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Sailing Seattle - San Francisco 6/29 - 7/7    Hit Counter

From my email after we came back (read more on the days as you follow the pictures):

Saturday at noon we came back from our sailing trip from Seattle to San Francisco and let me tell you, we've experienced pretty much the whole spectrum of sailing emotions from relaxation in the sun to being pretty scared.

First of all I'd like to say that it was a great team experience, everyone in our crew added to one another nicely and it was very pleasurable to be together with my 5 mates. We all had our strengths to contribute and I would always go and ride the wild seas with them again!

Friday 6/29: San Francisco to Victoria, BC (click link left to start)

aDSC00001 A last farewell at the airport from pregnant Annie for her hubby Oliver aDSC00004 Sightseeing in Seattle aDSC00010 Leaving Seattle on the Victoria Clipper aDSC00026 On the Victoria Clipper... like an airplane aDSC00043 Spotting Mais Oui at arrival in Victoria

aDSC00044 Victoria inner harbour aDSC00053 Unloading our luggage from the Victoria Clipper aDSC00056 United at last - Tom, Shyon, Oliver, Henry, and Thomas aDSC00057 A last Martini - the on board bar mos more geared towards Miller beer aDSC00059 Checking the latest weather at the Internet cafe

Saturday 6/30: Relaxed sailing Victoria to the Pacific

aDSC00062 Ready to head off into the unknown aDSC00067 Leaving Victoria - a beautiful calm morning aDSC00078 Victoria against the sunset aDSC00080 Still smiling aDSC00082 Dolphins 1 aDSC00088 Dolphins 2

aDSC00089 Dolphins 3 aDSC00092 Dolphins 4 aDSC00096 Dolphins 5 aDSC00097 Dolphins 6 DSC00003 Someone was always asleep DSC00007 Our watch schedule before we went on a 2-team alternating schedule

DSC00012 Approaching Neah Bay harbour DSC00014 Getting more Diesel at this slick facility DSC00016 A real fishing harbour DSC00030 Part 1 of 4 of ... how complicated it is to neatly roll up a hose DSC00031 Part 2 ... another professional getting engaged DSC00032 Part 3 ... yes, it takes two grown-up salty sailors

DSC00033 Part 4 ... done after 5 minutes, and still looks like crap DSC00034 First dinner DSC00042 The US north-western corner DSC00051 The last buoy we rounded... from here on heading south! DSC00060 First night watch... hope we are still on course DSC00064 The cockpit with radar and autopilot at night

DSC00066 The navigation station... at left my laptop that I downloaded the photos to

Sunday 7/1: Relaxed sailing along the Washington and Oregon coast

DSC00071 First day on the ocean, very relaxing DSC00077 Our ingenious saltwater shower... we even bought saltwater soap DSC00079 Nothing but Pacific... our current position at top DSC00080 Burger lunch DSC00081 Smooth waters, no wind, motoring along DSC00086 Refueling while underway

DSC00087 Like the Bahamas DSC00093 Some Wind! Preparing Tom's new cruising spinnaker DSC00103 Beautiful Mais Oui from the dinghy DSC00111 The press hard at work DSC00114 Luckily they did not sail off but picked us up again DSC00121 Shyon's cool glassesDSC00127 Trying to be cool too DSC00133 Beef stew dinner

Monday 7/2: Another nice, smooth sailing day along the Oregon coast

DSC00140 Sunrise somewhere on the Pacific DSC00145 Checking the charts DSC00146 Everything is under control DSC00157 Running wing-on-wing with the genoa

DSC00162 The shark ate our fishing bait... so Oliver skillfully crafted a new set DSC00167 And luck!! A salmon biting DSC00169 The proud fisherman DSC00170 Ahhh, the kitchen-ready result DSC00172 Preparing the salmon and more... DSC00173 Salmon dinner

DSC00174 Second course - chicken wings DSC00177 Bringing in the whisker pole for the night DSC00185 The waves slowly picking up DSC00187 Beautiful sunset

Tuesday 7/3: day of high waves and breaking steering, unscheduled overnight stop at Crescent City, CA

DSC00195 Henry's record racing down the waves! Normally we make like 5-6.5 knots DSC00196 Fighting with the emergency tiller DSC00197 Trying to repair the broken steering DSC00199 Good arm exercise DSC00200 Job finished! Everyone is really happy... DSC00208 Oh no, another big wave

DSC00211 A warm meal after the excitement helps to bring back good spirits DSC00214 The helmsman slightly tired... DSC00215 ... and keeled over. But no tankers were near... DSC00223 Approaching Crescent City DSC00224 A real industrial fishing harbour... Mais Oui being the only spot of beauty DSC00225 Before the much needed shower

DSC00228 Passing out in Shyon's motel room DSC00229 Afterthe shower... you can almost smell the difference

Wednesday 7/4: from Crescent City further down the California coast, gray skies

DSC00248 Leaving into a grey morning DSC00250 The jib seams were ripped, trying to tape it DSC00251 Tape did not work, Tom sewing the sail DSC00255 Salmon number 2! The fisherman was instructed to... DSC00258 ...do everything alongside to avoid more blood baths on the deck DSC00259 A colorful spot in the fog

DSC00264 Smutje Oliver! A nice PBJ sandwhich for breakfast... DSC00265 ...and Tom adding with egg sandwhiches DSC00272 Salmon 2 again prepared a la Marne (baked with mustard and oil) DSC00273 4 smart ways to cool a beer - 1... drag it on a line DSC00276 2 - put in behind the transom ladder DSC00280 3 - party version - drag a whole net with it behind the boat

DSC00284 4 - Most boring... put it into the fridge DSC00285 No chance of getting lost... 1 boat GPS and chart plotter and 3 handheld GPS

Thursday 7/5: night of tension, high winds and waves, breaking rudder, tangled jib, unscheduled overnight stay at Ft Bragg

DSC00290 Checking the distance to the next harbour DSC00291 Skipper Tom only taking cat naps in the cockpit DSC00294 Not exactly relaxed DSC00297 Moon sinking DSC00300 Dawn approaching... everyone relaxes DSC00303 Walls of water behind the boat

DSC00312 Boat speed log DSC00315 Wind speed log... that is 9-10 Beaufort! DSC00316 Coast Guard picking us up outside Fort Bragg DSC00322 The friendly helpers DSC00324 The jib that would not roll in... and caused me some serious concerns DSC00326 Another casualty, the air inlet ripped off

DSC00332 Ft Bragg - marketing... DSC00333 ...and reality DSC00336 Again, warm food (and good beer and wine) smoothens us DSC00337 Great chicken dinner by Shyon DSC00341 Late night dock party DSC00342 Pernod for tough sailors

Friday 7/6: from Fort Bragg further down the California coast

DSC00346 Mais Oui high and dry DSC00354 Some of the lines we used to make sure she would not fall over DSC00355 Oliver's departure DSC00358 Smooth California cruising DSC00370 All smiles again - and win-on-wing with the spinnaker DSC00384 Another nice sunset

DSC00392 Oh, I was allowed to fold the spinnaker

Saturday 7/7: last home run to San Francisco and Alameda

DSC00399 Another California Coast fog day DSC00400 This man needs a hairwash DSC00411 Rodeo Beach, almost home DSC00412 Point Bonita, around the corner is the Golden Gate Bridge DSC00413 Yeah!!! What we have been thinking of... home at last! DSC00421 The skipper never doubted our safe returnDSC00426 Making sure we don't sink before reaching the bridge DSC00429 The owners of Mais Oui overjoyed DSC00430 Popping the bottle under the GGB DSC00431 Everyone is reliefed and happy DSC00432 A thoughtful skipper... Tom did not sleep much on this trip DSC00434 A toast and speech on the trip

DSC00437 We poured a glass for Oliver too DSC00438 It was cold and I wore maximum layers - wanna know what lies beneath DSC00439 2 - no hat and gloves DSC00440 3 - no life vest DSC00441 4 - no fowly jacket DSC00442 5 - no fowly pants DSC00443 6 - no fleece number 1

DSC00444 7 - no ski pants DSC00445 8 - no fleece number 2 DSC00446 9 - a bit of skin under the ski underwear, and then... DSC00447 ... sorry! DSC00453 SF in the sun beyond the Golden Gate fog DSC00460 Sailing past Yerba Buena island

DSC00461 Essential sailing gear 1 (and used) - wiepies instead of showers DSC00464 Essential sailing gear 2 (and not used!!) - bolt cutter, life raft, EPIRB DSC00465 A last group picture DSC00471 Mais Ouis new bedroom in Alameda DSC00473 3 guys and gear in my car going home DSC00477 My first snack from Milk Pail after coming home... hmmmm

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