Today, the winds were howling by midafternoon, and we headed out of port around 4 pm, raised single reef main and headed out into the central bay.
ADVENTURE CAT was dousing sail just in front of pier 35 as we headed out.
We sailed main only from the cityfront to the lee side of Alcatraz and then pulled out a postage stamp of a jib before continuing on toward the weather side of Angel Island as this sailboat out of Sausalito was crossing the bay in the opposite direction on the whitecapped sea. We took a number of blasts of spray from the churned up windwaves.
Winds and seas were a bit calmer on the west side of Angel Island and this fishing boat was not bouncing around too much-- still I'm sure I'd be seasick if I were on it and rolling with the seas.
We were able to head up toward Sausalito in somewhat lighter breezes as this sailboat named GROUP THERAPY with full canvas passed astern of us with full canvas flying.
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Her crew seemed to be 2 people enjoying the afternoon sunshine.
The PACIFIC STAR was anchored off the shore of Sausalito and we passed in front of her ....
... as this ketch headed into Richardson Bay.
We were treated to some pelicans flying around and diving for fish from time to time.
Ahead of us, as we approached the shore of Sausalito, was a large motoryacht named ATESSA with her launch just approaching her stern platform.
The people on the launch got off and the skipper tied her to the transom.
Her name was on the fore part of the transom and her home port of GEORGETOWN was painted on the after portion of the transom-- or whatever that portion of a motoryacht is called.
A jetcopter of the same design as the Coast Guard uses was carried on her upper deck.
Her hull color and paint scheme seem to be the same as that of the Maltese Falcon, so I am wondering if she is owned by Tom Perkins== checked on the internet and she is owned by some other rich industrialist.
Winds around the lee shore of Sausalito were very light and we eventually headed for the gate, just ghosting along as these two well-reefed sailboats sailed out of Richardson Bay.
Winds gradually intensified as we approached Yellow Bluff and our magnificent bridge came into view.
We did short tacks up the shore of the headlands in the breeze out of the SSW and eventually tacked into Horseshoe Cove where we get one of my favorite views of the bridge.
A few more tacks and we were sailing across the gate as this sailboat was heading back into the bay accompanied by a kiteboarder.
Ocean swells were three or four feet high and hid part of the hull of the saiboat as she approached the gate.
A few tacks after entering Horseshoe Cove and we were sailing out the gate between midspan and the north tower.
We just ducked out a short ways and then came about and headed back inside, pulling the jib out to full for more downwind power and watching as this kiteboarder approached....
... and then, after passing in front of us, lost breeze and went down into the water-- perhaps we stole his breeze and that's why he's giving us a nasty look. He was soon picked up by the kite and on his way again
Some sailboarders were also blasting around in the strong winds, like these two approaching from our starboard side.
Kiteboard racing was taking place on the bay and here a bunch of kiteboarders were heading upwind.
This kiteboarder had rounded the leeward mark and was heading upwind, lookign good!
Here a kiteboarder is rounding the leeward mark, while another one has had a kite failure.
Winds inside the bay were much stronger than near the gate and we struggled from time to time in the gusts to prevent a round up. As we sailed between pier 45 and pier 39, the city was still basking in the sunshine and clear skies with no hint of a marine layer.
Pier 39 flags were fluttering in a breeze of 15-20 knots-- much less than further west on the bay.
As we sailed past the marina, having pulled in the jib earlier, PRIVATEER was heading out for an evening sail with about 8 passengers.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the main and prepare for landing and then began motoring around the pier as boat neighbor Tim on his Golden Gate named CHEWINK was sailing toward home port and enjoying the light winds in the lee of pier 35....
...but later having to luff up the main as she encountered the much stronger winds on the bay.
We motored slowly toward the marina entrance so we could watch CHEWINK sail toward the marina entrance and into the marina, and here she is on starboard tack heading for the marina entrance.
Tim was skillfully guiding her toward the entrance....
.... and all four crew looked relaxed and happy as she passed us.
She sailed past the entrance of the marina....
... and then tacked to sail into the fairway between A and B docks-- she is docked on B dock near the pier, but the southerly wind may have enabled her to sail directly to her slip without more tacking.
We had enjoyed a nice three hours on the bay and landed fine in the light ebb current flowing through the marina.
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