todays sail

[Robert The Gray]

Good day on the bay. The smoke has gone a bit and the breeze got on. Pushed the iron beast north over the first bit where I had a nice fire and lunch with a radio listen behind brooks island. Then had a long bit of starboard and then a long bit of port, maybe a bit more back and forth. Saw three barges, one tanker, two under 20 foot racing fleets doing their triangle thing. 7 ferries, 15 sail boats, and 5 fishing boats, just one lonely harbor seal, and a lot of puffin like sea birds. I ended up in the high reaches of Sausalito channel, out amongst the derelict fleet of anchor outs. About 8 salty crow flown miles right into the teeth of the thermal gradient. Gusty katabatic winds off the slopes of the hills. Neat fun 25 knots right through the anchorage. Another drop of the hooksy hook where we finished the last of the sandwich and watched the parade of the returning vessels. hoisted the bruce and began the big long starboard reach back home with the reefed main and blade jib. Saw this big boat "sorcery" running their spinaker around Point Blunt. monster loads on those lines doing 14 knots at least without surfing. http://www.sorceryoceanracing.com/index.html On the way back the wind would rip small tendrils of droplets from the top of each wave to leeward. The main sail would push the gust down onto the most recent passing wave and threads of sparkle would be traced away form the lowering sun. Always, always the helm, the pilot had a monkey on his back and his name was Tiller. Without steering constantly the sails would flog and the boat would be better off without a mast, so on one goes, feeling and pulling, yanking on the ghosts of this spinning earth all the way home.
Anyway, the sleeps call to the sleeps and whisper sends her head to bed. Evenings of song and glory.

r