon sunshine.
That Beneteau was now sailing past the southern shore of Alcatraz.
We continued westward for a while and then tacked toward the shore to avoud crashing through the wake of this fully loaded inbound freighter.
A Ranger sailboat was crossing the bay and off to the right you can see a sailboarder out nearer the gate.
Some small sailboats were playing around near the shore, but now were headed back into the marina.
That Ranger sailboat sailed to near the shore and then tacked toward the gate.
Several sailboarders were playing around on the bay waters, like this one...
... and this one...
....both headed toward shore at this point.
Later, one of those was headed back our way as we continued on toward the gate.
That Ranger sailboat was ahead of us and still headed for the gate, looking good!
I spotted some sailboarders way outside the gate and then watched as they headed back toward the inside, like this one with a flock of cormorants flying past.
Here, two sailboarders are heading toward the shore near Fort Point.
That Ranger tacked back onto starboard tack before shooting the gate, but we continued on sailing directly toward the bridge, sailing out the gate just inside the north tower.
The rocky cliffs of the Marin Headlands were sporting some spring wildflowers-- amazing that they can grow in such a place!
Our brilliant bridge and the headlands were a bit grayed out by the cloudy sunshine.
We sailed out a shore ways and then came about and headed back inside, watching this sailboarder playing around near the shore inside the south tower.
We passed well in front of this huge outbound freighter heading for the gate and quite fully loaded. I wonder what she was carrying and where it was going.
Over near the shore of Crissy Field, a race boat was heading west, but a short time later she came about and headed back east again.
Way off in the north, ADVENTURE CAT was headed for the gate on her sunset sail.
This sailboarder flashed past our stern heading north, and I took this video clip of him as he headed back toward the shore of the city.
As we continued on toward home port, this small sailboat was crossing the bay toward us.
The sun began to go down into a thick cloud outside the gate.
That race boat near the shore was now playing around in front of the St. Francis YC.
A large sailboat was sailing past the southern shore of Alcatraz, heading toward Sausalito.
That small sailboat was headed for the gate.
I furled the jib to sail downwind more slowly to await the sunset, sailing past Aquatic Park where the Ghiradelli sign was already turned on.
The city was growing dark as sundown neared.
The sun was now sinking below the thick cloud bank and beginning to create some nice sunset color...
... and soon creating a brilliant sunset.
Brilliant orange sunset color stretched across much of the western horizon.
The sunset color persisted as we sailed back and forth near the shore just west of pier 39.
Sunset color started to fade....
....and ADVENTURE CAT was now motorsailing toward home port.
City lights were beginning to brighten as skies darkened.
ADVENTURE CAT motored past and closer to shore a lovely yawl was sailing westward.
Off to port, PRIVATEER was motoring toward home port with a few passengers aboard.
We sailed past the marina and doused the main there as city lights brightened and the sea surface flattened as the wind was almost calm now.
Pier 39 flags were barely fluttering now.
We motored into port after dousing the main and landed fine in the light flood current. It felt great as usual to spend a few hours out on our magnificent bay.
No comments:
Post a Comment