We blasted across the bay in the gusty winds that seemed to be in the 25+ knot range, and soon were in the lee of Angel Island, where there was very little lee shore, but this sailboat was using what lee effect there was to reef her main sail.
AMAZING GRACE was sailing downwind out of Raccoon Straits, heading toward Richmond with full main and no jib......
.... her crew safely sitting in her cockpit, but with a fender draging in the water.
We eventually headed up toward Raccoon Straits and entered the straits in the north half of the north mouth and eventually tacking toward Angel Island, while behind us that sailboat that earlier reefed her main was now sailing up the straits also. Winds in the straits were the strongest that I can ever recall and the strong winds had whipped up some substantial wind waves.
After 4 beats, we were out of the straits and headed toward Sausalito, where we encountered a Cal 26, well-reefed and coming out of Richardson Bay....
... her crew enjoying the stimulating winds
We eventually arrived in some light winds just at the mouth of Richardson Bay and so tacked back into the wind again, initially heading on close reach toward the gate, but eventually falling off the wind to head for home port. The fog was pouring over the hills of Sausalito and the Marin Headlands, but fortunately, was not obscuring the bay so we didn't have any blinding for to sail through.
We had a quick trip back to home port with winds screaming down the bay, and soon we sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse sail and then motor around the pier and into the marina, landing fine in the moderate flood current then flowing through the marina. It was a wild trip around Angel Island, taking spray from time to time with only a few spots where the winds softened a little bit-- very invigorating, and we were in good shape with just the right amount of canvas flying.
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