SATURDAY, 27 DECEMBER 08 -- ANOTHER LIGHT WIND DAY TURNING TO A NO WIND DAY.

I guess Mother Nature really used up most of her breath on Thursday when she blew around with those hellacious winds. When Clayton joined us at noon for our afternoon outing, we had a moderate easterly wind blowing. We left port and put out full canvas before heading out into the bay. A waxing ebb current was already flowing. Though the breeze seemed like one that would stick around for a while, I decided not to head for the gate and risk having to motor back against the strong ebb current if the wind died. So we headed northeast toward Treasure Island.



We had a bit of company out there. In the north, a small Ranger was passing a larger Beneteau.




Off to starboard, this small traditional sailboat was sailing west with the current and making good headway.




We sailed on close reach starboard tack toward Treasure Island but the ebb current was carrying us northward. That Beneteau was now sailing past the southeast shore of Angel Island.




As usual, we saw a lot of that Airship Ventures Zepplin flying around the bay overhead.




This small Hunter sailboat was sailing westward with the current.






We fell off so sail past the northern shore of Treasure Island and then the breeze of 3-4 knots started to soften further as this lovely dark-hulled saailboat passed to port, going with the current.




Sambolo was her name.....





.... and her crew was staring back at us as we took her picture-- smile, you're on candid camera, folks.




As we ghosted past the northern shore of Treasure Island, this Ericson passed to port.





We made it past Treasure Island and headed up toward the east span of the Bay Bridge, but the breeze was too light to make headway against the ebb current flowing northward along the east shore of the island, so we headed back toward home port, beating slowly against the southerly wind and watching as this trimaran approached.




Emma ghosted past us, headed toward Berkeley.




The city was shrouded in grayness from the overcast skies




The Bay Bridge was a bit lighter.




The light breeze that enabled us to make progress to the west and south on our beats died away and we were forced to begin motoring across the strong ebb current toward home port as this sailboat flying a kite was headed toward Alcatraz.




She seemed to be using her asymmetrical kite like a large genoa.




As we motored home, this lovely Tartan sailboat crossed in front of us, sailing with the current.



We furled in the jib while motoring and then, as we approached the shore of the city, doused the main and fluked and tied it up while still motoring. We played the current just right and headed past the west side of pier 35 and into the marina, landing fine in the strong ebb current well before the marina became so shallow as to have us dragging the keel in the mud. It was nice to be out there for a few hours, even is we had to suffer through a bout of motoring to make it back home.