October 23, 2004
We let go our lines at 9 Am, David at the helm, Maureen, Justin and Katherine casting off. Master
Duke looked very sharp in his new PFD! All hands celebrated their smooth departure into the gentle
rain as we left Vallejo Marina. There was a slight breeze from the South out
in the channel, so Maureen and David hoisted the main as
Justin motorsailed Mare Island Strait. We exited the channel,
turned to the west towards Pinole, set our jib and caught an
eight knot breeze on a fine close reach.
Maureen and David consulted the charts and the GPS often, as the rain turned to fog. Justin held the
nav station below and had the opportunity to watch the radar screen as we sailed towards the
"sisters", north west of San Pablo Strait. The fog was light, and we had plenty of visual landmarks as
we approached the shore and sailed past Tiburon on a 15 knot wind. A couple sharp tacks brought us
past the "brothers" and under the Richmond San Rafael bridge. We turned towards Angel island on a
close haul and marveled at the view of the gate and how well Tenacious points to wind.
The wind died off Angel Island and we motored South for another half hour before the wind once
again picked up. We reached towards Treasure Island, tacked towards the city, then back towards
Yerba Buena island enroute to the Oakland Inner Harbor channel. As helmsman Maureen set her
course she noticed an attractive Hunter 31 ahead and slightly to windward, Maureen instructed the
crew to trim sails and the pursuit was on. The Hunter was now the Hunted, the prey looked on in
dismay as we sailed up their wake, tightened sheets and passed them to windward. Crossing under
the Bay bridge Tenacious left them behind and we admired the Coast Guard Commandants beautiful
home on Yerba Buena and commented once again on the fine sailing qualities of our new boat!
As we approached the channel, we politely gave way to a large container ship exiting (floating city?).
We sailed on until another container ship aft signaled that she would prefer that the sail boats ahead
of her, in the channel, make a little room. We were nearly dead into the wind in an effort to avoid our
big friend so we turned on our engine, dropped our sails and motored the last mile or so.
Motoring past our slip, we reviewed our approach procedure and secured Tenacious for docking.
David held the helm, Justin stepped first to the dock followed quickly by Maureen on an admirable
first landing in Alameda. Duke soon got his well earned walk on the shore, and Tenacious was
settled into her new Berth. Before the crew turned to Chevy's for their grog and vittles we noticed our
friend we'd left behind, the Hunter, motoring past to their slip.
