A relatively small cruise ship was tied up on the east side of pier 35.
The city was enjoying brilliant sunshine.
The BAY LADY motorsailed past us, heading for the central bay, probably soon to turn off the engine when central bay winds were encountered.
This sailboat was also heading for the central bay with full canvas flying, and I wonder how she fared when she hit the much stronger winds.
Winds in the lee of the city were light with a few mild gusts, and it was 3:20 pm as we approached the ferry building.
Off to port, one sailboat was heading for the Bay Bridge with jib only and PUKA DWAI was heading northeast.
Her crew was enjoying the warm sunshine.
This dark-hulled sailboat was south of the Bay Bridge and heading for the Oakland-Alameda estuary.
Flocks of pelicans were flying past, like this one that was flying under the Bay Bridge.
This group of kayakers was paddling northward.
We stalled out in a wind hole just north of the A-B span of the Bay Bridge, so came about and headed back northward, leaving behind the bridge enjoying brilliant sunshine.
As we entered the central bay, this sailboat passed in front of us, heading toward Blossom Rock.
Very soon , we were in winds that were probably 30-35 sustained with gusts to 40+ and so were blasting northward at speeds averaging over 10 knots, taking spray over the bow, but fortunately, only a few drops into the cockpit.
We eventually fell off to dead downwind, to reef the jib so we could head up toward Raccoon Straits, managing to enter the straits after a few upwind beats, and pulling the jib out to full again when winds turned lighter, and reefing it again when winds picked up near the mouth of the straits.
As we sailed across the west mouth of the straits, this Catalina was heading downwind doing wing on wing.
As we tacked into the straits from the northeast point of Angel Island, way ahead of us, this lovely large ketch was beating westward and looking great!
Ayala Cove was quite full of boats enjoying the warm sunshine.
This small Ranger sailboat passed to port, sailing downwind through the straits.
Off to starboard, this Ericson 32 was heading up the straits on a course parallel to ours.
As we approached the west mouth of the straits, behind us several other sailboats were beating upwind.
As we sailed across the mouth of the straits, we spotted these kayakers paddling through the straits.
This tug-barge combo steamed toward the straits towing something.
At the west mouth of the straits we sailed past this Cal 41 heading in the same direction.
On one tack near the west mouth of the straits, we sailed past this Cal 39 and soon tacked back to the southeast again. The crew was enjoying the late afternoon sunshine and moderate winds-- Paul, Scott and Laura here....
.... and Maria and Ann here.
Because the tide had turned to flood, and winds between Angel and Belvedere were light and variable, we had to turn on the engine and motor back into the wind on the weather side of Angel Island, eventually reefing the jib again down ot a handkerchief size before encountering the very strong winds of the central bay. Winds were southerly, so we were soon blasting across the bay on close reach starboard tack, trying to sail high enough to make it past the weather side of Alcatraz, but eventually having to tack to the west again for a while to make it past the buoy guarding the rocks on the west side of Alcatraz. We were then able to fall off to a beam reach and blast the rest of the way toward home port.
The city was enjoying brilliant early evening sunshine as we approached home port.
Adventure Cat was heading out for an evening sail, well reefed for the strong central bay winds.
We doused sail in the lee of pier 33 and then motored into port, landing fine in the flood current flowing through the marina. It was an exhilarating outing, but still I would prefer some more moderate winds on the central bay.
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