Spending the Day Outside the Gate

Saturday was one of the most pleasant days I've had out on the water yet! My crew consisted of five experienced sailors but I'd never sailed with any of them... and most of them didn't know each other. I knew Rick and Nancy from the BVIs and our 2-day Santa Cruz-Monterey trip, but they'd been on different boats on both trips. I'd met Debbie and Charlie, friends of Jean's, out at a Devil's Canyon Brewery one night, listening to blues. I knew Lisa from beer can races, but we'd never been on the same boat. We had one broken toe and one sprained hand among the crew. But they turned out to be a great sailing companions, and there was lots of interesting conversation and lots of great sailing!

The sun was shining, and the temp was around 78 degrees. The wind was out of the east, for a change... very light in most of the bay but a steady 12-13 knots in the slot. We were just about at max slack when we left Sausalito with an ebb all afternoon. The current didn't pick up until late afternoon, so there were virtually no waves.

After quickly checking out the beautiful, almost brand new Hanse 35 (still with no name, still with that new boat smell), we were off. As we motored out of Richardson Bay, we talked about where to go. We all agreed that we'd just sail wherever we could find wind. Our best option seemed to be out the gate, since most of the wind seemed to be in the slot, and it was the calmest water I'd ever seen under the bridge.

Once we got outside the gate, I thought it would be fun to head out to Mile Rock and Point Bonita. I'd read about them the day before, when I finally read the section in the MSA contract that states that their boats are not allowed beyond that point! Good thing we never took the boats down the coast, as we'd often thought about doing!

In the light wind, it took us quite a while to get out that far (only a mile, presumably), but we were all very happy to just float along quietly. The Hanse 35 has a self-tacking jib. Before I sailed this boat the first time, I thought that was lame. I like working the jib sheets, so not having to do anything on a tack seemed just wrong to me. But once I experienced it, I was pretty happy with it. As they took turns at the helm, my crew was impressed that they could each single-hand the tacks with the rest of us just sitting around relaxing. We had plenty of time to eat our lunches and enjoy each other's company.

After visiting the two end points of the land that comprises the Golden Gate of San Francisco, we headed back in to explore the bay. Lisa had never sailed in the north bay, so I wanted to take her around Alcatraz and maybe Angel Island. As soon as we headed back in, we were up against the big afternoon rollers hitting a 3-knot ebb, and we realized we were going nowhere fast. In fact, even though we were on a close haul with about 13 knots of wind, I think we were going backwards!

So on went the iron sail, and we motored the rest of the way to Alcatraz... at a very slow 3-knot pace. By the time we reached the island, it was close to 4pm, and the sun had already gone behind the hills of Marin. We decided to head back to Sausalito.

Motoring in was uneventful, and we managed to put away most everything on the boat before we even docked. I went down the wrong fairway at first and had to back out. Quite honestly, that was a bit nerve-wracking. I thought about using back-and-fill to pivot, but the fairway wasn't wide enough to accommodate a 35' boat. I made it out ok, though, headed down the correct fairway, and made a perfect landing, if I do say so myself (albeit a bit closer to the port-side dock than the intended starboard side)! Muchas gracias to Nancy for working the throttle for me. Good thing I took that private docking lesson a couple of months ago! It really helped!

After closing up the boat, five of us went to the Spinnaker restaurant and had a great dinner with a spectacular view of the city lights under perfectly clear skies. Ah... another great day of sailing in the bay!

Check out my Picasa web album for more pictures!

First Fall 6-Pack Sail

I've gotten way behind on my blogging after a very busy fall. But now I'm determined to get it caught up (although it's almost new years as I write this).

This was the first and last 6-pack sail of the fall, and all 6 of us weren't even there! Jean got some dreadful flu that week and couldn't go. But the other 5 of us and our guests had a wonderful time.

Kerry brought his wife, Ann, and teenage son, Christian. Norbert brought Karen, I brought a new friend, Scott, and Sandi and Alice brought themselves. We chartered the J-120, which Kerry's been dying to sail, and it was wonderful, as usual.

As I recall, the wind was light at times but really nice most of the day (15-20 kts). There was a wall of fog from east to west, obscuring the Bay Bridge and the city. The wind was light, as usual, out behind Angel Island, points east, and San Pablo Bay. I think there was also a strong ebb in the mid to late afternoon. So we headed out the Golden Gate Bridge first thing and then just sailed across the bay from north to south up to the wall of fog and back north to the entrance of Richardson Bay for the rest of the day... just staying out of the fog and in the good wind.

We had my iPod with us and managed to get the stereo working (which was not working during our KFOG Kaboom sail). So Christian had a good time entertaining us as he sang along with the songs he chose to play.

At some point, the wind increased, the waves got bigger, and Ann started to not feel well. So we turned up Raccoon Strait and headed for calmer conditions. As soon as we got into the Strait, we noticed some items floating on the water. Time for a debris overboard drill! Norbert was brilliant at getting us close enough to a black felt fedora, which Christian immediately adopted and then wore for the rest of the day. Then we went after what looked like a briefcase, but we couldn't get close enough without the potential of going aground. So, after several attempts to snag it, we finally gave up... much to Ann's chagrin. She'd managed to forget all about her seasickness when we got busy cleaning up the bay!

By the time that activity ended, it was time to head back to the marina. Everything on the boat was perfect, the day was gorgeous, and a great time was had by all.

Sandi, Alice, Scott, and I stopped at the Spinnaker restaurant for dinner before heading back to the south bay, and that was delightful, as usual.

Two-Day Sail - Santa Cruz to Monterey

On the last weekend in September, 11 friends and I chartered two boats from Pacific Yachting in Santa Cruz and sailed to Monterey, stayed overnight, and sailed back the next day. We planned this trip two months ahead and actually had enough people to fill three boats at one point. A few people bailed, and we ended up with 6 and 6 on Zazan, a 46' Beneteau and We're Outta Here, a 36' Catalina. The crews were (respectively):

• Skipper Jeremy with Chris, Dave G, Nancy, Paul, and Rick
• Skipper Kerry with Dave S, Norbert, Sandi, Todd, and myself

We gathered on the docks with so much stuff it looked like we were going to be out to sea for a month!
Almost as soon as we left Santa Cruz Harbor, Zazan took off—a much bigger and faster boat with much bigger sails. Before we separated, though, we all got our first look at a gray whale. What a sight!

Our sail to Monterey was long (about 5 hours) and uneventful, except for the pod of whales we found about half way across. We were socked in with fog, so we couldn't see land for most of the trip. We stayed on a heading of 150 and were basically on a beam reach the whole time.

As we neared Monterey, we came out of the fog and into a crisp sunny day. The coast looked magnificent. We were in radio contact with Zazan off and on during the day and entered the harbor shortly after they did. As we motored in, we passed a very cute otter and a long seawall full of barking sea lions... hundreds of them. I thought they were very cool... at least until I tried to sleep that night!

After we docked and prepped the boats for an overnight stay, we all gathered on Zazan for a happy hour. Then we wandered over to the famous Fisherman's Wharf and looked for a place that could accommodate all of us. Sure... 12 people on Fisherman's Wharf on a Saturday night... no problem! Actually, it wasn't a problem. The second restaurant we tried sat us right down, and it was actually quite a delicious meal according to all accounts. I think it was Domenico's On The Wharf. Please let me know if that was not the name of it!

After dinner, we wandered back to the boats in the fog and finally settled down for a good night's sleep. Uh, not really... not with the barking sea lions. We all wore ear plugs, but between the really LOUD barking sea lions and the unfamiliar bed, I really didn't sleep much.

The next morning, we all got up within an hour or so of each other, got ready, and walked down to Cannery Row for breakfast. We ate at Jeremy's favorite breakfast place, which was also quite good - Trailside Cafe.

Shortly thereafter, we set sail for Santa Cruz. Once again, it was one tack most of the way—a heading of 330 on a beam reach in fog the whole way. The most exciting part of that leg of the trip was the 30-40 minute show of orcas, grays, and dolphins. What a fantastic show! We just happened to sail right into their pod. We took down the sails and lingered with them as long as they stuck around. We got some awesome pictures! Be sure to check out my Picasa web album for lots more pictures than I could fit here.

Labor Day Sail - Anniversary Celebration

My first big boat sailing was last Labor Day weekend. I met Jean, who is now my good friend, on that sail. She was the skipper of the 34' Catalina we chartered out of Spinnaker, SF. So I thought it was appropriate to organize an anniversary sail this Labor Day weekend, and I was glad that Jean was able to join me. Also joining us were Gerry (who I knew from Google and who invited me to help him and his friend deliver a boat to Oyster Point a couple of weeks before), CK (a relatively new sailor I'd met at a Spinnaker event in RWC), and two of Jean's friends, Greg and Theresa.

We chartered Carita, a 32' C&C we'd sailed a few times before, and sailed out of Sausalito in the late morning. The weather was fine—sunny and mild with a nice breeze. We sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge first, since Jean and I were the only ones on board who had ever done it. Then we headed toward Angel Island to see if we could moor at Ayala Cove for a quiet lunch on board. As we slowly motored through the mooring field, we couldn't find any available mooring buoys. But then I noticed that there was a small section of the guest dock available, so we quickly maneuvered over there and got our spot.

That was a good time to break out the champagne I'd brought to celebrate my anniversary with big boats and have a toast. Everyone had brought delicious snacks, so it was a very nice little celebration. We decided to go up on land to stretch our legs and ended up in the visitor's center. I'd never been there but found it very interesting.

Back on the boat, we sailed around a bit and then headed back to Sausalito. We could already feel how much shorter the days were getting. We had the boat all buttoned up by 6pm, and it was already pretty dark.

Once again, we all headed over to the Spinnaker Restaurant for a lovely meal with a fantastic view. Thanks all for making it a memorable anniversary for me! (Sorry, no pics... just good clean fun!)

Boat Delivery to Oyster Point

One Sunday in late August, I helped a friend of a friend deliver a boat from "the yard" at Oakland estruary to Oyster Point. The boat owner had had some work done on the boat and then decided to keep it in the bay for a couple of months, so he and his wife could have some summer fun on the bay, instead of their home port of Half Moon Bay (Pillar Point). It was a smooth and uneventful ride up the estruary, under the Bay Bridge, and down the bay until we got close to Oyster Point.

I'd spent a whole summer once hanging out on my friend's power boat, which was berthed at Oyster Point. She insisted that we get up early and have our fun in the early part of the day, so we could be back before 2pm. She said the wind comes up strong at Oyster Point in the afternoon, and she was afraid to dock the boat after 2pm. I always thought she was a wimp... until that day. Oh my god! As we entered the channel into the marina, the wind increased more and more until we got close to the docks, when it reached 35 knots!

I was on the bow. On other occasions, I'd been skipper at the helm and was about to hit something and wished someone was on the bow ready to keep us from hitting. So I was determined that I was going to prevent a collision on this day... at least at the bow.

We crept into the marina under motor power and down the fairway where Dave's new slip was. We were getting blown all over the place. Dave tried to take the turn into his slip at the right time, but the wind was having none of it. The wind was sweeping us sideways, trying to shove us into the docks and other boats and wouldn't let us turn. Eventually, we came to rest broadside to the ends of Dave's dock fingers.

Gerry jumped off on the dock finger near the stern and started trying to steer us with a dock line. Dave jumped off onto the dock finger near the bow and tried to maneuver us with another dock line. At this point, we'd moved forward, and I had one leg extended off the bow pulpit, keeping us from hitting the boat in the next slip and was pushing off the piling with my arms. I've never been close enough to literally touch another boat with my foot before!

At that point, a few slip neighbors came over to help. I threw them all lines and, eventually, they maneuvered the boat around and into the slip. As we were heading into the slip finally, I realized that no one else was on the boat but me, and there was no one at the helm to put it in reverse to stop the boat! I ran back, but the dock crew had enough lines around enough cleats to stop us. Phew! That was a harrowing landing!

We all went below, took several deep breaths, and exclaimed how none of us had ever tried to land a boat in that much wind before and how lucky we were to have gotten into the slip relatively unscathed. Dave had asked one of the nice neighbors who came by to help if it's always like that. Apparently, it is. I no longer think my friend is a wimp.

Another exciting day out on the bay...

Docking Practice

On a warm Sunday in August, I went up to MSA for a 2-hour private lesson in docking practice. That was excellent. JT (the instructor who did my check-out ride) was terrific again and had lots of tips and tricks to show me. His main pointers were to give it more gas and start turning earlier on the way into a slip. Backing out of a slip was where I learned the most:

• Calculate the neutral position of the wheel every time you start up.
• Check the water to determine the direction of prop walk, not just the movement of the boat.
• Start out with the wheel at 4:00 to overcome prop walk. Don't wait until you start moving to turn the wheel.
• Get your dock crew to straighten out the boat and keep it straight as you back out of the slip.
• Start your turn when the mast is at the end of the finger.
• Turn hard when the bow is at the end of the finger.
• Pop it into neutral and coast backward as far as you can.
• Turn the wheel in the other direction before you shift into forward gear.

I also did lots and lots of back and fills, which was invaluable. Prop walk is now my friend!

Sailing with Friends and Family

On August 9, my friend Bonnie was in town with her granddaughter, Ashley. Bonnie and I were neighbors in Massachusetts in 1979 and for a few years after. We had kids the same ages and a number of other things in common and really got to be good friends. We're still close friends to this day.

Bonnie's brother lives in Concord (east bay), so she's out here 2-3 times a year, and we always try to get together. This time, I decided that I wanted to give Bonnie and Ashley a sailboat ride, so I organized a sail and chartered Oxygen, a 39' Beneteau, with Bonnie, Ashley (11), and a few friends. Actually, my son and his new girlfriend were on the boat as well, so it was a real treat for me.

We started out from Sausalito, as usual, with moderate winds and pretty strong currents... a flood, as I recall. Oxygen has a furling main, and as soon as we started hauling it out, the boom car detached, and the ball bearings started falling out of the boom all over the cockpit... shooting my crew! So back we went to MSA to have it fixed. They fixed it quickly while we ate lunch, and then we were on our way again.

Almost as soon as we raised the sails, the wind freshened and the boat started to heel, which was a big surprise to the newbies on board... and there were several newbies on board.

As we headed out toward the gate into thicker fog, Ashley started to feel sick. Because of the wind out of the west and the flooding tide, it would have taken us a while to get out the gate... not a good idea with someone on board who wasn't feeling well. But I had a back-up plan. We turned around and headed back toward the cityscape, where it wasn't quite as rough... and then someone put Ashley at the helm. That was cool.

Once she got busy at the helm, Ashley felt better and was actually having some fun. It was entertaining for the rest of us (at least for me) to be on a boat with an 11-year-old steering. Norbert and Jerry stayed with her and took the wheel when necessary... and she was actually pretty good! We headed right over to Pier 1-1/2 (which I had scoped out earlier in case Bonnie or Ashley didn't want to stay on the boat all day—my back-up plan).

Pier 1-1/2 was just finished within the past few months, and not too many people knew about it yet. It was right in the middle of the huge ferry docks at the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero at Market Street. What a great location! So we pulled right up to the empty dock and dropped off Bonnie and Ashley. They hung out there at the food courts and then walked a few blocks and got the BART train back to Concord. It worked out perfectly.

Jerry took the helm on the way out of the pier area and clipped a tiny little light on the corner of the dock on his way out of there. There was a nice young couple having a drink at a table on the pier above the dock who saw the whole thing, but I just said quietly "Let's get out of here!" and we left.

After that, we headed across the bay, out behind Angel Island with Dan at the helm. The sail across the bay was windy and fun. Then we headed up to San Pablo Bay, where the wind died down. We actually turned on the motor at times, but we did have a few long, quiet drifts in between.

We decided to go up under the Richmond-San Raphael Bridge and on up to Brothers, the twin rocks off Point Richmond, and take a look at the Point Richmond Lighthouse B&B on East Brother. Guests at the B&B drive to Point Richmond by land and get ferried over in a dingy, and then they're stuck there on the island until they get ferried back the next day. That might be fun to do sometime. Unfortunately, there are no public docks on the island, so we couldn't get off and look around.

By the time we finished circling East Brother, it was time to head back. It was a nice, calm sail back to Sausalito. Some headed home, but six of us made our now traditional pilgrimage down the street to the Spinnaker Restaurant for dinner. A great time was had by all.

Thanks to Bonnie, Sandi, and Dan for the pictures!