For you "Right coasters"...

[John]

For any of you on the "Right Coast" who are interested (as well as anybody else) here are some photos of a little cruise we did from San Francisco Bay down to Half Moon Bay. As you can see, it gets a little cold out on the ocean here. And, as we entered Half Moon Bay, the fog was so thick we could only see about 40' ahead of us - had to enter using the gps, which I confirmed by charting our coordinates on a paper chart, plus radar.

You can see some photos here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017043&id=1290982502&ref=mf

 

[seanshine]

Like to see the pix, but I'm not joining Facebook

 

[Ron Roman]

Same here

 

[John]

Don't have to join

Like to see the pix, but I'm not joining Facebook

I don't think you have to join facebook to see these photos, but maybe I'm mistaken.

 

[Ed Schenck]

Facebook always asks for a signon. I happen to have one and did enjoy your photos. A good friend had his H37C liveaboard there(Half Moon Bay) for a few years.

 

[Brian M H23]

Actually, if you copy the image address, then it works

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs208.snc1/7523_1109698584602_1290982502_30273788_4848870_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs208.snc1/7523_1109696024538_1290982502_30273782_4381493_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs228.snc1/7523_1109698704605_1290982502_30273791_6190080_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs208.snc1/7523_1109696104540_1290982502_30273783_2394947_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs228.snc1/7523_1109696184542_1290982502_30273784_7360463_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs228.snc1/7523_1109696224543_1290982502_30273785_6223772_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs228.snc1/7523_1109696264544_1290982502_30273786_6299833_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs228.snc1/7523_1109699904635_1290982502_30273799_5883202_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs228.snc1/7523_1109698784607_1290982502_30273792_5699868_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs228.snc1/7523_1109699944636_1290982502_30273800_3657247_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs228.snc1/7523_1109700024638_1290982502_30273802_5249807_n.jpg

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs228.snc1/7523_1109708624853_1290982502_30273816_8040045_n.jpg


(I just learned this yesterday, and already found a use!)

 

[John]

Thanks, Bryan. A few explanations: We had to leave before sunrise to try to catch the outgoing current/tide, and that's what the first few photos are of. Then there's my wife, Sonja, sunning hereself and our friend S., who's grinning because she just escaped from the fine old residence behind her (!) and our dogs -- you can tell which is a "sea dog" and which is a little nervous. The last two are of Half Moon Bay itself, but the next day. When we arrived, we could barely see a boat length ahead of us.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Geeeze, John...

we don't see people sailing dressed like that on the Chesapeake until at least after Thanksgiving! :dance:

Thanks for posting the pics, Brian!

 

[dserrell]

1

 

[John]

Pacific calm

Ahoy John,

Great pictures! Looks like a terrific place to sail in! Spectacular scenery! Thanks Brian for help with the pictures! Wonder if the Pacific is any calmer than the Atlantic, we "East Coasters" have to navigate? Have a great day!

David

The days we sailed, the ocean was almost flat - calmer than it often is in SF Bay. Other times I've been out there this time of year, we've had wind waves of 5-6' - rough enough to get green water flooding up over the dodger and hit the helmsperson.

 

[Steve Dion]

Dan Johnson: The difference in the SF Bay area is they will be sailing while your boats are sitting on the hard or the water gets hard. It can be very cool to sail the bay during the summer months.

The good weather is starting this time of the year in the bay. Not unusual to be sailing on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years day etc.

 

[Shooter II]

You know, Steve, a lot of sailing takes place south of the Chesapeake.
From the Carolinas down, they sail all year.
The ICW gets "full up".
I do have fond memories of SF from the only time I was there.
True what they say, though.
"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

 

[Dan Johnson]

SteveD...

Thanks for the insight. Years ago I sailed SF Bay in early November, chartering out of the Alameda and taking a trip across to Tiberon and back on a mild (just a sweatshirt and jacket for top gear) almost cloudless day, with 10 knots and two footers in a Pearson 303. My local host kept remarking about how unusual a day it was turning out to be.

The next time I was in SF a decade later, it was October and we rode the ferry over to Sausalito and back instead of sailing. Again, it was a quite clear day, but blowing 20+ with 3 to 4 footers--every boat out I saw had at least the first reef in and crew bundled up. Both were memorable experiences.

It's getting to be Fall here in the Bay country, with cooler temps, more steady northwesterly winds and clear, less humid skys (right now it's raining cats & dogs due to a coastal storm!). Similar to SF weather. I too have sailed on Thanksgiving weekend, but that is the exception. Two out of three years past we've had snow/sleet/freezing rain the week after I've put the boat up on the hard for the winter in early November. That's what makes us East Coasters envious of you sailors on the Left Coast!

 

[John]

The SF Bay and the ocean outside the bay are two different weather systems. In the bay, in the summer, the hot air in the valley to the east of the bay rises, drawing in the cooler bay air. Thus, almost every single day of the summer we get steady winds, anything from ten to twenty knots, starting around noon and continuing until around 5:00 p.m. sometimes longer.

It can be blowing like stink in the bay and you get outside, past the Golden Gate Bridge and past the headlands, and you can have no wind at all. In fact, coming back up from Half Moon Bay, we had to motor almost all the way because of the lack of wind. Then, once we got ouside the bay, we caught a nice breeze. The wind on the ocean is almost north or northwest... except the other day when we were sailing down from SF Bay. That one day, we caught a southerly wind and had to sail close hauled all the way - until the wind died completely.

Winters in the bay, there often is no wind at all, or very little. Right before and after a storm comes through, though, we can get pretty heavy winds and outside -- well, the situation can be rough enough to sink a boat (literally), depending on what's happening further to the west.

 

[dserrell]

Ahoy John,

Your "West Coasters" ought to take a ride on the Atlantic. It's not uncommon to get caught in seas far greater than 5' - 6', and winds that want to roll you over. Took my 11 year old daughter, Kit, and Pachebella our 89' Compac 19/3 to Key Largo this past June, and sailed to Key West. While we were in Islamorada we took a day and sailed 21 miles offshore. Coming back we had head winds and 5' - 6' seas. Had to lower all sails and motor the entire way back to the Snake Creek Inlet. Took us five hours because of the 4.2 mph Gulf Stream current. We had waves breaking over the bow the entire way back. I took a shower, bath, and otherwise got drenched. The scuppers on Pachebella really got a workout, but we made it back before sunset. Sounds crazy to be in the Atlantic that far out, but the weather changed, because it's got a personality. We have a Plastimo Offshore Plus 4 person life raft tucked inside the forecabin, a 25W fixed VHF radio, handheld VHF radio, an offshore signal kit, etc., and a good boat. The water temperature out there was 84 degrees fahrenheit. Just as we started heading back to Islamorada, Kit said "Daddy when are we going to the Bahamas"! She's a real sailor, been sailing since she was seven, when I bought her an 89' Compac 16/3. Anyway, we would love to sail the waters you sail in. The scenery, as I said before, must be spectacular, and the Pacific, I'm sure it has it's days, and the Atlantic, it's got a strong personality too! Have a great day!

David

 

[Johnb]

Or you can go into the San Joaquin River

Just hold on tight!

 

[dserrell]

Re: Or you can go into the San Joaquin River

Ahoy Johnb,

Great picture you posted! Wild ride, read this! Friends, Kit and I met after sailing from Elizabeth City, NC through the Dismal Swamp Canal to Norfolk, VA, where we anchored for a week at Hospital Point, that's adjacent to the Naval Hospital, were from Montana. Living on a 47' aluminum "oneoff" sloop named the Wandering Dolphin, were a family of 7. Kris his wife Beca, and their 5 children, the oldest being 14. The picture below shows my daughter Kit, age 9 in the front, and EmilyAnne age 10, their daughter. The family is now off the coast of Granada. Kris and Beca home school their children. They have a web site for their sloop, Wandering Dolphin. It's one of those stories you love to hear about! I actually met up with them again in Oriental, NC, the sailing capital of North Carolina, before the sailed south into the Carribbean! Sailing is a passion! Have a great day!

David