We headed out about 5:45 pm and noticed that Chris had the sail up on his newly rigged Laser, so I shouted at him to ask if he was coming in or going out. He said he was going out.
I raised single-reefed main just outside the marina and headed out into the bay and turned toward the Bay Bridge before turning off the engine and pulling the jib out to full for downwind power in the light breeze then blowing.
Much further in the east, Tim on Chewink was also heading for the Bay Bridge.
The financial district buildings were enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.
I spotted some pelicans flying over, like this one...
... and some diving, like this one had earlier, but was now resting on the water.
The clock on the tower of the Ferry Building read 6:15 pm as we ghosted that way, making very slow headway against a waning ebb current.
Tim on Chewink was now sailing northward toward Treasure Island.
Over in front of the D-E span of the Bay Bridge, a tractor tug was awaiting an inbound freighter.
As we continued ghosting toward the A-B span, this sailboat motored under it and passed to port-- a nice looking boat that would be even nicer looking under sail.
The MICHAELA ROSE megayacht steamed past us to starboard with some suited passengers on the middle deck.
We were ghosting along when I suddenly heard someone shout "HELLO" over a loudspeaker, and it was someone on this traditional woodie that steamed past to port.
The Catalina "While I Can" passed to starboard, heading north with full canvas flying.
We managed to sail under the A-B span eventually and then came about and headed back north again.
A large outbound container ship steamed out of the Port of Oakland, passing under the D-E span of the bridge.
Along the cityfront, this nice sailboat was raising sails.
Along the shore of Yerba Buena, this smaller sailboat was heading for the D-E span of the bridge.
Because of the outbound container ship using the D-E span, this inbound ship that the tug had been awaiting had to use the A-B span, while this tug was returning to her home port.
That sailboat raising sails closer to the shore was now approaching us from behind.
I kept the full jib, thinking the winds on the main bay would be moderate, but they weren't and we were hit with some 15-20 knot breezes that had us well-heeled-over while Chris on his Laser was sailing back into port. I also spotted Tim sailing back in on Chewink, but couldn't get a photo.
That cutter rigged sailboat that was behind us, was now passed astern, sailing a bit more off the wind than we were.
We had too much canvas and the gusts were dipping the starboard rail in the water, so we fell off and headed for the lee of Alcatraz to reef the jib down to a handkerchief size, and as we did so, the California Hornblower steamed past on her dinner cruise.
After reefing the jib, we continued beating to the west, and meanwhile, the MICHAELA ROSE was heading back to her home port, having steamed out the gate and then along the shore of Sausalito, according to her reporting-in messages to the CG traffic control tower. She now had a number of guests on the aft deck.
This is what a power yacht magazine said about her:
America's 100 Largest Yachts 2007 #84: Michaela Rose
By Diane M. Byrne
#84: MICHAELA ROSE—161'5"
This yacht has completed at least two circumnavigations and seems in no mood to quit cruising. She was in Denmark in May, then Finland and Sweden in June, and in years past she's been to Ireland, Mexico, Panama, Chile, Antarctica, and Greece. Trammell Crow, a Texas-based developer, has been enjoying her since launch. He loaned her to President George H. Bush and Barbara Bush for a Med vacation a few years ago.
Y: 1984; B: Fr. Schweers, Germany; N: builder; H: steel; E: 2/1,037-hp Deutz-MWMs
PRIVATEER was heading out on her sunset sail with just a few passengers aboard.
As we sailed past the buoy at Harding Rock, we could see the five race boats heading home after finishing their evening race.
A committee boat was removing the marks as we sailed past.
We tacked toward the gate, but the winds had declined and it was getting late, so I eventually fell off and headed for home port.
A sailboat flying her kite was returning from the ocean.
The sun dropped behind the hills above Sausalito.
A couple of financial district buildings began brilliantly reflecting the setting sun.
City l ights were beginning to turn on as we sailed toward home port, now with full jib for downwind power.
Behind us a marmalade sunset sky was developing.
The city was now enjoying mostly dusk conditiions, though the tops of some buildings still had a bit of sunshine hitting them.
This nice Beneteau was heading west along the cityfront as we aproached pier 39....
...with flags fluttering lightly in a moderate breeze, though it had been much stronger further out on the bay a short while before.
A large flock of pelicans flew overhead, followed by another flock of almost the same size. So we were back to summer conditions with these large flocks appearing.
I doused sail in the lee of pier 35, readied for landing and then motored around the pier as the sunset became an intense marmalade color behind the boats in the marina.
We landed fine in the strong flood current flowing through the marina, happy to have spent a few great hours on the bay!
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