There was no breeze at all when we left port, and the forecast was not favorable for any breeze to come up, but we hoped the forecast was wrong, as it often is.
Out on the bay, this sailboat was drifting westward with the current, as we were also doing as soon as we arrived in the central bay with just a few puffs of breeze from time to time.
This Catalina was motorsailing eastward against the strong ebb current...
... as was this sailboat...
... and this one. In the background you can see some of the dozens of race boats drifting and hoping for a breeze, but soon the race was called off and the boats motored back to the yacht club to start the partying.
We eventually drifted out the gate just inside the south tower, pointing east with just a light breeze and actually going backwards-- a strange feeling.
MR. MAGOO, a race boat, was motoring back inside the bay, after drifting around outside the gate for some time.
We had drifted about a half-mile outside the gate, when a light southeasterly breeze came up and we were able to sail a bit southward, toward the shore, where we hoped to pick up the earliest flood current.
Over by the shore of the headlands, these two boats were drifting with the current....
... as was this small sailboat, not too far from us.
As the afternoon wore on, the almost-full moon was brightening in the northeastern sky.
Eventually, that small sailboat started motorsailing back toward the gate, using it's small outboard.
Way over by the headlands, this lovely large center-cockpit ketch was motorsailing back toward the gate.
We eventually picked up the flood current, and a light southwesterly wind that enabled us to start making headway back toward the gate, and as we sailed along, we enjoyed the view of the moon brightening, and sometimes framed by the cables of the bridge.
We sailed back into the bay just inside the south tower, our fabulous bridge
taking on sundown color.
Behind us, the sun was going down in a thin layer of cloud over the horizon.
A catamaran was heading for the gate to watch the sundown and sunset.
As we continued sailing to the northeast, a large sailboat earlier seen heading out the gate was now about to cross in front of the setting sun...
....giving us a dramatic photo-op.
The sun, dropping behind a thick cloud just over the horizon, gave us a spectacular photo-op!
Eventually, we spotted the last sun rays as we ghosted along.
That large sailboat that crossed the sundown was not sailing eastward closer to the shore of the city-- it seemed to be that yellow-hulled center cockpit cutter-- a Swan, I think-- that we see from time to time out on the bay.
The clouds above the horizon provided the canvas for very nice sunset color.
In the northeast, the almost full moon was shining brightly now-- a spectacular sight, especially when viewed at about 20X magnification.
City lights were brighetening as we ghosted toward home port, eventually turning on the engine and motorsailing to make it home a bit faster to escape the chll evening air, happy that we didn't have to motor all the way home from the gate.
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