Sailing Education Adventures

On Sunday, April 19, a group of SEA members who own their own boats decided to rendezvous for an out the gate adventure.  They sent back this report:

At 0930, Windseeker (Tartan 42), Grace O'Malley (Ranger 23), Kelly Shawn (Santana 22) and Summer Solstice (Tartan 34) rendezvous'd under Golden Gate Bridge and sailed for Stinson Beach. Yes, a little nip in the air but clear, sunny skies, light winds - a beautiful day, one of the best some of us have experienced in 5 years of sailing out the gate though the wind could've had a bit more ooomph to it (there's a maritime phrase for you!). The seas were mild as soon as we were away from the Potato Patch swells - we all know how frantic and threatening the swells can be as they pile over this, the north bar. So kind was the Potato Patch this day, some of us sailed across it.

The temperatures were soon down-right balmy for the time of year and latitude.  Around 1400 we all reached Stinson Beach from amazingly different directions: Kelly Shawn had sailed west for Hawai'i before tacking at the horizon, Windseeker came in from the Farallone islands, Grace O'Malley and Summer Solstice were less extreme. All skippers were tempted to anchor out for lunch off Stinson Beach and so take a nice long soak of sun and too-good-to-be-true weather. However Summer Solstice found anchoring short of the breaking surf was not a good idea! Immediately other skippers thought better of the hook and lunched on the run. A few crew members snuck in a siesta or two.

But the flies!!! Can we communicate the fly plague that landed upon our boats and persons, even before we reached Rocky Point and the Beach? Pity the suffering horses and cows: we were there.

Apart from all the flies hitching a ride back to San Francisco on at least one boat, the challenge on our return was light wind off Point Bonita where currents set up tricky, devilish waters. With a little motor help through the chop, we then were able to wing and wing it back under the Golden Gate Bridge. Somewhere between 1800 and 1830 hours, we tied up at our various berths.

You become very conscious that sailing out the gate is never the same twice. Our next venture is to Drake's Bay and an overnighter on the hook. What can we expect then?!