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Middle of Winter SSS cruise-out

A

AlanH

compulsive typist
I propose an SSS cruise-to-somewhere for the middle of winter. Like, I dunno.... maybe Sat Jan 7th. That doesn't conflict with the Berkeley Midwinters, the South Beach Midwinters.. and I don't see the GGYC Midwinters on their website yet.

I've got a mess of stuff to get sorted on the boat...a rudder to make, autopilot to finish setting up, backstay system to put together so Midwinters are probably out for me. However, the cruise-in to the Sequoia YC was fun. Try again?

This would be "weather permitting" of course. I could maybe talk to the Coyote Point YC folks... or maybe we could go somewhere that we don't go very often...Tiburon YC / Paradise Cay?
 
sounds fun...
I do happen to know that the GGYC mids are on the first Saturday of Nov, Dec, Jan and Feb.
Technically the first Sat in January is the 1st, but I'd imagine 1/7 will be when they run race #3.

BUT, as Jackie says, if you organize it they will come.
SFAIK, the Seaweed soup series doesn't have a shorthanded division anyhow.

DH
 
OK, that's three of us. I declare an SSS quorum. Cruise-In..or out. Or something on Saturday January 7th. It's going on my calendar. Considering that it gets dark earlyish we can't go as far afield as Sequoia or Vallejo, so I will inquire "around" closer to the main Bay. Do I have the authority to claim that I represent the interests of the SSS in this?

As in....

"Hi There Windy Cove Yacht Club, would you lovely people like to host a cruise-in the the Singlehanded Sailing Society on Saturday January 7th? We expect between 3 - 60 boats to attend."
 
I have never, ever in all my years of sailing around the South Bay, gone into the Brisbane Marina. I've sailed in and out of Oyster Point a bunch of times, but never Brisbane. So I just pinged the the Sierra Point Yacht Club cruising chairwoman and asked her if the club would be interested in hosting us. It's not a high-glamour destination, but then...this is US.

Sailing into any of those marina's; Oyster Point, Brisbane, Oyster Cove on a summer afternoon is an ordeal. The wind whips around San Bruno mountain and it HONKS through the marinas. Brian on Red Sky berths at Oyster Point, and he'll confirm this. This is why I've never had a berth there. However, the Wind Engine eases up in the winter and hopefully it should be more manageable. The channel is pretty short, just a couple hundred yards, though it can get tight coming into the marina. However, DO NOT MISS THE CHANNEL as it gets shallow *fast* if you get outside the channel markers.

Depending on wind conditions, motoring in the last 100 yards and entering the marina under power might be advisable. Alternatively, if the breeze is manageable, put in a reef, roll up your headsail and give it a shot. The guest dock is quite close to the entrance, behind the breakwater.

Let's see what Kathy says.
 
Presidio YC, that's in Horseshoe Cove, under the north end of the GG Bridge, yes? Also, it's saturday January 6th, not 7th, apparently.

As for me having a good sail, I'd sail up to SF Friday night, snooze on the boat and then cruise to wherever on Saturday. If that's back the way I came to Brisbane, I'm good with it. If it's to Horseshoe Cove, that's good, too.

Let's see what Kathy from Sierra Point YC says. I'll give her 4-5 days to get back to me and if I don't hear anything, or if it's "no" then I'll try Presidio. Yes, the Brisbane marina will probably charge for the overnight. Oyster Cove, technically would also charge but that would require the marina staff to actually get out of their chairs and walk down to the docks and that's not going to happen.
 
I was in Brisbane for over 8 years until a couple years ago; Redsky was on dock #3 there.
Sierra Point Yacht Club often has a breakfast on Sundays.
You might be able to work something out with Oyster Point YC, or use the old Drake's Marine old docks.
There is free docking at Aeolian Yacht Club, and they can serve food like pros.
Or raft up in Clipper Cove before it gets developed, (with maybe a potluck), it is central to many.
That Saturday would also be the monthly sea shanty sing aboard the Balclutha at Aquatic park. Serious fun.
 
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Sounds fun. Tortuga is following where this ends up! Anchoring out in Aquatic Park is always free and fun too. Not really good for rafting up per se but usually plenty of room for anchoring.
 
We have a remarkably quick and enthusiastic "yes" from the Sierra Point YC cruising chair.

================

Hi Alan.

We'd love to have your group visit us this January. In a normal month we'd be having a relatively quiet first Saturday of the month - our monthly dinners are scheduled on the 3rd Saturdays and we love having guests for those. Is your date flexible? If not, we'd be happy to arrange to host you on the 6th. We have lots of fun members who would help put together a good time for that evening and we DO have a monthly Sunday brunch from 9:00 to 11:00 am on the 7th.

If I put out the option to our members to meet you at TI and "zoom" back with you I bet we'd have a few takers. Do you make it a race?

Once we firm up a date I'll put you in touch with our harbor master, Michael Hahn. Call if you want to talk about this. I'm at the yacht club now for our Friday evening Pot Luck. We look forward to your visit.

Regards,
Kathy Stern, Fleet Captain
SPYC

=================

In light of the old adage of "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", I say, let's go to Sierra Point this time. Since folks were keen to try the Presidio YC (which does sound like a great idea) how about them for next Springs'-Summer cruiseinoutwhateveritis?
 
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SO -----

I propose the following.

Meet at the northeast end of TI around 10:15 AM on Saturday, January 6th, 2018 (or Saturday January 20th, see below). We all "check in" as it were on Channel 68.

At 10:30 AM, I will begin a "rabbit start". If you don't know what a Rabbit Start is, look here -

http://www.andreascoveyc.org/forms/TheRabbitStart.pdf

Basically I will sail up to as close to the light on the NE end of TI as is reasonably sensible, and tack over onto port. I will sail closehauled, on port tack, for about 150 yards out into the Bay. All starters have to pass astern of the Rabbit on starboard tack. After about 150 yards, or after everybody has passed behind me, or looks likely to, I tack over and the "race" such as it is, is on.

Course... TI to Alcatraz (to port) to Finish. The Finish is a line extending directly east from the red entrance piling marking the entrance to the Brisbane Marina. Take your own time.

We'll figure out the handicap winner in the Clubhouse after I get out a chart and figure out how far this is.. Winner gets a **Very Unique** prize which will be provided by Moi, and will be something that's generally unavailable anywhere in the world but from Yours Truly and one weaving house in Scotland.

We raise caine in the SPYC house until all hours, stumble back to our boats and snooze. We all have brunch at the Club, help them wash their dishes (it's a very small club, all volunteer so we need to be good guests) and head out for home Sunday morning.
 
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I told her that the 3rd Saturday of January is the Three Bridge Fiasco...which I *think* is right, but I could be off by a week. January 20th. If the 3BF is the 28th, then we could go down there on the 20th.

BYC Midwinters are Jan 13/14
South Beach YC Midwinter is Jan 20th. oops. I bet the 3BF will be on the 27th. Do we know, yet?
 
Ditto, most likely in, despite the destination being less than exotic (I'm on dock 6).
In summer, it's a quick and often wet beat from Hunter's Point to the northern corner of the marina breakwater, where there's at least 6' of water everywhere east of the breakwater and north of the entrance channel it shares with Oyster Cove -- but as Alan points out, just don't find yourself south of the entrance channel, nor west of the marina entrance. It's shallow. You can douse in the lee of the breakwater, then motor up to the entrance and turn 180 degrees right into the marina. Just watch for the 2-3 permanent, unlit anchor-outs if it's dark.
The guest and pumpout dock area just inside the entrance is pretty easy to negotiate, and while it's probably sail-able, motoring is advised. Harbormaster is open 7 days and sells ice if you need it. Oh, and free copies of Good Old Boat for the motor trip home! No fuel, though. Oyster Point has that.
 
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OK, al you folks who normally berth at Sierra Point....

I've resisted moving there because I love how I can get into my berth at Coyote Point. ...sail down the bay, roll up the jib 50 yards outside the channel. Then sail, main only up the channel. Tack twice in the turning basin, all in howling wind. As soon as I tack into the fairway that my dock is on, within about 30 yards the wind drops to zephyrs, blocked by the hill. I drift to the gas dock, drop the main, deploy the outboard at my convenience and putt putt into my berth, 100 yards down the fairway.

I've avoided Oyster Point because it's just too blasted windy all summer long. However, now I read that Sierra Point is actually tucked a bit behind San Bruno mountain and sees 5-8 knots LESS breeze than Oyster Point or Oyster Cove. If there were some inside ties available, I'd actually save a few bucks on monthly berth rent.

Please comment on wind velocity and direction in Sierra Point vs. Oyster Point!!
 
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