Sausalito Pickup New Crew and Overnight Cruise to Monterey Bay, Sept 23 - 26,2011

Sept 21. Alex and I sailed across the bay to Sausalito to get away from the barking sea lions at Pier 39, and frequent swells that ran through the harbor.  Neither Alex nor I got a solid night's sleep while we were there. The trip across the bay was rough and Alex complained that he couldn’t take any good pictures of Alcatraz because of the chop and spray. It was a wet ride but the sailboats in the regattas didn’t seem to mind the conditions. As soon as we entered the protected waters of Sausalito the winds diminished and seas flattened.

 Sea lion at Pier 39                                 Bikers at Saulsalito

                                         Fog rolling down the hills at Clipper Harbor, Sausalito

Most of the harbor is shallow with depths less than 7-8 feet, so it's important to follow the channel markers if you don't want to plow the mud bottom with your keel. We tied up at Clipper Harbor and for the first time since leaving Seattle we couldn't feel the boat pitch or yawl. It was so still that we thought we were aground, but of course we weren't. We washed the boat, and then walked south 2 miles along Bridgeway Street to “downtown” Sausalito. We were quick to notice the abundance and variety of palm trees together with warmer and dryer conditions here on the north side of the bay.  

For a sailor Sausalito has several things that downtown San Francisco didn’t. West Marine is just two blocks away from Clipper Harbor, a rigger’s shop is just across the street from West Marine, and the local supermarket, one block farther, has a great selection of fresh vegetables and a real  butcher that grinds meats on the spot and has a wide selection of beef, pork and lamb. 

On our first day at dock, my friends (Larry and Vickie) from the office called to say that they would be biking through Sausalito tomorrow and would like to meet. So we arranged to meet for brunch at the picnic tables outside of the market. They’ve been doing this bike trip every year and always stop at the same market for lunch. The local restaurants are overpriced and offer nothing to write home about. By contrast, deli sandwiches at the market are a great alternative and the picnic tables are shaded and very comfortable. We visited and ate while I told them about our passage from Seattle and they told me what I missed at work. Later, we walked down to the boat and after a quick tour we said fair wells and they continued on their ride. Alex managed to wake up in time to say hello before they departed.    

Sept 23, our new crew member Bill Brooks joined us at Clipper Harbor Marina. Bill has been sailing in Lake Washington and the San Juan Islands for years and is joining us for a week to get a taste of offshore sailing. Bill and I have worked together for years and have enjoyed many coffee breaks talking about sailing and when I asked him if he'd join us, he accepted my invitation right away.  So, after a plane ride from Seattle and three buses Bill's finally here.

Bill arrives                                  Craig installing spreader boots

Before we can take off for our next destination, I had to climb the mast to install spreader boots to prevent the spinnaker from tearing again on the bolts that are exposed at the spreader ends. Bill brought the spreader boots needed for the job and springs to repair the life line gates from Seattle. With repairs complete Bill and Alex got to know each other over a friendly game of chess.  Then it was time to see some of visit West Marine for supplies, do some grocery shopping and walk about Sausalito,

Bill and Alex playing chess                      Heading out to sea

   Passing Alcatraz on way to sea.            First sailboat spotted offshore

We left Sausalito on Saturday, Sept. 24th at 11:30AM, bound for Monterey Bay 95 nautical miles south. The passage should take about 24 hours, and NOAA  forecast calls for light winds from the south and a small low pressure system passing through the northern waters.