The city and the central bay were covered by a high marine layer, but in the distant west, Sausalito was enjoying brilliant sunshine.
The tops of financial district towers were hidden in the fog layer.
Flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering in the moderate breeze of about 10 knots.
This lovely large sailboat named Bay Wolf was sailing downwind with the current.
The strong flood current resisted our westward progress but we gradually crawled westward and reached a point south of Alcatraz where a bunch of fishing vessels were trying their luck on the bay, like the "NEW EASY RIDER"
here....
.....this small Whaler....
.... and this catamaran fishing vessel named NEW ELDORADO III, all drifting with the current and motoring back westward from time to time.
Alcatraz was under the marine layer, but blue sky in the north was a backdrop to the island.
Fog was retreating from the Marin Headlands at this time.
Fog had retreated from the north half of the Golden Gate Bridge as we continued sailing westward.
The breeze shifted a little more into the west so we had to shift course a bit and point toward Yellow Bluff, and we sailed past this sand harvester operating just north of the outbound sealane.
That large motoryacht named ARTESSA was still anchored off Sausalito.
This lovely dark-hulled sailboat sailed out of Sausalito and was heading for the central bay, flying full canvas....
...with a two or three person crew enjoying the sunshine in this part of the bay.
This smaller sailboat followed the larger one, sailing a bit closer to the wind.
This large motoryacht named SOC steamed past, heaidng for the gate. The skipper seemed to be driving the boat from the flying bridge.
We sailed to near the shore of the Marin Headlands and then began beating our way toward the gate, eventually sailing into Horseshoe Cove and enjoying views of Fort Baker and the Marin Headlands behind.
Winds in the cove were very shifty in direction and velocity and we were stalled there for a while, shortening the jib in preparation for the strong winds coming through the gate and watching as this sailboat that, earlier motorsailed out the gate, sailed back inside.
Once in the strong southwest winds blowing through the gate, we sailed on close reach starboard tack all the way across the gate, being pushed away by the strong flood current. The north half of the GGB was enjoying brilliant sunshine as were the headlands behind.
We sailed to just inside the south tower of the GGB and then tacked to head out the gate, almost making it out before being forced to tack by an outbound ship, but then tacking westward again and sailing out between midspan and the north tower.
The north half of the gate was sunny but the south half was under the marine layer.
It was like two different worlds a short space apart.
The summer-colored Marin Headlands are beautiful and enhanced by the blue sky and high clouds extending over them.
We sailed out a ways and then came abotu and headed back inside, pulling the jib out to full again for maximum downwind power.
As we entered the bay, I spotted that same sailboat earlier sailing eastward now sailing toward the gate in Horseshoe Cove. She must have turned around and followed us on our westward journey.
As we blasted downwind toward home port, we eventually sailed past this Army Corps of Engineers working boat...
... and this tractor tug steaming toward the gate.
Some fishing vessels, like GOLDEN EYE 2000 here were still trying their luck on the bay.
As we approached home port, PRIVATEER was heading out into the grayness on a charter sail.
The city was still covered in marine layer.
A sailboat that we spotted earlier crossing the bay from north to south, was now sailing eastward along the shore.
The grayed-out flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering in a breeze still about 10 knots, though the wind was stronger on other parts of the bay. It had taken us 2 hours to sail to the gate, and less than a half-hour to return.
As we sailed past the marina, this Catalina was sailing westward on the grayness of the bay.
That nuisance boat blasted past.
That dark-hulled sailboat had come about and was now heading north.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 and doused sail, prepared for landing and then motored around the pier and into the marina. It was nice to be out there in more moderate winds. I will probably do more morning outings to avoid the hellacious afternoon winds.
