Financial District buildings were enjoying the late afternoon sunshine as we sailed down the cityfront in gusty winds-- very little lee effect from the city.
In the gusts, ANTICIPATION accelerated dramatically, and with mostly good winds, we were soon sailing under the A-B span of the bridge.
Over by Yerba Buena Island, the ketch named NIANTIC was heading for the D-E span of the bridge.
South of us, another sailboat was apparently heading for South Beach Marina.
We just ducked under the Bay Bridge and then came about and headed back upwind, setting course for the lee side of Angel Island and blasting across the bay in strong winds, taking some spray, while a fog bank was extending over the city....
....but leaving the gate clear and free of fog though hazed out a bit. There was no slot today and winds were strong all the way from the cityfront to Angel Island.
We were soon approaching the lee side of Angel Island and off to the east another sailboat was headed southeast toward Treasure Island.
In the lee of Angel Island, we encountered light and crazy winds shifting in velocity and direction. We were sailing initially on port tack broad rach in a southeaaterly breeze, while NIANTIC motorsailed toward Raccoon Straits near the shore of the island.
We were eventually sailing northward on starboard tack, driven by light winds now out of the east, but further to the northeast, another sailboat was sailing downwind on a westerly breeze-- the opposite of our breeze.
A traditional Bear boat, a wooden race boat, was exiting Raccoon straits and encountering the crazy, flukey winds there.
We eventually gybed and began ghosting toward the east mouth of the straits on port tack broad reach and eventually began sailing through the straits on that southeast breeze while this Coast Guard patrol boat steamed up the straits.
A couple of boats were tied up at the buoy field in Ayala Cove as we sailed past....
.. .and a couple of boats were at the docks of the small marina there.
The cove and the island were beautiful in the evening sunshine.
The lovely J105 race boat named ALCHEMY was sailing northward through the straits and looking good!
We eventually arrived in a wind hole where a westerly wind was colliding with the southeasterly, but we could see the westerly filling in and taking over the straits, so we were soon sailing out of the straits on starboard tack close reach.
As we headed for the gate, we could see that the gate itself was clear of fog, while the fog bank was pouring in over land-- very unusual.
Behind us, the buildings on the west side of Angel Island were in sunshine and shadow.
A catamaran ferry that I've never seen before was heading for Tiburon.
The fog bank pouring over the city was hiding the tall buildings.
That same Coast Guard patrol boat was now heading back toward the straits.
The Golden Gate Bridge was still in the clear as we headed that way on the western breeze.
As we headed for the gate, the sun went down behind the hills of Sausalito.
Behind us, a Melges race boat was heading toward Raccoon Straits.
A tug and barge were steaming into the bay, and I kept wondering if the fog bank would soon invade the bay and the gate and we'd be sailing through the moist fog bank.
We eventually encountered the southerly breeze and were sailing across the gate and then tacked out the gate as this freighter spewing out pollution steamed toward the gate. Though we were never in her path, she gave us a warning blast on her horn-- perhaps as a courtesy to make sure we knew she was there, or maybe an asshole pilot did it just for the hell of it.
We just ducked out the gate and then fell off and headed back inside on port tack broad reach. As soon as that freighter passed us, we gybed and headed for home port. Behind us, the north was free of any fog.....
...while off to starboard, a huge fog bank was still hanging over the shore of the city. The lights on the bridge were now turned on
A piece of the fog bank was hanging over Alcatraz Island in the distance as we blasted toward home port in freshening winds.
Another outbound freighter was steaming toward the gate and also spewing out a cloud of exhaust pollution.
As we continued blasting toward home port on beam reach starboard tack, the fog bank started to invade the gate behind us....
... and soon the south tower was partially obscured by the fog.
The dome of the Palace of Fine Arts was just barely visible through the mist.
As dusk fell, there was still no fog pouring over the hills of the Marin Headlands.....
... and the gate cleared of fog after a while as well.
City lights were brightening as we approached Aquatic Park [and, as you can see, the fog had disppeared from the esatern part of the city]....
... and as we sailed between pier 45 and pier 39.
The breeze softened now, down to a few knots of breeze and we were happy that the ebb current was very light as well so we didn't have to motor.
Flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering in a breeze of just a few knots as we sailed past.
We pulled in the jib and then, after passing the marina, we headed for the end of pier 35 and then headed into the wind to douse the main. It was a fun outing even though we were befuddled by the crazy winds at times.
Coit Tower was shining brightly in the dark sky as we motored into the marina.
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