Long weekends are always nice for cruising around the Bay and taking some time to enjoy the scenery. We left on Sunday morning from San Mateo's Coyote Point. Now this time of the year is when the summer winds kick in. The huge temperature difference between the Central Valley and the coast results in a big pressure gradient, with winds funneling through the Bay from the West. Usually that thermal gradient wind sets in around noon, and can reach gale force in the late afternoon. Usually it tops around 25-30kn, but we've seen wind above 40kn. So nothing for novice sailors for sure. As we motored through the entrance channel I notice a mast sticking out of the water in the shallows. Looks like somebody got unlucky! That's why I always keep the main up before motoring through there. There is usually a strong cross current that will set you in the shallows in case the engine dies. Somehow around Coyote Point in can get very gusty, not a good place to be in trouble!
Coyote Point channel entrance with sunken sailboat
We left relatively early in the morning to catch the favorable ebb tide towards SF, and I was kind of expecting to motor most of the way until the thermal set in. However, it was blowing already 15kn when we left! In anticipation of bigger things to come we tucked in a reef and went on our way. Once we passed under the Bay Bridge 2 hrs later we had the full thermal going. There was hardly any sailboat out, despite the holiday weekend! Sustained wind of 20-25kn with higher gusts! We were so busy driving the boat that I almost missed that we were overtaken by a huge container ship. Quite impressive!
Container ship leaving the Alameda estuary
25kn wind speed!
We finally anchored at Belvedere cove. This is our private spot as not many boats draw only 3'11" like the Tartan34C (with the centerboard up). At low tide it gets down to 4ft water depth and we have seen some boats getting stuck. Hence nobody there, a million dollar view and perfect tranquility! Check out the image, out towards SF the water is churned up, whereas inside the cove it is almost glassy. We have 35lbs CQR with 30ft of heavy chain and 120ft of rope. We usually pay out 60ft in shallow water like this, and so far that anchor has never dragged. Even in places like Block Island we never had a problem with this setup, while other boats were dragging around us.
Anchoring at Belvedere
The next morning saw us catching the morning flood back home. Beautiful weather and a speedy ride thanks to currents. Check out the current trail in the picture below. This is at Blossom Rock, right in front of Pier 39. I estimate the current to be 3.5-4kn in that location. The thermal had already set in, but only around San Francisco. Once we reached the South Bay, the wind veered Northeast, and we had a joyful ride back home.
