Opening Day on the Bay
Sailing on the Indian Summer is going to be delayed until I find a new place to live (I don’t want to wind up being a live-aboard).
However, on Sunday I was fortunate enough to be able to go along as crew (and provide extra crew) for Chris V. on the Sirena/Nova Gina – SFGN Fleet Boat #1
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This weekend was the official opening of “the Season.” What this means is a bunch of drunk-ass weekend warriors get their boats off the docks for the first time this year, try to run into each other for a few hours, then put their boats back at the docks again until the 4th of July. After the 4th, boats stay in until Labor Day weekend. I don’t ever want to be that type of sailor. Their boats make me sad.
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Sunday was bright, sunny and windy. Kathy, Anna and I showed up at 1 pm with lots of Diet Coke and Smithwicks (I’m very, very happy that it can now be bought in America). After a successful de-docking, we headed out the channel with Skipper Chris at the helm and me serving as aft-seat driver. Chris was thrilled to be the envy of all the guys around, sailing with 3 chicks.
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Sailing on the main alone, we went over towards the GG Bridge, but not all the way to it, as some things must be saved (plus, we didn’t want Anna to have a heart attack). Turns out Kathy could have quite a secondary career as a stewardess – for her first time on a sailboat, she caught on really quickly to her appropriate role, namely, making sure the skipper and first mate are happy. Slow jib, then headed on a run towards Angel Island. We never did manage to “put that bitch on her side,” probably because we only had the one official member of the SFGN aboard. Even if we had been able to heel over that far without alarming the remainder of the crew, it just wouldn’t have been official without more queens – I’m just a princess (being hetero, I’m just sort of an adjunct member of the SFGN, even though Chris said that I can be their Admiraless).
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e sailed past what we think was one of Larry Ellison’s boats and made lots of rude comments. We got the main down prior to entering Ayala Cove, and managed a beautiful docking, with Chris at helm and me hanging off the port bow giving largely inaudible and unhelpful direction such as “Turn! Turn! Get further away, no closer, no further, no closer, OK, whatever!” I got the bow secured and a stranger helped out with the stern, and in great spirits we went ashore to explore this strange place and lay claim for civilization. Anna, Chris and I ogled the boys while Kathy recuperated from the big adventure.
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We never did manage to find any of the other adventurers we had heard were supposed to be rendezvousing at Angel Island. Apparently, they all went to the mainland early to drink. Well, except for Skye. She’s too young. And Miles. Who went to church. But whatever. You get the point. We returned triumphantly as the sun was setting in the West, to be met at the dock by a fellow who pointed out that the anchor had come loose and damaged the bow. I was really impressed by how calmly Chris took it. Me, I would have cried, but he seemed to take it in stride. It must have slipped out of its hooks sometime between Ayala Cove and Sausalito as in photos at Ayala it is clearly fine.
