We left port about 1 pm with a very light westerly wind just starting to blow, motored past the Maltese Falcon still tied up at pier 35, and then raised full main before heading out into the central bay.
I pulled out the jib to full as we sailed to the northeast, planning to head for the Bay Bridge, and noticed that the fog was obscurring the gate, and ADVENTURE CAT was heading out.
This Catalina crossed in front of us on starboard tack, heading toward the cityfront.
We saw a sailboat duck in behind the west side of pier 35, probably to check out the Maltese Falcon, and then head back out into the central bay a few minutes later.
That Catalina tacked onto port tack as she arrived in stronger winds and was now sailing on port tack and quite well heeled-over as the breeze had freshened to about 10 knots.
We were gybing back and forth toward the Bay Bridge, and eventually this highly reefed, cutter rigged sailboat out of the south bay passed to port. The freshening wind now started to clear away some of the haze in the air.
As we approachd the A-B span of the Bay Bridge, the ebb current was already quite strong and the buoy in front of the B tower of the bridge was leaning substantially in the direction of the current.
The Financial District was enjoying hazy sunshine...
...and the sun was glinting off the bow and arrow sculpture on shore.
We sailed under the A-B span of the bridge, reefed the jib down to a postage stamp size and then sailed parallel to the bridge for a while before tacking and heading back under the span-- the bridge gleaming in the early afternoon sunshine.
The Ferry Building clock tower showed that it had taken us about 45 minutes to sail to the Bay Bridge agasint the waxing ebb current in light winds.
As we headed northwest along the cityfront, this J105 was headed in the opposite direction and eventually passed us to port.
A sailboat named DEPRESSION passed well to the east of us-- wonder if she's owned by a mental health professional making a living off depression????
Fainche passed to starboard as she headed toward the Bay Bridge.
As we entered the central bay again, we could see that that gate was still obscured by the fog finger invading the bay.
Alcaatraz was almost hidden by the mist.
We began beating westward and the flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering in a breeze of about 10 knots, but one that still seemed to be gradually freshening, so we resisted the temptation to pull out more jib.
As we continued beating westward, we eventually passed ADVENTURE CAT returning from the gate.
Eventually, the fog finger retreated and we could see all of Alcatraz again, though in hazy air.
The fog finger moved in again a while later and again obscured the island.
We sailed westward toward the fog bank until we had passed the St. Francis YC and then decided to head back to home port. Now the fog began to retreat in earnest and soon much of the gate was visible.
The pelicans have not left the bay yest and this one was heading west as we sailed eastward, now under full canvas.
The city was enjoying hazy sunshine as we approached home port, sailing main only, having doused the jib to sail direct downwind in the westerly breeze to avoid having to gybe.
We sailed into the lee of pier 35 to douse the main and get ready for landing and then motored around the pier toward the marina entrance.
The Falcon had her aft crane up , probably for some cargo loading.
On her bow was a submarine-- boys and their toys, eh?
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