April 3, 2011

Returning from poking outside the Gate with Sandra and Doron on Messing About.
Date: Sun, Apr 3 4:04PM

Latitude: 37° 49.424 N

Longitude: 122° 27.417 W

Cool sailing in February

Sailing on Messing About

February 26, 2011

Sailing with Doron on Messing About.

February 13, 2011

Lynne and I took a quick trip up the estuary up to the Bay and back. Not much wind but a great sunny day.

Sent from my iPhone

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January 15-17, 2011

Wildcat was on the water or the three day MLK weekend in 2011. On Saturday the weather was wonderful. 65 degrees and sunny with a light wind. Lynne and I got going a bit late as we had to move what seemed to me to be a month of supplies down to the boat for our 3 day weekend. But as it turned out, Lynne was right to bring stuff down to restock the boat for the weekend.

Originally we were only going out for 2 days (Sat. and Sun.) We left the slip at about 1230 and motored up the estuary to the bay as winds were quite light and we wanted to get out to the bay to meet up with our good friends Sandra and Doron in their new boat Messin About. When we got to the bay we hoisted the sails and Lynne was at the helm. We practiced reefing the boat south of the Bay Bridge, putting in a single reef and then a double reef and then shaking them out. We then set sail for Angel Island (AI) to meet up with Messin About (MB). We finally made contact with MB when we passed under the bridge and they were by AI. We set sail for an intercept course and met up with them off of the Berkeley Pier. We then both headed to Clipper Cove (CC), a small bay between Treasure Island (TI) and Yerba Berena Island, where we had plans to anchor and raft up for the night. The entrance to CC is quite silted in from work that is being performed on the Bay Bridge, so while we were able to get into the cove at near low tide thanks to Wildcat's shoal keel (only 4 ft), MB with her 6 ft keel had to wait for a higher tide. We set our anchor and soon thereafter MB rafted up to our starboard side for the night. We enjoyed some drinks and snacks while Sandra finished cooking a chicken curry and rice dinner. Below is a panaramic photo of CC with MB rafted to my side.

Shortly thereafter Bethany and Pete joined us in their boat Nanaimo and rafted up to our port side. We all enjoined a great dinner and drinks. We then spent the rest of the evening talking and playing dueling Ipods.

The next day we woke up to a whistling sound at about 0630. A sailboat off to our port was trying to hail a larger power boat that was pulling its anchor through the mud and drifting towards it. I got up and watched the power boat drift over towards us until it was too close for comfort and then woke Peter up so that he could unraft and motor to his own anchorage. The power boat's anchor finally reset as it drifted over into some shallower water, but it was still quite close to us. MB shortly thereafter headed back for home before the tide got too low. Lynne and I headed out for a sail, intending to go over to AI for a hike. But when we got out on the bay the winds were quite brisk (20-21 knts) and the fog was fairly thick. We realized that the great vistas at AI would not be available so we decided to cancel our hike and just go for a sail. After weaving between a bunch of racing sailboats we headed back to CC. We got back in about 1630 and rafted up to Nanaimo.

That night for dinner Pete had made a great paella. We dined aboard Nanaimo. Lynne and I brought over a salad, a bottle of wine and a bottle of Champaign. We once again had a great evening eating, talking, clowning around and enjoying each others company. Turned out to be a late night by the time we got back to Wildcat.

The next day was quite foggy. Pete and Bethany left for home about 1030. We got going a bit later and motored out of the cove about 1130. The fog was quite dense, about 1/4 mile visibility. I put on the radar, AIS and chartplotter to see where we were and see the boats around us. For some reason there was a lot of Tug traffic. But eventually we found the estuary and followed a tug down the west side. Eventually the fog lifted and we motored back to the slip at about 1330. Once there we gave Wildcat a thorough cleaning on the outside. It took the rest of the day, but she now sparkels. Next we will start on the inside.

January 1, 2011

Wildcat was out on the water on New Years participating in the Around the Island event on Alameda. We started the morning at the Island Yacht Club for breakfast. Deb, Dave and captain John then left our slip about 10 am and started motoring along the estuary to Aeolian Yacht Club. Along the way we passed under the Park Street, High Street and Fruitvalle bridges. At the AYC we stopped for chili and refreshments before continuing on to the Balenna Yacht Club. Lynne joined us at Aeolian for the rest of the trip around the island. After passing under the Bay Island bridge we set sail at the end of Bay Island and sailed up to Balenna Bay marina. At the BYC we had lunch of hamburgers and irish coffees. After lunch we set sail for the Encinal Yacht Club. As we passed Alameda point Doron and Sandra Paz met up with us on their new boat Messin About. We all met up at the EYC and the crew of Nanaimo joined us there for a drink. We arrived back at the slip at about 1800.

Sept 26, 2010

After attending my 30th law school reunion our good friends Dave and Kathy Gallo took us out for a ride on their power boat. We left from Manhasett Harbor and motored over to LaGuardia Airport, passing under the Whitestone and Throggs Neck Bridges and past City Island and the Kings Point Military Academy. It was a fun afternoon on the water.

October 9, 2010

Doron and I sailed around the bay all day for fleet week weekend. We saw the naval boats come in and then the air show. The number of boats on the bay was amazing. Wind we light in the morning but were blowing above 20 and gusting over 25 in the afternoon.
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Fwd: Fleet week

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Sept 12, 2010 Partial trip view

Below is a partial track using Navionics Iphone Chart app. The app
turned off on the way back (where the yellow line goes from off
Alameda point to my slip. The actual track was simply
back the same way we came out. Additional pictures and a description of the sail are posted below.

Sept 12, 2010

San Francisco skyline viewed through the Bay Bridge

Sept 12, 2010

Doron at the helm

September 12, 2010

Sandra enjoying the sun in the estuary

Sept 12, 2010

Start Time: 9/12/10 12:06 PM
End Time: 9/12/10 4:31 PM

Active track info:

Distance: 19.7 NM

Average Speed: 4.4 kts
Max Speed: 5.8 kts

Up above you can see a picture of our track for this sail.

Doron, Sandra Lynne and I sailed down to Encinal HS to try to see a filming of a Mythbusters program. Got there too late but had a fun sail. The attached track shows about 2/3 of the trip. Winds were moderate and the temperature was perfect.

Sept 6, 2010

Lynne and I took Kim and Paul Lipkin out for a Labor Day sail. Winds were very light so we motored up to Clipper Cove for lunch and had a great spread and very enjoyable lunch on the hook. After lunch we left clipper Cove and turned North along the east side of TI. Winds were about 16-19 kts, high enough for a fun sail. On the back side of TI I lost my hat, so we were able to practice some COB drills to retrieve it. We then sailed back to the estuary along the west side of TI and the winds peaked at about 22 kts, but then were down to 10 kts by the time we were half way down the estuary. Left the slip at around 1200 and were back by 1700 and did about 20 miles round trip.

Sailing with Mike and Jeff

Jeff and Mike Under Bay Bridge

Sunset and Fog

Crossing the slot was a bit wet and wild!

Sept. 3-4, 2010

Lynne and I has a full day sailing on September 3rd. We motored out the estuary with Lynne at the helm. We had agreed to meet some of Lynne's sailing classmates, Mike and Jeff and their wives, at Pier 1.5 and go out to lunch at a a Peruvian restaurant that is right on the water. Her friends had chartered a boat and were sailing over to meet us there.

After lunch we decided to sail across the bay and around Angel Island and the raft up at clipper cove. However the sail across the bay was a wild one. The winds we blowing in excess of 25 knots so we had to put in both reefs and still had a wet and wild crossing. So instead of continuing to Clipper Cove we decided to take a slip at Ayla Cove on Angel Island. We had a nice time socializing with a nice spread of wine cheese and munchies.

We the headed back across the bay and the winds were still blowing hard in the slot. So we had to put in a double reef. When we got into the slot the fog was down at sea level so I had Lynne's friends, who did not have radar, follow behind me and we motor-sailed across the slot. Once we got to the bay bridge we broke into sunshine again and Lynne's friends continued down to club nautique to return their boat. Lynne and I turned left and headed back to Treasure Island to anchor out for the night.

Pete and Bethany sailed up from Alameda to start their weekend sail down to half moon bay and then they were planning on coming back and sailing around the San Francisco Bay for the rest of the week. Their friends John and Dawn came up in their boat and we all rafted up together and had a great time eating, drinking and talking.

On Saturday our friends departed early. Lynne and I made some coffee, finished a crossword puzzle together and sailed back to our slip.

August 29, 2010

Lynne and I took some of her friends from club Nautique, Sheila and Mike (and his wife and son) for a sail around the Bay. We motored out the estuary under light winds leaving at about 1200. Once on the bay we sailed under variable winds (9-17 knts) first south and then NNW as we passed under the Bay Bridge towards Alcatraz. Mike had the wheel from the estuary to the Bay Bridge and the Sheila took the wheel up to Alcatraz. We put in a reef at mid bay when the winds we consistently 21+. Once the started gusting over 25 I took the helm. We sailed past the west side of Angle Island, down Racoon Straights and back to the slip. Winds in the slot were gusting over 30 knts making for a fun sail. We got back to the slip about 1745.

August 7, 2010

This past week Lynne enrolled and passed a sailing course on Basic Keelboat (BK). I am so proud of her and so happy that she had a great time during the course. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she has signed up for Basic Cruising, which will entitle her to charter boats in most locations. So today we went out for a sail to celebrate and Andrew came along. We sailed down to Club Nautique, where she is taking her sailing lessons and met with her instructor and one other classmate. We also signed her up for BC and had dinner at Pier 29. Afterwards we sailed home and the first part of the sail was quite exciting. We had 25=28 knt winds coming out of Ballena Marina and had plenty of water coming over and into the boat. Eventually the winds calmed down and we had a nice sail back to the slip on a full run down the estuary.