About Last Week...

Not sure why I have not written this report earlier but here goes: Made it over to pick up John at Sam's in Tiburon.  It was a gorgeous day and the wind was in the 20's.  We sailed to the city front and there were the America's Cup boats racing away.  There were lots of spectator boats so we sailed just outside them and took in what we could of the racing.  As we were heading north along the course I saw something I never thought I would see with my own eyes...cruising by in a cloud of spray was the fastest boat in the world, l’Hydroptère DCNS (check out their site http://hydroptere.com/).  It was a blogger/sailors dream come true.  The boat is waiting for a weather window to break the LA to Honolulu record of 4 days and change.  They got tired of windless LA so they shot up the coast for some good old SF blastings.  It was amazing to watch this boat top out at 35 knots right in front of us.  I heard that with some stronger winds on Saturday, they hit 45 without a problem.  Surely they did not men to upstage the AC but in fact, they blew them out of the water!!!  We sailed back to Sam's for dinner and then I headed to Angel Island for the night.

After getting situated on the moorings, not easy if you are alone with a front and end tie off, I slipped into a deep slumber.  As I was the only boat in the anchorage, I felt a little bit that the famous explorer Juan de Ayala, he being the first to sail a ship into the SF Bay back in August of 1775.  He spent his first night in this cove.  How cool.  Woke up in the morning to get ready for the event I was hosting for a local company.  I was supplying the drinks and fun for a group of 20.  Lunch was being catered by the cafe on the island.  Another glorious day and the group took the ferry over for the 11am arrival from Palo Alto.  We had a ton of fun playing Frisbee golf and bocce after lunch.  The group went for a hike and my buddy John showed up with a couple ladies and they had a picnic too.  After the hike it was on to volleyball for the group and I departed.  The engine was not receiving fuel so after some trouble shooting I decided to slip the lines and sail her home without the engine.  Off the dock with out a problem, I sailed out the strait and into a huge lee behind Angel.  I got stuck for an hour trying to get to the wind.  Finally it filled in and I took off like a rocket on a perfect reach for the end of the pier.  I was heading in about 7 and the wind was way down in the low teens.  I needed that wind to get me into the slip.  I made it into the harbor and there was just enough to get me down the fairway and into the slip without the engine.  It was a thing of beauty!  Exhausted, I cleaned up and then headed home.  It was an adventure to remember and cherish!  Thank you, Addiction!!!

Heading to the America's Cup Today

My buddy John and I are sailing out to the course today.  Winds will be in the mid twenties for the 2:05 start.  Eleven boats will be racing and it should be a great day.  Tonight I plan to moor in Ayala Cove at Angel Island.  On Friday, I have an event I am hosting fora local company on Angel Island.  Lunch, games and fun with about 20 folks.  Should be a great way to start the weekend.

Partnership Available on our Newport 30

Please contact me if you are interested.  Here is the CL ad:

We have owned Addiction for 12 years and are offering an equity share at $3000. We have a total of 5 partners and one is leaving the partnership. We offer low cost sailing on a proven bay boat from 1981. Monthly costs are $100 per person or $3 a day to sail in the most beautiful bay in the world. You should have bay sailing experience and know that when the wind is blowing 30-35 in the slot, you know how to handle it. This is a great opportunity to get out on the bay for all the America's Cup action. The boat features a jib roller furler, spinnaker, legal head, sleeps 3-4, wheel steering, a fin keel and a spade rudder. Good ground tackle, speed and depth meters, and has taken anything the bay has thrown out at her. Please contact me if you are interested in seeing the boat and taking her for a spin. She is an amazing boat. Minimum 1 year commitment. For pictures and more info, please visit: http://addiction30.tripod.com/

You can contact me via email at fungod at gmail.com

Delta was a Blast!

Been back over a week and still thinking about the delta. My boat partner Arnie and a friend sailed up from the bay and had some wild spinnaker runs getting up to Sugar Barge Resort.  I met them there and we had some big fun in the sloughs in and around the San Joaquin  River.

Two sets of friends also joined us.  Mark and Diane for Sunday and most of Monday.  And my Baja Buddy John for Wednesday and Thursday.  The nice thing about joining the Delt Doo Dah Rally is that a good part of the time, you are at the resorts, your food for breakfast and dinner is prepared by the restaurants and you do not have to cook and clean up after every meal.  So we had more time to hang and meet our fellow boaters.  Met another owner of a Newport 30 and he said he bought his boat based on my blog and recommendation on the build quality of these affordable boats.

Highlights - Beach party with the group off of Sugar Barge.  The Malibu Breezes were excellent.  Meeting some of the families that joined the group.  Potato Slough hang time.  Salmon dinner on the slough.  Full moon rise over the delta.  Being on the boat for a good three days.

The low point was getting stuck for 3 hours outside King Island.  Arnie decided to take a side slough and we ended up in 3 feet of water.  We draw 5.  We used the old kedging trick but with all the weeds it was tough to get a good hold on the bottom.  This made us 2 hours late in picking up John.

I departed on Thursday and Arnie sailed her home with some help from another boat partner, Paul.

It was a great couple days in the delta with a big thanks to Latitude 38 for throwing a great rally!