We headed out a little after 2 pm, raised single reefed main and put out small jib before heading out into the central bay where a strong wind of 20+ knots was already blowing and a rather strong flood current was flowing.
Michael was at the helm as we headed west, leaving the city behind, and thankful for the flood current keeping the sea from being too roiled up into wind waves.
We sailed past the lee side of Alcatraz where we were blasted with some huge wind gusts and then continued on toward Sausalito with the flood current pushing us northward. We watched several race boats pass us flying their spinnakers downwind, but I had a bad setting on the camera and the photos were irredemably washed out.
We arrived in softer winds on the weather side of Angel Island, so tacked back toward the central bay and into the stronger winds and then began to encounter the same race boats now blasting upwind, like Scorpio here.
She was followed by ASTRA with all her crew on the rail also....
... and looking good as she passed astern of us.
... and looking good as she passed astern of us.
We continued beating toward the gate, alternately in soft and very strong winds, and eventually this Ericson 34 passed in front of us, heading toward the central bay with probaby too much canvas for the strong winds there.
A third race boat with no name printed on the side passed us...
...looking good in the strong winds.
We beat our way to just outside Horseshoe Cove and then headed across the gate in winds that proved too strong for the amount of canvas we had out-- we would have needed another reef in the main to be safe-- so we fell off and headed toward home port, eventually passing in front of this saiboat crossing the bay...
... and passing astern of this one...
... and she soon had her rail in the water in the gusty winds.
We were sailing past Alcatraz when we started to encounter some kiteboarders like this one that were further east on the bay than we usually find them.
They were taking full advantage of the strong winds.
As we sailed past the end of pier 39, the flags there were fluttering in a breeze of 25+ knots.
Futher to the east, a lovely schooner, probably the BAY LADY, was headed south toward the Bay Bridge.
As we sailed toward the lee of pier 35 to douse sails, the charter sloop RUBY passed us, heading west with full canvas and not many passngers visible on deck.
We doused sail in the lee of pier 35 and then motored around and into the marina, landing fine in current that was pretty slack at that time. It was warm and sunny in the lee of pier 39, so we had some wine [courtesy of Michael] and some cheese and crackers in the cockpit and discussed a wide range of topics, including many of the lies that are told in the US about the Canadian heath care system, and the fact that the Canadians and other countries think the US is crazy for sticking with the for-profit health insurance programs that we are saddled with these days. It's always interesting to hear the views of people from other countries on political issues facing the US.
No comments:
Post a Comment