TUESDAY, 12 MAY 09 -- A SURPRISE RENDEZVOUS WITH STEVE ON 'THUMBS UP'

After sailing for three days in a row, Thursday - Saturday, last week, we stayed in port on Sunday, planning to go out on Monday, but the Monday winds were howling, so we ended up not going out. Tuesday started off with quiet winds leaving dangling flags, but by late morning the usual sea breeze was freshening. We headed out for a couple of hours of sailing around 2 pm.



Earlier, I had noticed that the crane was back near the marina exit and it was stull therer....




... and then I spotted some workmen doing some kind of project under the partial dock platform just outside the marina. They looked like miners with their helmets and headlamps.




I raised full main and put out a small jib and headed out into the bay, sailing west on the southwest breeze which was lighter than I anticipated. The flags were fluttering in a breeze of only about 5 knots.




We tacked toward the lee of pier 45 and I let the jib out to full for more power in the moderate winds and then tacked to the west again as ADVENTURE CAT passed, heading home from an outing to the gate.




A COSCO container ship was inbound for the Port of Oakland and was quite full of conatiners, but look how far out of the water she is riding, almost as if she were empty of cargo.




As we sailed directly compass west on the southwest breeze, way off in the northeast, another sailboat was heading southeast toward the Bay Bridge.




Behind us, the city was enjoying hazy sunshine.




Soon the breeze freshened up to around 12 knots and we were on the verge of being overpowered, luffing up the main to reduce the main sail power, and sailing with the starboard rail almost in the water as the Blue Water Foundation boat was crossing the bay in front of us and sailing jib only.




We were making fast headway toward the gate in the good winds and I thought we might even be able to cross in front of this outbound container ship, but suddenly the breeze softened down to under 5 knots-- we were out of the 'SLOT'-- the slot was back, hail to the slot that is usually missing in action these days. We tacked back toward the stronger breezes at the edge of the slot and began beating toward the gate.




On one beat to the west, this Cal sailboat passed us and someone hailed: "Hey, Charlie, it's Steve." It was one of my sailing mates who purchased a boat some months ago and he was passing by on that boat named THUMBS UP. I didn't get my camera going fast enough to get some good close-up shots of his boat.




I continued westward for a while in the soft breeze, and then decided I didn't have time to try to get to the gate anyway, so we came about and headed after THUMBS UP, hoping to catch up and get some better photos to send to Steve.
As we chased after THUMBS UP, the Blue Water Foundation boat crossed in front of us again, headed back toward home port.




As we approached Alcatraz, ADVENTURE CAT was headed toward the gate on another outing....




... and a Hunter sailboat named GOLDEN NUGGET passed us, sailing main only.




THUMBS UP was sailing eastward past the lee shore of Alcatraz and we were starting to catch up with her, but then she gybed and headed northeast toward Angel Island.




Steve waived to us as we continued on our way to the east, heading for home port.




I reefed the jib down to a much smaller size so we wouldn't be overpowered in teh stronger wind south of alcatraz, and we headed for home port. The flags on the end or pier 39 were now fluttering more strongly in a breeze of over 15 knots, but the flood current kept the seas rather calm so we didn't take much spray as we crossed between Alcatraz and the cityfront.



We sailed into the lee of pier 35 and doused sail and then motored around and into the marina.