Day 505 Into Half Moon Bay.

The bridge in the distance.

Getting closer with the sail up this time.
Almost!!!
WE MADE IT!!!  And we could see it!!
Here comes the fog--right on time.
THe water along the trip was a strange shade of brown instead of the normal blue.  It was like brewed ice tea water.  Weird!
Coming up of Half Moon Bay.

We took off this morning at 1020 to make the out going tide under the Golden Gate Bridge.  Slack tide was set for 1249 and we needed to be there anytime after that to catch it.  Matt(our son) had come down to join us for a sail of the bay.  We slowly backed Zephyr out of her slip.  We were in a spot that didn't give a lot of room for a boat of Zephyr's size.  Dennis, the man who owned the boat next to ours came out to help us get backed out.  We maneuvered out just fine and took off for the San Francisco Bay.   We hoisted the sails after we passed the Oakland Bridge and slowly slid out into the bay.  Just after we passed the Oakland Bridge, we heard a call on our VHF radio from a boat that witnessed a person jump from the Golden Gate Bridge.  We heard them pluck the lifeless body of a man out of the water about a half hour later.  If he had to jump, I'm just glad he didn't hit us as we passed.  That would have been the tie breaker for us.  And for Ted and Judy, we're not making this stuff up--really!!!  

We headed north past Alcatraz and avoided all the other boats--both sail and power as well as all the ferries that were scooting around in the water.   Shortly after 1230, we dropped Matt off at the San Francisco Yacht Club so he could catch a bus home and off we went for the bridge.

We hoisted the sails again as we wanted to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge(as any good sailor would) and out we went.  We had the main sail up and added the forestaysail to give us more speed.  Many of the boats had reefed their mains but we just took off heeling over nicely in the 20+ knot winds.  The winds had been building ever since we passed the Oakland Bridge.

We passed under the bridge at 1315 and we could actually see it this time.  Yes, that's right, Mother Nature gave us a break and let us actually see what we were passing under.  Of course the fog was just out past the bridge and was quickly entering the bay, but we got to see it as we passed and under sail to boot.  YEAH!!!

The fog set in 10 minutes later and stayed with us for the next hour or so.  On came the radar and we checked our AIS to make sure no big ships were anywhere near us.  Nope, we were clear. 

We headed southwest away from the entrance and once we were three miles out or so, turned more south.  Unfortunately, the winds started dying just after we passed out of the entrance so we were forced to start up the engine and motor.  We kept the main sail up to help stabilize Zephyr as the swells were coming from the west to northwest and we started rocking.  With the main sail up, it slowed Zephyrs movements by acting like a brake in the air.  With the swells the way they were, we were forced to zig and zag all the way down the coast.  Heading south west for a while and then southeast for a while.  Up and down the swells.  Climbing one to slide down the next. Our top speed was 10.5 knots!  They climbed to 12 to 15 feet in height as the afternoon passed.  You'd have a few smaller ones and then a bunch of bigger ones.  No continuity to it.  

Finally the fog lifted and we just continued south passing one big container ship about three miles farther off the coast(that's just fine by us)in beautifully sunny weather.  Up and down and back and forth all afternoon.  We pulled into Half Moon Bay in winds over 20 knots and really nice rollers.  Once we passed the breakwater, the winds continued but at least the rollers stopped.  We dropped the anchor at 1745 after a trip of 42.5 miles.  Now its only 35 miles to Half Moon Bay, but with the zigging and zagging that comes with sailing, we added a few miles to the trip.  We're now anchored at 37 29.886N  122 29.182W.

The winds slowly dropped as the Sun went down and it is now just about calm.   The DuoGen electric generator has stopped so we will be conserving power through the evening.  We have lots of battery power, it just needs to become a habit to conserve when ever possible.  As the Sun set, we watched as a dozen or more pelicans as they dove time after time into the water around our boat fishing into the night.  It must have been a good time for fishing as they kept at it for quite a while.  Snowshoe just sat in the cockpit and watched them make big splashes as they hit the water.

Tomorrow, off for Santa Cruz or Still Water Cove farther south if time and wind allow.  Still Water Cove is right off the Pebble Beach Golf Course.  We will be anchored right next to the famous tree on the 18th hole.