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Had a great weekend rafting up with friends in Ayala Cove on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. Our friends Carl and Shawna invited us out on their boat, Mystic Lady, for a weekend at Angel Island. After a minor problem with the exhaust system vented loop was fixed and a few supplies loaded aboard, we were soon motoring out the estuary.
Small craft warnings were out but it wasn't a bad trip. A little chop going through the slot and it was a little cool with the wind blowing, but we were all enjoying it. All of us except for Maggie. She didn't like the constant movement of the boat. She was happy when things settled down in the lee of Angel Island.
We had to avoid a lot of boats on the water and stayed out of the way of the racing boats. Profligate, the boat owned by Latitude 38, was out taking photos.
The Bushwacker and Abacus had come over a couple of days earlier and tied up to a couple of moorings. When we arrived, the No Worries from Gate 9 was rafted up with with Abacus and Bushwacker. We pulled alongside Bushwacker and secured ourselves with Carl's encrusted fenders between us. Gary brought over one of his big fenders to try and salvage some of the paint on his boat.
Soon we were all sitting back visiting. Still a bit breezy, but relatively warm.
Some may find this hard to believe, but we actually persuaded Carl to show the octopus tattoo on his ass. He's normally too shy and reserved.
Some brave souls (didn't know them) dove off the docks and swam out to a boat. The water is a little chilly, which they obviously knew. What they didn't know was that the septic on the island had just had problems and the park rangers had been pumping raw sewage into the storm drain not too long before the swim.
Stella Blue shows up and ties up to No Worries. Eating drinking and socializing, how could it get any better?
Carl fires up the BBQ and we enjoy a great meal.
A family of geese parade around the harbor showing off the young ones.
We spend the rest of the evening talking in warm glow of the lantern before retiring for the night.
The day starts with blueberry pancakes and Peets coffee.
Sunday is even nicer than the day before. The wind has dies down some and everyone is in t-shirts and shorts.
Carl breaks out the kayak and we all get a wet butt.
Shawna just can't relax without painting her toenails first.
Jeff, Karen and Gary from the Bushwacker cruise around taking photos. (You can see the Bushwacker photos here - http://www.bushwacker.net/ and clicking on "NEWS".)
Shawna decides to sit on the foredeck in the sun and notices a 'cheeping' sound coming from the mast. She opens the sail cover to discover a nest with 4 sparrows.
While trying to figure out what to do with them, one flies off followed soon after by the others. One lands on the Wacker and rests. The others fly off to the island, but what a mess they leave behind!!!
The morning and afternoon is spent reading and talking and enjoying the beautiful weather.
Diane and Pat on Charmed Life show up for a short visit and tie onto Mystic Lady. Pat and Diane will be competing in the TransPac this year, the first all-women doublehanded duo in the history of the race. Diana was also Ana's sailing teacher on the class she took in the San Juans.
That Carl! Always a gentleman. Here he is giving Shawna a helping hand.
Shawna and Carl show off their tattoos.
The trip back on Monday was much smoother and warmer. Not much traffic on the bay either.
Mystic Lady is back in her slip and we all had a wonderful time. Thank you Gary and Karen for getting us all rafted up on a mooring ball on this busy weekend. Thank you Carl and Shawna for having us aboard.
