SATURDAY, 30 MAY 09 -- BEATING AGAINST WIND AND FLOOD OUT THE GATE AND ALMOST TO POINT BONITA

We were joined on our afternoon outing by Ted, a sfsailing.com contact trom Canada, and Wayne and his wife, Tracy, for her first outing on the bay. We left port around 2:15 pm, raised single-reefed main just outside the marina, pulled out reefed main and headed out into the bay.




Skiff racing was heppening on a course between pier 39 and pier 45, and we immediately saw some of the action, like this Harken skiff blasting downwind behind their blue kite.




A large Santa Cruz 50 was sailing eastward past the marina.




A small Beneteau was heading upwind with full canvas flying.




We soon spotted the West Marine skiff blasting toward the leeward mark.




As we beat westward against a waxing flood current, ADVENTURE CAT 2 was returning home after an outing to the gate.




After rounding the leeward mark, the Harken skiff was sailing upwind...




...followed by the West Marine skiff, headed right for us at one point....




... but passing astern of us.




The Hans Christian cutter named SANCTUARY crossed in front of us, heading toward the shore.



Off to starboard, FRONT PAGE NEWS was heading east and flying her kite.




Interlude passed us to starboard, flying full canvas and looking good.



Ahead of us, a small trimaran was blasting around the bay.




After a few tacks, we were sailing westward past the western shore of Alcatraz, while a small Catalina named Kanala was heading in the opposite direction.





ADVENTURE CAT 2 passed us to starboard, heading out on another sail to the gate.




We eventually sailed northwestward toward Belvedere, and a lovely full canvas sailboat was sailing down the shore of Angel Island.




A lone kayaker was also paddling down the shore of Angel Island.





We eventually tacked to head for the gate on the westerly breeze, while a couple of dingy racers were racing each other.




We sailed all the way across the bay, resisted by the flood current and ended up sailing past Blacaller Buoy before tacking toward the gate to sail out on port tack-- the gate being grayed out by the overcast marine layer.




We sailed out between midspan and the north tower and then tacked to the south, gradually leaving the GGB behind with a happy crew well clothed against the afternoon chill.




A small sailboat was heading out the gate as we sailed southward....





We sailed toward the shore west of the Seacliff neighborhood, and then tacked toward Pt. Bonita as the fog frosted the hills of the Marin Headlands.





The flood kept us from reaching directly to Pt. Bonita, so we came about as we neared the shore of the headlands and headed back toward the gate, gybing to sail under the GGB again on port tack. We sailed toward Angel Island that was still enjoying sunshine, while were were locked under a fog layer.




We eventually gybed again toward home port, and eventually passed this well-reefed sailboat heading west.




As we approached home port, another small sailboat crossed in front of us, heading northward.




The city was dismal under the overcast skies and the air was very chill.




Flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering in a breeze of about 10+ knots as we sailed past.


We sailed into the lee of pier 35, doused sail and then motored around and into the marina, landing fine in mostly slack current. It was a chilly, but enjoyable outing.