Pier 39 flags were fluttering in the breeze of 6-8 knots and the pier and city behind were drenched in brilliant late afternoon sunshine.
The SSW wind enabled us to sail directly toward the gate against the resisting flood current, but I spotted a neighbor boat heading back toward home port so tacked to head toward the shore to rendezvous with Damien on GO DOG GO.
He and his crew were enjoying the warm late afternoon sunshine.
The sun now dropping in the west illuminates the city differently from the winter sun.
As we tacked again to the west after sailing into the lee of pier 45, behind us, the cruise ship was backing away from pier 35.
Ahead of us and further out on the bay, a cruising sailboat was also sailing west against the current.
Behind us, the cruise ship was now steaming toward the gate.
This race boat had been sailing toward the shore of the city but then tacked to the west for a while...
...before again heading toward the city on starboard tack...
... and then beating to the west again. She was headed for the San Francisco Marina, probably to dock there and spend the night so as to be nearby for the start of the crewed Farallons race to begin on Saturday morning.
The cruise ship passed us with all of the passengers on deck.
A sailboarder was playing around on the bay not far from shore.
A J24 out of the San Francisco Marina was heading west, sailing a bit more off the wind than we were and was approaching from our port side....
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...with her crew enjoying the warm sunshine.
Another sailboarder was further out on the bay and not too far from the cruise ship.
That J24 sailboat tacked away toward the shore again.
Another Ericson sailboat was crossing the bay ahead of us.
I decided to fall off the wind and head for the sailboats that were preparing for a friday night beer can race, but then decided against it and headed for the gate again as ADVENTURE CAT 2 began to close the distance between us. She was carrying a substantial load of passengers.
Off to starboard, a sailboat was headed our way on port tack and behind her the sailboats in the beer can race were heading out from the start line.
ADVENTURE CAT 2 eventually passed us to starboard as we both entered a region of heavy flood current and softer winds.
Off to starboard, I spotted the yacht POTOMAC steaming toward the city.
That J24 yacht had sailed toward the gate and then tacked so sail back toward the city, being pushed away from the gate by the rather strong flood current.
The GGB looked spectacular as always as sundown neared.
We continued sailing toward the WSW and into the mouth of Horseshoe Cove just inside the north tower of the GGB, and actually passed ADVENTURE CAT 2. She eventually tacked and passed astern of us and soon thereafter, her skipper, Hans, started motorsailing toward the gate.
As we sailed into Horseshoe Cove, the hills of the headlands above Fort Baker were in partial sun and shadow.
ADVENTURE CAT 2 was motorsailing out the gate as we tacked to head for the gate.
Meanwhile, the racers in the beer can race were heading out toward their windward mark in the central bay-- perhaps one of the sea lane buoys.
That J24 sailboat had again sailed toward the gate and was now behind us and headed for Horseshoe Cove.
We got stuck in a lumpy windhole with sails banging around, and after a valiant and patient attempt to sail out of it, I eventually turned on the engine to motorsail back into the wind again.
ADVENTURE CAT 2 was already head back toward home port.
We arrived in a good breeze eventually and turned off the engine, sailing parallel to the gate and being pushed away by the flood current. The wind got stronger near midspan of the bridge, so we tacked to head out the gate and sailed out between midspan and the north tower.
We just ducked out a short ways and then came about and headed back inside again, as fog banks hung over parts of the city and a big fog bank was also sitting off shore past Pt. Bonita.
We managed to sail well out of the way of this outbound container ship that seemed quite heavily loaded with cargo -- good for our balance of trade!
About a quarter mile inside the gate, we picked up that strong SSW breeze again and soon were blasting toward home port at good speed with some residual flood assist. The sun was setting and reflecting off some of the windows in the Marina District and on Russian Hill.
As we passed south of Alcatraz, we spotted some nice sunset color on clouds behind the island.
Behind us, a sailboat was crossing the bay with the developing sunset color as a backdrop.
City lights were brightening on shore at sundown as we sailed past Aquatic Park.
The tops of some Financial District towers were bathed by the setting sun as we sailed between pier 45 and pier 39.
Some nice pink and orange sunset color developed on the clouds in the west.
That brilliant overhead light that we saw the night before was on again and seemed to be illuminating all of one downhill block of Hyde Street. Seemed likely to be illumination for filming of something.
As we sailed past the east marina of pier 39, the sunset color in the west was reflecting off the flat face of the 101 California Building-- one of my favorite buildings in the financial district.
City lights were now bright as dusk fell and we sailed toward the lee of pier 35.
Behind us the pier 39 flags were still fluttering moderately and a marmalade sunset color filled the western sky.
We doused sail in the lee of pier 35 and then motored around the pier and into the marina, landing fine in light ebb current then flowing through the marina. It felt great to spend a few hours of full canvas sailing under wonderful conditions on our beautiful bay!
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