We were sailing through moderate winds as the city receded behind us, and we eventually were under a marine layer covering part of the central bay.
We were soon sailing northward past the lee side of Angel Island and back in the sunshine, though the peak of the mountain on the island was still frosted by fog.
We continued ghosting to the northwest and broke out the delicious lunch fixings that Ed and Ruth had brought, enjoying the food and the warm sunshine in the cockpit of ANTICIPATION as other sailboats like this ketch sailed around on the north bay waters.
This pelican flew past heading toward the foggy central bay.
This jib-only sailboat passed in front of us, heading toward Raccoon Straits.
Behind us, the city was ghostly through the fog on the central bay.
As we continued northwestward toward Paradise Cove, the POTOMAC, FDR's yacht, steamed past, heading for Raccoon Straits.
This smaller sailboat, flying full canvas, crossed in front of us, also heading for the straits.
This sailboat was heading northward toward the Richmond San Rafael Bridge.
A Coast Guard patrol boat was blasting northward with emergency lights flashing.
A seaplane that formerly operated out of the pier 39 marina, and now operates out of Sausalito, passed overhead.
After we finished lunch, I shortened the jib and we headed back toward Raccoon Straits, but the winds at our location were out of the southeast-- bizzare direction for this time of year. Eventually they shifted into the southwest and we were sailing toward Angel Island as this ketch sailed along the shore of the island.
To the west of us, a Zepplin was flying overhead, advertising the website X23andme.com.
We sailed to near the northwest point of Angel Island and then tacked to sail up the straits as this sailboat came about and headed for Ayala Cove, eventually dropping her sails.
This nice Catalina was sailing down the straits in the direction opposite to us.
A single tack took us through the straits, and we watched as this J24 race boat was sailing along the shore of Tiburon while some Optimist dingys were sailing around in the same area.
Another J24 was sailing in the same area...
...while this 420 dingy was heading southward past Belevedere.
We tacked to sail across the west mouth of the straits and could see the city a bit more clearly as the fog had thinned out on the bay.
We tacked to sail across the west mouth of the straits and could see the city a bit more clearly as the fog had thinned out on the bay.
This first J24 was now sailing eastward and on a course parallel to ours.
This smaller sailboat was also sailing off our port side on a parallel course.
Ahead of us, the scow schooner ALMA was now sailing down the straits.
We tacked toward Sausalito, as did that smaller sailboat whose crew was enjoying the light winds and brilliant sunshine.
We managed to sail past the buoy guarding rocks on the southern tip of Belvedere and continued sailing across the mouth of Richardson Bay, watching as this fishing vessel began deploying her net in a circle while dozens of seagulls flew around the boat.
Our crew was enjoying the warm sunshine, and we eventually had to turn on the engine to motor back into the wind.
The fishing vessel was completing setting out her nets in a circle, and below is a brief video clip of the boat completing the net circle. We were all wondering what kind of fish they were going to catch in their net-- or perhaps they were just practicing, but that seems unlikely. I've never seen a fishing vessel set out nets in the bay like this before.
As we sailed toward the shore of Sausalito, we spotted a fleet of Optimist dingys racing around outside Richardson Bay with some coaches in power boats accompanying them.
This Santana 22 crossed in front of us, heading for the central bay.
The large luxury motoryacht ARTESSA was still at anchor off Sausalito.
We were sailing down the shore of the Marin Headlands, as this sailboat was heading for the central bay, sailing more off the wind than we were.
This lovely sailboat was also heading for the central bay.
This Santana sistership was returning from the gate and heading toward Raccoon Straits.
Way off in the east, the Grace Quan, a replica of the Chinese junks that once plyed the bay in the olden days, was heading across the bay, probably heading for the docks of the Maritime Museum that commissioned her building.
As we beat toward the gate, this Coast Guard patrol boat blasted past us.
We eventually encountered some sailboatders flashing around the wind-swept waters of the bay.
The catamaran out of Pier 39, the ADVENTURE CAT, was heading out the gate as we continued to try to beat out the gate near the north tower with no success.
We eventually sailed all the way across the gate with the flood current pushing us away a bit, and then we tacked to sail out the gate with the crew enjoying shooting the gate.
We sailed out a short ways on port tack, enjoying views of out magnificent bridge and the spectacular Marin Headlands before falling off and returning to the bay, heading northward.
While the north tower was in the clear, the south tower was partially obscurred by fog.
We sailed to the mouth of Horseshoe Cove and then came about and headed for home port, pulling the jib out to full for downwind power. We eventually encountered this small sailboat motorsailing and flogging her main.
The city was enjoying hazy late afternoon sunshine as we approached home port.
The flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering in a breeze of about 20 knots.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35, doused sail and then motored around the pier and into the marina. We had enjoyed six and a half hours on the bay, sailing through a number of different microclimes in the process.
morning blogwalking! have a nice day! :-)
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