THURSDAY, 4 DECEMBER 08 -- ANOTHER DAY OF GREAT WINDS EXCEPT AT THE GATE AND A SPECTACULAR SUNDOWN

Steve, the Aussie, joined us around 1:30 pm for our afternoon outing and we left port with a light northwesterly wind blowing. We put out all the canvas and headed out into the bay, sailing to the northeast and being pushed eastward by the waning flood current. We tacked to the southwest to sail against the flood for a while, then back to the northeast and back to the southwest to sail toward the gate on starboard tack close reach.




The flags on the end of pier 39 were fluttering moderately in the northerly breeze.





A lovely Valiant yacht named NOELANI approached ...




.. and passed us, looking good, except for the fenders dangling on the lifelines.




The city was enjoying hazy sunshine as we continued toward the gate in freshening breezes.




Off in the north, a sailboat was heading southeast under a colorful spinnaker.




A ketch was sailing inside the gate.




A couple of tourist ferries steamed past, heading for the gate, but we suddenly found ourselves in a wind hole and had to begin searching for wind.




We gradually worked our way northward searching for a consistent breeze to use ot shoot the gate, and found none because of the lee effect of the headlands. We saw a tanker headed for the gate and called the CG traffic channel to ask about intended route inside the bay. We were told both intended using the eastbound lane so we were out of their way, but the containuer ship overtook the tanker and passed it to port.




We eventually gave up on shooting the gate and headed back to the northeast to await the sundown, and watched as this nice J24 approached with a kite flying.




She was looking good as she headed south on starboard tack with the hazy cityscape as a backdrop.




As we approached this sand dredge, she started steaming to the east, having filled up the dredge to head for home.




We tacked and sailed westward toward Sausalito for a while to await the sundown, eventually falling off toward the gate and then gybing toward the east to watch the sundown. This small sailboat approached with a kite flying...




and SHEETWIZE passed us to port, looking good.




She was heading toward the gate on the northwest breeze.




Another sailboat passed astern, between us and the setting sun, giving us this nice photo-op.




Now the sun began to set and we watched it through the gate as we sailed northeastward.




The hazy sky produced a huge enlarging lens so the sun looked large enough to fill most of the space between the bridge deck and the sea surface.




A catamaran passed through the setting sun, making another great photo-op.




As the sunset continued, the haze layered the sun's colors.-- something I can't recall having seen before.




We watched the last rays of the setting sun and then headed for home port.




We sailed past the west side of Alcatraz, passing the buoy guarding the rocks there. The sky in the north had taken on a pink glow.




After passing Alcatraz, we fell off as the breeze shifted into the west and ghosted toward home port for a while, enjoying the brightening almost-half moon.




The sunset turned the western sky a bright marmalade color.



We evantually started motoring toward home port, furling the jib and dousing the main as we motored along.