Monday, September 29, 2008

The Maltese Falcon

This weekend the Maltese Falcon sailed under the gate and into the bay. I was supposed to be out at sea with my friend Bill sailing in in her wake. But I was too hung over to get up at a decent hour. Instead I opted to eat crab cakes and eggs florentine and head to the Baker Beach with Jesse, Scott, Ria and Brett. On the way I was telling them about this giant sailboat that was going to be sailing in. At 289 feet long, 42 feet wide and 20 stories tall it was the largest privately owned wind powered yacht in the world. It would have to sail in at low tide because it was so massive. They brushed me off saying I didn't know what I was talking about. That the Maltese Falcon was a bird statue or something and that they were sure I was crazy or had been misinformed.
We had been at the beach maybe an hour or so when out of the fog crept a mass of wood and sails. Three giant 20 story masts supported three giant sails. Its size made the other boats look positively insignificant. The amount of boats in the water that day made it look like some sort of tribe had gone out to greet their god. We watched as it sailed in slowly through the gate. It was truly the coolest boat I've ever seen.




3 comments:

John Sakkis said...

i love the maltese falcon as a God...that's hilarious. esp. that bottom picture...

you can almost hear the little sail boats going "cheep cheep cheep cheep cheep..."

and the maltese falcon all "greetings lesser denizens of the sailing multiverse...though shalt genuflect before me...ride my wake but fear my wrath..."

Dimitri said...

That's exactly what it looked like. I could almost hear the bongo's and the 'oonga chaka oonga chaka'.

shasta daisy said...

Great shots!!! Beautiful!!!