April 25, 2010

Sandra, Doron and I took a sail today on the spur of the moment. I went to their house to find out about their recent trip to the Carribean and while we were talking decided to go out for a sail. It was a truly beautiful day, mid 70's and good wind. Doron was at the helm up the estuary and I took the helm in the bay. We met nanaimo on the bay and then sailed the south bay together and then back to the slip. Concluded the evening at RDS with some stacks and chicken.

Winds were variable from 10= to 19. We were out for about 5 hours. I wish we had more time.

March 13-14, 2010

Lynne and I did our first overnight on Wildcat this weekend. We decided to do an overnight at clipper cove. We got a bit of a late start and headed out at about 1600 from the slip. Although the wind was blowing pretty well (12-15knts) it was unfortunately straight down the estuary. We could have tacked up the estuary, but then we would have arrived at CC well after sunset. So we motored all the way to CC.

Along the way we were able to monitor the rescue of a sailboarder that got separated from his board. He was in the water and fortunately had a handheld radio with him. As the sun was getting closer and closer to setting the coast guard was struggling to find him. What most p

eople do not realize is that a person in dark cloths (ie a typical we suit) without any signaling devices is very hard to see in the water. The USCG kept trying to get him to tell them where he was, but all he could tell them was that he was north of the San Mateo bridge. The USCG did not know how far north, but at least got him to tell them that he was near mid channel. The USCG mobilized their air unit and local rescue units attempted to launch their zodiacs. The other problem is that although the SF bay was full of boats because of the nice weather, the area around the San Mateo bridge is not known for is good sailing (too shallow) so there typically are very few boats in that area.

Fortunately for the wind surfer there was a single handed sailor in a small sailboat down in the south bay enjoying the nice day. He responded to the PAN PAN PAN broadcast by the USCG requesting assistance from all nearby boaters and sailed towards the San Mateo bridge. He was the first person on the scene and was able to find the wind surfer get the very cold wind surfer on his boat and bring him to shore.

After listening to this exciting rescue we headed to our anchorage at Clipper Cove. As we approached the cove we noticed two sailboats anchored on the bay side of a bar that has begun to silt in over the past year. It was low tide and they could not get over the bar. Fortunately Wildcat draws less than 4 ft, so we were able to just make it over by about 6 inches.

When we arrived at the anchorage there were only 2 boats in the cove. This is quite a change because until last year there were always about 5-10 derelick boats in the cove. But San Francisco passed a limitation on how long a boat can anchor in the cove and towed out the boats violating the new rule. So we basically had the anchorage to ourselves. As the sun set we broke out some drinks to enjoy our lovely spot.

Just before I shut down the electronics I broadcasted a DSC call to Nanaimo to find out if they were on the bay. I was happy to get back a response and shortly thereafter found out that they were heading to CC from China Camp. They had planned to spend the night at China Camp, but the winds were blowing from the North in the North Bay, so that anchorage as a bit rolly. When the pulled into CC after sunset we rafted up, had a few drinks on our boat and then went over to their boat for dinner. Bethany had some great home made red sauce and wonderful pasta.

The next day was another gorgeous day and we decided to go for a sail around the bay. We head out of CC and North along Treasure Island towards Angel Island. Just as we got into the wind shadow of Angel Island we turned back towards San Francisco. We sailed past Alcatraz and headed for the western span of the Bay Bridge. Lynne did much of the sailing until we made the turn towards the Bay bridge.

As we passed by Alcatraz we found ourselves in the middle of a race with a fair number of boats flying there spinnakers. We were on a starboard tack and the leeward boat to boot, so we had the right of way. But it is still polite to try to get out of the way of racing boats so we adjusted our course a bit to accommodate the race.

We finally got back to the slip about 1730 and called it a day. A wonderful time for our first overnight of the year.

March 7, 2010

Went for a quick sail with John C. and Paul L. after John's birthday party. Sailed up the estuary to the APL cranes and back. We had pretty decent winds of up to 18 knots. Boat handled well. On the way up we saw Nanaimo on her way back to port. Later we passed her again as Pete and Doron were looking for a place to pump out the holding tank. Ah the wonderful things we need to do to take care of the boat.

It was nice sailing with John C. and Paul as they both could handle the helm and help out with the lines as needed. Hopefully next weekend Lynne and I can do an overnight on the boat.

February 28, 2010

Lynne and I took a sail up to the bay and back.  Lynne was at the helm on the way out and I took the helm for the return.  We met up with Pete and Bethany on the way back to the slip as they were out for a late afternoon sail.  Winds were light but the temp was quite warm.

January 3, 2010

Got the New Year off to a good start by going down to the boat for a little R&R. Lynne and I met Sandra and Doron at the boat around 1230. As usual Sandra brought a great meal, home made chicken soup and chicken salad sandwiches. Doron added a bottle of French rose.

So when I tried to start the engine the starter battery was dead, as was the house battery. Guess I left the power on (or Andrew did one night while he was back from college). Any way, I turned on the charger and it did not seem to be working. Doron and I went below to check it out. My number one rule with anything electronic is if it is not working, make sure it's plugged in. So, starting at the shore box we checked the breaker, then the breaker on the boat's panel and finally the breaker at the battery. Of course the last breaker had flipped. Doron reset it and 30 minutes later we got the engine running and were on our way.

I decided to motor the whole way so that I could charge the battery. I have an eighty amp alternator on the engine, so I thought that would be better than charging at 30 amps on shore. All seemed to be working when we returned to the slip. Only time will tell if the battery is still holding a charge. We had a nice run up to and back from the turning basin .

November 6, 2009

Sandra, Doron and I took Wildcat out to Clipper Cove for a relaxing lunch at anchor. We left the slip at about 11:45 and were able to put the sail up right away. Winds were light starting at 7-8, but building to about 11-12. As we got to the large cargo ships Doron announced that he was really getting hungry and we dropped the sail and went under power to get to Clipper Cove more quickly. About 45 minutes later we anchored at a dead calm Clipper Cove and had a great lunch prepared by Sandra, a wonderful quiche and salad, bagget and brie. Doron also brought a french rose for a perfect balance. After lunch we ended up motoring back due to the lack of wind. We got back to the slip about 5 pm.

October 23, 2009

Gary Barg, Lauren's friend Lief and I sailed around TI and back on Saturday, leaving the slip at about 11:30. The wind was very light on the way out the estuary (after a fuel stop at Jack London), so we motored out. Once in the Bay we headed south and had very gentle winds of about 8 knots until we got down to the Naval Yard channel and then the winds picked up a bit and we tacked towards the Bay Bridge. We passed under the west span, between delta echo spans, and the wind gradually picked up to about 15-18 knts. We got about 1/2 way to Angel Island before having to turn back at about 3:30 so that Gary could get back for a 5pm engagement. While it was cool where the wind was blowing, by the time we got back into the estuary the winds abated and we had to go under power. We go back to the slip about 5pm, right on schedule.

October 4, 2009

The winds we forecasted to be fairly modest (for SF standards) as we left the slip on Sunday. Sandra and Doron brought lunch, wine and cosmos for our lunch and we headed out for lunch at McCovey cove in SF.

We motored up to the fuel dock, but there was a line of boats waiting to fuel, and I still had a half tank of diesel so the sail went up and the wonderful silence of getting underway under sail enveloped us. Doron was as the helm and shortly thereafter we passed Nanaimo on her way back in and had a quick exchange with Bethany and Pete. Then on to the bay.

By the time we got to the bay the winds were already pickin up. They eventually topped out at 23 knts. A far cry from the gentle 12 to 14 in the forecast. Doron kept us fairly pinched to the wind so we did nit have to reef. But the winds were strong enough that we decided to moor at South Beach Harbor's guest dock instead of anchoring out.

Sept 19, 2009

Lynne and I took Wildcat out for a sail today.  As soon as we left the slip we put up the sail, which was a good thing because the coast guard was pulling over boats for inspections (usually they will leave boats under sail alone).  Winds in the estuary were blowing about 9-14 knts, so we sailed out the entire way to the bay.  Nanaimo was doing the same thing, so we criss-crossed until we got out to the bay.  

Once in the bay the winds died, an we were forced to motor south for a few minutes, but then the winds picked up. Soon they were blowing 18 knts, but since a few minutes before there had been no wind, the waves had not had a chance  to build. So we sailed in 18 knts winds with little if any chop.   

We sailed south for a few miles and then turned back to bring the boat back to the barn.  We got back into the slip at about 6 and Pete and Bethany came over to Wildcat for a drink.  Lynne and I ended up staying on Wildcat for the night.  

Sailing the Greek Isles

So if someone were to ask you where would be the most interesting places to sail on a bareboat charter, what would your answer be? I think that a fair number of Americans would say sailing the Greek Isles. Its a wonderful combination of great sailing and the ability to travel to interesting historic locations.

Well earlier this month Lynne and I chartered a 39 ft Bavarian sailboat out of Athens and sailed the Saronic Gulf for a week. It is a trip I highly recommend, but for Americans I suggest either

hiring a local captain the first time you sail in Greece or bring someone else along

that has sailed there before. The reason I recommend this is not because the sailing is difficult or the people are difficult to deal with, neither is farther from the truth, but because the sailing customs in Greece are different than in the US.

These differences include significant issues (buoy colors are reversed, green buoys are on the right when returning to port) and other issues like Med tieing to dock at night. So for those that are unsure of sailing in a foreign country, it might be good to do it first with someone experienced.

But for those that are adventurous, the differences can be overcome with just some hutsba. For example, if you pull into many harbors in the Greek Isles late in the afternoon the quay may be full. In the US that would mean that you would either anchor out (which is not an option at many small Greek harbors) or head to the next harbor. But in Greece, if the Quay is full, then it is common to simply drop anchor and med tie to the boats that are tied to the quay. In Hydra the boats were rafted up in this fashion 4 deep. In Aegena we were rafted up 3 deep. We followed the lead of other boats, in other words, when in Greece do as the Greeks do. But we noticed a number of less experience sailors come into the harbor, look for an open spot on the quay, and when the did not find one, head back out. No experienced Greek captain would leave a harbor where you still have enough room to drop anchor.

The other thing I noticed was that some of the best experiences result from making friends with the folks on the boats around you. Not only can you get some intel on the places you are considering sailing to and restaurant recommendations, but you can have fascinating conversations with people from around the world and trade sailing stories.

Anyway, we sailed for 7 days in Greece. We sailed out of Athens, on Sunday with myself as skipper and Lynne, Andrew, Michelle, Jean Michelle and Emanuelle as crew.

Mid day on Sunday we stopped at a cove on the SE corner of Aegena for a swim and lunch. After lunch we headed over to Poros and med tied at the North side of the Port next to an 85 ft power yacht, M T Time. MT Time was for sale and waiting at Poros until the boat show at Athens the following week. The sales exec was from Germany, the captain from Egypt and crew from Turkey. We made immediate friends with them all.

On Monday the captain on the boat next door told us that the weather report was for high winds and seas. While most of the boats in the Harbor took sail, we decided to stay put for a day. That night a

number of the boats returned. I talked to one of the skippers and he said he returned to Hydra because the high winds and seas made it very uncomfortable to sail. I was good that we stayed an extra day.

On Tuesday we took off for Hydra. Winds were still pretty high, about 20-25 knots, not too bad for a sailor out of San Francisco. The start of the sail went well. We motored out along the south side of Poros (very shallow waters) and once we got to the bay on the east side of Poros we put up the sails. We sailed east until it was time to gybe towards Hydra. but with winds that high it was hard to center the sails, so I decided to do a chicken gybe (tack). Unfortunately my instructions to the crew were not as clear as they should be, and long story short, we ended up blowing out the jib. After securing our torn sail we motored over to a lee cove and in the calm waters took down the damaged jib and stored it below. I then called the charter company. The company rep, Apostolos, who told me to put the jib in a sail bag and return it to Athens on the next ferry where he would get it repaired and sent back the same day. So we headed back to Poros, yet again, for another night. That night our sail was put on the ferry.

On Wednesday we headed to Hydra with just the main sail. We had a great sail and got there mid day. When we pulled in the harbor was full, but we noticed a number of boats were simply dropping anchoring and pulling back to the boats on the quay. They then threw lines to the boats on the quay, and they secured the new boat to their bow cleats.

So I simple did the same.

We ended up tieing up to a boat with two couples from the US, with a Greek captain. To get off the boat we had to climb over all of the boats between us and the quay. But then everyone else was doing the exact same thing.

We took some great hikes, had drinks at a great bar to view the sunset, and had a great dinner at a traverna.

On Thursday we headed out to Aegna. We had lunch at a cove on the Pellopanese. Andrew went for a swim over to a nearby island and we had a nice lunch. We then sailed to the Port of Aegena. The weather was mixed for the sail, but it was dry when we got to port. Once again the port's quay was full, but we were able to raft up to a boat with a crew from Norway. We had another great dinner at a seafood restaurant near the fish market.

Friday we sailed back to Athens. It was another rainy day and the winds were blowing a steady 20-25 knots with higher gusts. Fortunately we were able to head back to Athens on a close reach and did not need to do much taking. We got back safely. It was a very enjoyable vacation.

August 7, 2009

Our good friends Viv and Franz were down from Portland and were looking forward to a sail and a hike. What better place to go than Angel Island. We left the slip at about noon and headed through the Delta Echo span of the Bay Bridge. Winds were quite light and fickle till be passed under the bridge. Then they picked up quickly and by the time we were in the slot were blowing in excess of 20 knots. As we approached Angel Island I saw an oil tanker coming out from Richmond, so the race to the green buoy at the SE end of the island as on. I have learned over the years never to race a tanker in a sail boat. They move unbelievably fast. So when I say the race was on, while true, it was not much of a race. I was by now moving at over 7 knts and was about a half mile from the buoy and the ship was still east of Raccoon Straights. The winds held strong until we got to the NE corner of Angel Island, where we lowered the sail and motored into the slips in Ayala Cove. After docking the boat and securing her we hiked the full loop around Angel Island starting at the North End and coming back on the Sunset Trail, after hiking to the top of the island. The views are unbelievable!

After a bit of refreshment on the boat we headed home sailing up Raccoon Straights and then a broad reach to Treasure Island. The winds were again blowing over 20 knots, but the sail was pretty comfortable on a broad reach. We made the right turn and came behind to the east of TI, using it to get some relief from the wave that had built up in the bay, and sailed back to the estuary. As we approached the estuary the winds died and we had to motor back in. We were back at the slip as the sun set at about 2000.

Lynne, Franz and Vivienne on Angel Island

View from Angel Island

July 12, 2009

Lynne and I took our friends John and Debra out for a sail around Treasure Island after lunch on the hook at Clipper Cove. The winds were 20-23 going around TI but very light once we got under the west span of the Bay Bridge. It was a beautiful day with quite warm winds (at least for the bay area).

July 12, 2009 San Francisco

John and Debra off Treasure Island

July 11, 2009

Lynne, Doron, Sandra and I sailed up to the head of the estuary and back today. The wind was great on the way up the estuary but died when we got to the bay so we had to motor back.

Independence Day Weekend

Lynne and I sailed for 4 days this weekend. We motored up to Clipper Cove on Thursday night and had a very relaxing dinner and were able to anchor in the SW corner of Clipper Cove, which provided great protection from the wind. We were lucky to get this spot because the wind was pretty strong all night and we had to reset the anchor in the morning because we were slowing dragging the anchor because of the wind.

The next morning we got in touch with Pete and Bethany on Nanaimo and when they passed Clipper Cove we had just pulled up our anchor and followed them up to China Camp. The wind was pretty strong in the Slot, gusting to 25 knts. Lynne was at the helm the whole way until be got to the Sisters, just off San Pedro Point. She did a great job sailing the boat in that much wind. We finally dropped anchor at China Camp at about 1630. P&B came over to Wildcat in their dingy and we had dinner and drinks on our boat.

On Saturday we slept in pretty late and for most of the day we just stayed on the boat and read. At about 1500 Lynne and I went out for a sail so that she could practice points of sail. Lynne was at the helm and I think she learned a few things. She still gets confused about wind direction and sail trim, but that will improve with experience. I try to let her do most of the sailing when we are on the open water so that she will bet more experience. We got back to anchor at about 1630 and Pete came over in his dingy and picked up Lynne and me and took us over to shore. He went back for Bethany and we had drinks and chips on the beach at China Camp. Lynne and I also viewed the little museum they have there. It was actually very interesting. We then went back to Nanaimo and had dinner and drinks with Pete and Bethany on their boat. Bethany had brought along a great 4th of July dinner of burgers, hot dogs with all the fixings, and macaroni and potato salads.

On Sunday we slept in again. At about 1100 Pete came over in the dingy, but this time rigged with the sail. Pete let Lynne and I use the dingy and I gave Lynne some sailing lessons. We had a great time sailing around in the small dingy but eventually it was time to head home. Lynne and I got back to Wildcat and went down to prepare some lunch. The wind and current had picked up, but my anchor seemed to be set well. Unfortunately I was wrong. After eating lunch for about 30 minutes I fell the boat lurch a bit. It just didn't feel right so I poked my head out the hatch and saw that we had dragged the anchor about .25 miles. We quickly cleaned up lunch and got under way before we dragged any further. We had a nice sail across the bay with winds from 16-20 with occasional higher gusts. We got back to the slip at about 1730.

Lynne at the helm

Friday off Richmond looking back at SF