Monday, August 25, 2008

Mucus and salt water

For the most part I was sick this weekend.  I stayed in on Friday night and the first episode of Deadwood, season 2.
I woke up on Saturday, Emma made me breakfast.  Three waffles, two eggs and fresh baked biscuits and tea.  I watched a crap load of television after she went to work.  I arrived home around noon, showered and went out to read my book in the park.  After a few pages I got hungry and had a lamb schawarma
 at Ali Baba's Cave in the Lower Haight.
 After eating much lamb and other delights I headed home to read a bit more in my big comfy chair and wait for Emma to get off work.  Instead I passed out to the tune of my roommate typing furiously on her laptop.   
Saturday night consisted of more laziness.  Sushi delivery and lots of television.

Sunday morning we awoke early for our sailing adventure.  We walked down the street to get a picnic but instead waited 40 minutes for the lame woman at the cafe on McAllister and Baker to make two sandwiches.  Soon we were on our way to Sausalito where we promptly got lost looking for Gate 6 and a man named Bill who I'd never met or seen.  We eventually found him and headed to his boat.  We were the first ones there so we got to explore and lounge around on his boat, a 30' Nonsuch named Daisy.

This is the first time I'd ever been on a boat like this.  They are super wide so they don't keel too much.  The mast is all the way forward (there is no jib sheet) and there are no spreaders on the mast so it can bend and spill wind.  There is no boom, but instead to arched bars connected at both ends called a wishbone.  The inside is super huge too, I could actually stand up with out touching my ear to my shoulder.  This is a boat I would definitely consider living aboard.  
On board were Emma and I, Gretchen and Matt who were visiting San Francisco from Missouri and on their way to BRC to watch the man burn (they were absolutely hilarious), Anna student, really great to talk to and totally a solid girl (she also just spent two months in Yelapa so Emma, her and I had a lot to talk about) and Karey teachers friend/massage therapist/marine biologist, and Bill, El Capitan, was 'wicked awesome'  I forget where he is from but he has a thick East Coast accent and is the sort of kooky older guy you'd expect to find living half time on his boat.  
We headed out of Sausalito and made our way towards Alcatraz.  There was some kind of race going on, the bay was crowded with tiny darts of boats so we decided instead to head up Raccoon Straights and head for the Richmond bridge.  The wind was mellow, lows at around 3 knots and highs around 18 knots (Bill says he was out in 30 knots with a full sail and it handled beautifully, I'd love to experience that).  We were riding a flood in so the going was easy.  Once we got out to the bridge Bill noticed a rip in the sail so we headed into the wind so that he, Emma and Matt could fix it.  With the sail back up and ready we played around in a part of the bay that I had never been to.  It was beautiful.  We passed by the Brothers Islands on the north where there is a great looking B&B,
When all was said and done we had sailed 37 miles between the hours of noon and 8pm.  Not great time if we had been racing or circumnavigating but we were just cruising so no worries.  After we docked we exchanged information and promised to do it again real soon.  I, for one, hope that this is a promise we all keep.

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