Sailing Education Adventures

Now it was just drizzling, and by the time we raised sail (double reefed) and turned off the engine by the Sausalito waterfront, the rain had stopped. While you couldn’t say it was a balmy spring evening, we had a great broad reach/run up Raccoon Strait and a left turn to take us under the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge by 1915. Much the same past the Brothers and across San Pablo Bay, we passed under the Carquinez Bridge at 2135. With the wind out of the west and the flood abetting us, "Windseeker" sailed up the Carquinez Strait, now unreefed, and under the Martinez Bridge by 2250.

It was dark. Very dark. With brilliant navigation, though we say ourselves, we came to the tricky bit – the channel that wends its (and the tankers’ and freighters’) way across the treachery of Suisun Bay. ‘Is that red #10…..is that day mark 5? Remember, red right returning – we are returning, aren’t  we?’ All of us now a-deck. Who said something about watches and taking your turn to sleep? This was too exciting!

By Sunday 0030, the wind had died. The calm before the storm! A slight rain squall kicked in: Mike had us reef to number 1 and away we flew down New York Slough right on the Pittsburgh waterfront, with it and flashing greens (‘is that 4 secs or 2.5 secs?’) on our left…remember, we’re still returning! At #13, we hang a left and up Broad Slough, unmarked but for marshy banks on either side. Mike is at the helm checking depth every 60 secs. At 0200 Sunday we reached the Sacramento deep water channel! We made it to the Delta – yeah! So, now for home.

If sailing to the Delta was tricky in the dark, it was exhilerating: voyaging back was Shackleton-like: the wind on our nose, the chill in our faces. We had to motor the channels and the Carquinez Strait, but once we passed Mare Island on our starboard and day had broken, we unfurled the jib and screamed into heavy chop, flying spray and gusting 35kts winds across San Pablo Bay (it can be a blighter, that one!). Thankfully, it was sunny! By 1150, we fell off to round the Brothers and scream under the San Rafael-Richmond bridge, across to Raccoon Strait and back to Sausalito where we berthed at 1410.

On the way we did dine on chicken curry, breakfasted on sausages, scrambled cheesed eggs and home fries; we’d snacked on kettle chips, blue cheese, chocolate, coffee and green tea, all courtesy of crew and "Windseeker’s" great galley. Some of us had to work Monday….oh, well, we had a vernal great time!