SUNDAY, 7 JUNE 09 -- SAILING AROUND ANGEL ISLAND

Pat and his son, Pat Jr., [Latitiude crew list contact] joined us for the first time for our afternoon outing around 2 pm. We headed out, pulled up reefed main and put out small jib and headed out into the bay where the winds were howling and the seas were lumpy and bumpy. We were getting clobbered as we tried to sail upwind, so we fell off the wind and headed for the lee side of Angel Island.



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As we blasted northward, now past Alcatraz, this sailboat was crossing the bay in the opposite direction Her main sail's luff was not attached to the mast with slides. Perhaps it was on a furler behind the mast. Couldn't tell.




A large Catalina was also crossing the bay in the other direction and was looking good with full canvas flying. No way we could carry so much canvas without being totally out of control.




A Cal sailboat was trying to sail westward, but had sails eased out so much that they were flogging badly in the strong winds. Very bad for both sails and rigging!




We were in the lee of Angel Island when this catamaran passed to port, heading for the central bay.




Avanti here was also heading for the central bay with full canfas flying and looking good in the light breezes in the lee of the island. I wondered how she would fare in the howling winds of the central bay.




A lovely sailboat named 'energy' was sailing eastward on a beam reach and one of the crew waved at us as we passed each other.




This nice sailboat was heading for Raccoon Straits...



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... while this catamaran, a sistership to the one that we passed earlier, was sailing out of the straits.




As we sailed into the mouth of the straits, GLORY DAYS, a large charter ketch, was entering the straits behind us.




As we beat up the straits from north to south, we were joined by this smaller sailboat. Winds in the straits were variable-- stronger in the north half and more westerly.





A few beats took us out of the straits, and we watched as this nice sailboat exited the straits and headed toward the central bay.



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We were sailing northwest on our last tack in the straits and this sailboat passed to port, also heading for the central bay.


We tacked and headed for home port, eventually encountering 25 knot breezes and lumpy seas, giving us lots of spray as we crossed the bay. South of Alcatraz, we found some good wind waves to do a little bit of surfing on as we sailed off the wind more. We sailed into the lee of pier 35 for some calm to douse sails and ready for landing, then motored around and into the marina, landing fine in the light ebb current.


Pat Jr. and Pat stood on the foredeck at the dock so we could document their first outing on Anticipation.




Later that evening, the full moon came up, bright and beautiful.