GENERAL LOG
Dog Days is my second boat, and I came to her by a circuitous route.
From 1970-1972, I had a partnership in a Venture 21, which my partner, Pete Havens, and I dry-stored and sailed out of Redwood City on South San Francisco Bay. We both
had sports cars, and it must have been a stitch to watch us pull the boat on its trailer to the boat ramp and slowly back it into the water at the end of a long line attached to a Porsche or Fiat Spider bumper. I loved the boat and the whole sailing experience, even hauling her (with a borrowed Chevy) up to Lake Tahoe one summer for a three-week live-aboard vacation, but Pete lost interest and we ultimately sold the boat.
A lifetime later, in 1998, my then partner Deborah and I visited her old friend Suzy Hass in Marble Head, Massachusetts. Suzy's partner took us on a day sail out of Salem on his Tartan 32, and the sailing bug bit me again. I began haunting marinas, going to boat shows, and reading sailing magazines, and, in spring 2000, I found my way back to sailing. This time, along with Deborah, I took the ASA basic and keelboat sailing program at Spinnaker Sailing in Redwood City, joined the school's sailing club, and continued sailing that spring and summer on Santana 22s, Merit 25s, a Catalina 27, and on an Ericsson 28. Meanwhile, I looked at boats.
Most used boats on the market are in pretty poor shape. Owners gradually lose interest in sailing, stop maintaining the boat, and let it deteriorate. And, I'm sure for many owners, the romance of sailing keeps their boat in its slip far too long. As a result, it's a real challenge to find a well maintained used boat with good rigging and sails that is also cosmetically in good shape.
There also are so many makes and models to choose from that it truly can be overwhelming to a first-time boat buyer. While I wanted something like a Tartan or, really stretching my imagination, a Hinckley, I began realistically narrowing my choices by reading boat reviews and looking at dozens of different boats. In late-July, I came close to making an offer on a late-model Catalina 30 with whome I've since become friends. He stepped up to a Catalina 36, while I decided to look for an Islander 28, which seemed to be a much better boat. The problem was that those I saw were really in poor shape.
2000-2002
In August, when Wally Bryant put Dog Days on the market through Latitude 38, I was primed. And, when I saw the boat on Wally's web site, I knew this Islander Bahama 28 was something special. I called, set up a Saturday appointment (Aug 5, 2000), took Deborah with me to see the boat, took Wally up on an invitation to go for a sail that very day, and on the way back down the Oakland Estuary sealed the deal. It took us all by surprise. He thought it would take him a couple of months to find a buyer, I was amazed that I'd found the boat, and Deborah was amazed that she agreed completely.
After a good survey revealed only a few small items, a slight adjustment to the price to cover a minor engine repair, and finally taking possession in early September, I began life with Dog Days.
Learning all over again
I sailed Dog Days regularly through 2000 and 2001, sometimes single-handing and kicking the sound system up to enjoy good blues, boogie and jazz, sometimes taking out friends, but most often with Deborah. We docked often at Angel Island for lunch, went out the Golden Gate three or four times, sailed down to Oyster Point and over to South Beach, and sailed up to Richmond to look at Island Packet, Beneteau, and Wauquiez boats. In 2002 and 2003, we particularly enjoyed docking at the Sausalito Yacht Club for lunch. And for Deborah and I, sailing became an important part of couples therapy, which we took on to help us get through relationship conflicts. By 2004, we had polished our sailing skills quite a bit (though, in the end, not our relationship skills), and I'd even learned to fly the spinnaker.
But, as every sailor knows, owning a boat and sailing are two entirely different experiences. I spent as much time reading about systems -- electrical, mechanical, rigging, and more -- as I did sailing. There's always maintenance on a boat, and both Deb and I spent countless hours cleaning, polishing, waxing, and making minor repairs. And I cannot say how many times I found myself grateful for the diligence of the previous owners, for Dog Days has never taken much work to maintain and never had any major failures of systems. She has not been like the many other "holes in the water into which sailors pour money."
2003-2004
Stepping up in size
During the fall 2002, Deborah and I both began dreaming seriously about a larger boat. I dreamed of going cruising hoped Deb might eventually concur. The sale of some property gave me a bit of unexpected cash, and so Deb and I agreed to become equal partners in another boat, if we could settle on one. While we came very close to buying a new Catalina 36, a friend urged us to look at Spindrift, a Cal 39 II that was for sale in Monterey. So, the day before we planned to make a final offer on a new Catalina, we drove down to Monterey. That was it, and we were on the way to buying a 1980 Cal 39 II. (But, that's a whole different story. Surf over to Spindrift at http://cal39ii.blogspot.com.
Now, one might expect rational people to sell the smaller boat on the purchase of a larger one, but I am a sailor, which by definition is not terribly rational. So, while I devoted an enormous amount of attention to Spindrift, I certainly did not abandon nor ignore Dog Days. In fact, because Spindrift decided to spend an inordinate amount of time in Mariner Boat Yard through the summer and fall of 2003 as well as late summer and fall of 2004, I sailed Dog Days regularly. Deborah and her friend Gaier took out Dog Days in August and October, which was Deborah's first sailing without me; they had a ball. Then, in 2004, I entered her into the Oakland Yacht Club's Sweet Sixteen summer beer can series, with Deborah and friends Rob Bastress and Michael Araneda acting as crew. We had great fun, and ended the year ready to undertake the winter Sunday Brunch series.
2005
Jan 2 - First in the winter Sunday Brunch series, with Rob Bastress, Rod Lambert, and Elisabeth Lehmberg as crew. Missed our start badly, but we had a great time even though there was no wind.
Feb 6 - We missed the second race in the series, but did this third one with Rob Bastress only as crew. Again a dead last showing -- Deborah got the race-buoy tender to hold up picking up the finish mark so we could cross the line.
Feb-Mar - Rain, rain, go away; come again some other day. It's been miserable almost every day I've had free to sail Dog Days, so she has stayed in port.
Apr 1-2 - Took Sue Horning and her son Nick sailing in the Estuary, and had a great time. They spent Friday night on Dog Days, their first night on a boat, and reported that they loved it. Saturday we left the marina at 11:30, motored out the Estuary, put in a single reef, and tacked north behind Treasure Island, across the backside of the Slot, and around Angel Island. Coming back across the Slot, we had 20+ knots with 30-knot gusts and some good rollers abeam. We then went by Pier 39 and across the bay to Alameda and homeport. A great sail, and both Sue and Nick really enjoyed it. The same time we were crossing the Slot to the city front, about 1500 hours, a Santana 22 was swamped and sunk while trying to surf a wave in between the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge and Fort Point (http://photos.sfsurvey.com/).
May 11 - Took an afternoon sail on the estuary. It's amazing how things can go wrong. The mainsail slugs stuck badly when I started to raise it, so using the tiller tamer to hold course, I went up to the mast to see the problem. The tiller tamer slipped, I had to scramble back, reset it, got forward again, only to have the thing slip again. Running like a madman across the deck, the boat zigzagging along, all I could say was thank God it's a Wednesday and no one else is out on the estuary.
The problem is that the canvas strips attaching the slugs to the leech are badly worn. They twist and the slugs bind in the track. No amount of silicon spray or wax in the track or on the slugs is going to solve this. A new set of slugs is the answer, but since the sail is blown anyway, I might as well get a new sail. I also might consider putting a better track on the mast.
Anyhow, I finally winched the main up, got the jib set, and had a lovely time tacking out the estuary to its mouth, about four miles. I came back in wing and wing, cranked up the music and let B.B. King fill my soul with the blues.
Then, taking the sails down again became a moment of frustration. I usually drop the jib in light air behind the main. This time, the jib didn't want to come down easily, so I had toagain use the tiller tamer to permit me to move forward to wrestle in the jib. It was hit-and-miss, but I got it down, and then turned to bringing down the main. Although it didn't bind coming down, I had a hell of a time getting it tied up on the boom. Getting into the slip was n problem, and I took my time getting the sails put away. But, no complain, every sail is an adventure.
Jul 2 - Took friends Michael and Judy Poirfiri out for a lovely sailing down the estuary today. On our way back in, we stopped by the Encinal Yacht Club docks. Deborah and I had our Cal 39 Spindrift there for the July 4th weekend cruise-in, so it was fun to see the two boats together for a moment.
Used a good dose of silicon spray on the mainsail slugs, and it went up with minimal binding. But, clearly I need to get this fixed. Also need to do some work on the traveler, as the rollers don't seem to be working well. It binds rather than sliding easily into position.
Aug 15 - A while back, I ruminated about owners who let their boats sit idle and how over time they deteriorate. I fear that this summer, Dog Days has not gotten the attention she's deserved. I've had her waxed, done fairly well at keeping the varnish up, and kept her washed down, but she's been in the slip far too long. Seems the days go by, and what with summer trips and sailing Spindrift, I just don't find the time to take her out. I'm hoping this changes, and am even having a small tender built for her, but I'm also beginning to wonder how long I can maintain and really use two boats.
Sep 6 - Looks like we'll be using Dog Days exclusively for a couple of weeks, since we had to haul Spindrift for prop work and more. So, we cleaned her up inside and out, and loaded aboard some sleeping gear and such in preparation for a weekend sail.
Sep 18-19 - Deb and I took out Dog Days two days in a row and spent two nights on her at the marina. On Sunday, in very clear and warming weather, we sailed around Yerba Buena/Treasure Island, up the windward side hitting 7.5 knots over ground, and down the lee side. On the way in, our friends Doug and Jo Leavitt passed us in their Jeanneau 42, Jenny, and invited us over for drinks. We fired up Dog's engine and soon were enjoying wine with them.
On Monday, we had an even better day in terms of weather. Warm, sunny, and nice moderate winds. We sailed across the south bay from the estuary and turned north toward Angel Island. We hit the slot at about 15:15 hours, and decided to turn back, since we had a strong afternoon ebb working against us. We finally got to Jack London Square around 18:00, and tied up for dinner at Scott's. At the end of a lovely sunset, we motored under navigation lights to our slip. A gorgeous day and evening!
Sep 23-25 - Spent the weekend on Dog Days Friday evening at Encinal Y.C., Saturday polishing our Cal 39-2's hull, and Saturday night at a party with friends Mark and Karen Brunelle, et al. Sunday we sailed Dog Days in the Encinal Yacht Club Commodore's Challenge Cup. Very light winds, so we used the mylar 130 genoa, and though the only boat in the race with higher than a 200 PHRF, we came in only 4 minutes (corrected time) against our one non-spinnaker rival, the Brunelle's Ericson 36, Aldeberon. Discovered that the third from the top plastic sail slug in the main was broken, which has been causing the binding in the track. Must get that fixed soon.
Oct 8-9 - Took Dog Days on her first cruise-out with the Encinal Y.C. cruising group. We left Alameda on Saturday morning at 11:00. The weather was gorgeous, and in light winds we motored sailed up the lee side of Treasure Island. As we neared the north end of the island, we killed the iron jenny and sailed comfortably across the backside of the slot. This was Fleet Week on San Francisco Bay, and we caught the beginning of the air show over the bay as we crossed behind Angel Island on our way up to San Rafael Creek. The wind died, and we drifted gently north with the flooding tide. But at 15:00 hours we decided to motor the rest of the way.
Wouldn't you know, we dropped the jib just south
of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, and as we
crossed under it, the wind picked up to 15 knots
or more. We kept the main up, and motored
through choppy water to the San Rafael Creek
channel entrance, and we weren't able to drop
the main until we actually entered the creek.
Then the wind died back, and we motored up the
creek to the San Rafael Yacht Club, where, with
the assistance of fellow cruisers, we med-tied at
the club's docks.
Club cruise-outs are always great fun. After being
on one or two you understand why every yacht club
is really a "drinking club with a boating problem." The cruise to San Rafael Yacht Club was this year's "Commodore's Cruise-Out," which meant that the commodore chose the venue, supplied the tri-tips and side dishes, and we all merrily ate and drank. It went in to the wee hours of the evening (usually 2300 hours is about the limit for most sailors,
who are exhausted from pulling all those lines during the day), and nary a soul stirred on the docks at 0830. Nevertheless, we managed to assemble for fizzes, Bloody Marys, bagels and cream cheese, and other fattening breakfast foods shortly after 0900. And, after we fortified ourselves, one by one, we cast off and headed home.
Dog Days shoved off about 1100 hours, motored comfortably down San Rafael Creek, and we hoisted sails once we got south of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. We had a nice, though gentle wind, which took us down to
Angel Island. Our plan to arrive at about the start of Sunday's Fleet Week air show, featuring the Blue Angels, worked out nicely. We lowered the jib in the lee of Angel Island, and drifted south across the slot to the windward side of Treasure Island under only the main, easily making 3-4 knots. Along
the way we managed to capture the Commo-
dore's Antrim 27 and Cruise Captain's Erickson
35 in a chance meeting on the bay, and just
after we reached Treasure Island, the Blue
Angels arrived. We were in the ideal spot to
have them fly directly over our mast when setting
up their westward runs across the city front.
Magnificent! Deborah got so excited at one
point she fell down thankfully not overboard.
When the show was over, we managed to motor
sail to the Alameda Estuary ahead of the crowd of boats escaping the bay from the city front, and spotted other club friends on the motor yacht Excaliber.
Oct 15 – Launched Pup, a little wood tender for Dog Days, built for me by John Tuma (see Building Pup). After the launch and rowing her about the marina, John and I put her on Dog Days’ foredeck. Over the next couple of days I worked out a tie-down system, John built chocks, and Laurie Elliot made a nice cover
for her.
Nov-Dec – Dog Days sat in the slip through lots of rain and cold weather. Whenever it was good weather, we seemed to be traveling.
2006
Jan 27 – Took Pup off Dog Days’ foredeck and rowed her around to Spindrift’s slip, where I secured her on the dinghy dock. Think were going to leave Pup there for a while, which will make it easier to use her in the marina as well as take out Dog Days. Afterwards, I took out Dog Days for a motor up the estuary to Jack London Square and back down to the Encinal Yacht Club docks, where I hooked up with Deborah and her friend Alice for a couple of drinks. On the way, I found an almost brand new fender with a nice black cover on it floating in the estuary and recovered it. Motored back to the marina around sunset.
Feb 8-10 – Record temperatures, gorgeous days. It's almost like summer in San Francisco, in fact better, if you'd ask Mark Twain. I took out Dog Days for two days, and wonderfully renewed my spirit with flat waters, nice steady breezes, and sometimes no breeze at all. At one point, the current was over four knots, and Dog Days drifted along with only enough breeze to keep the sails from slapping, all the way from Treasure Island to just south of Angel Island. The bay was like glass.
Feb 22 – Today my friend of many years, long-time sailor, and historian of technology extraodinaire, Bruce Sinclair, joined me for a sail on the bay. What a gorgeous day, what a lovely variety of moments - with wind, without wind, with some wind, with quite a bit of wind.
We reached out the estuary, were becalmed
below the Coast Guard Commandant's home
on Yerba Buena Island, caught a lovely breeze to
take us eventually all the way toward Sausalito
to Raccoon Strait, drifted wing-on-wing down
past Belvedere, Tiburon, and Kyle Cove, and
then reached in a steady twelve knots across
the back side of the "slot" and the lee side of
Treasure Island to the mouth of the estuary once
again.
Dog Days responded to his praise by performing flawlessly. Salud, with a dollop of Cruzon Single Barrel Rum and a brownie! It couldn't have been a better day messing about on boats.
Mar 23 – Bruce Sinclair joined me again today for a sail over to the Corinthian Yacht Club. He got to Dog Days before I did, and like the good sailor he is, took off all the canvas and got the 120 genoa hanked on. We left the dock at 10:05, and motored down the Estuary, putting up the sails after we’d passed Jack London Square. A little breeze gave us a close reach out the rest of the Estuary, where the winds died altogether. So we motored on up the lee side of Treasure Island and across the back side of the slot. About half way across to Angel Island we were slammed by a four knot ebb coming down from San Pablo Bay. We slogged our way, motor sailing behind Angel, actually with a nice 10 knot wind off the beam, making an average of 1.5 knots. We finally got wind and the ebb behind us, dashed across Raccoon Strait and tied up at the Corinthian.
We had lunch at Sam’s Anchor Café, I met with the Corinthian folks to check details on our club’s cruise to the Corinthian in May, and then we had a nice sail back to Alameda.
May 15-19 – A week on the Bay…
How often do you promise yourself something and find ways to avoid fulfilling it? For the last two years, I’ve been promising myself - or threatening myself, I’m not sure which - that I would sail away on Dog Days for a week on corner of San Francisco Bay. You know the excuses - working and can’t quite get away, a spate of rainy weather, projects at home and, unique to my situation, not having the appropriate tender for the boat.
The truth of it: I was just nervous about doing it - not quite comfortable enough with my sailing skills, wondering would I really enjoy a week alone - you know, just generally insecure.
But this year, with lots of practice anchoring and mooring and driving dinghies on charter trips, with my dink Pup built and ready to be employed as Dog Days tender, I really had no more excuses.
5/15 – Spent the day preparing Dog Days for our trip. I’d hoped to have things ready in time to go over to Clipper Cove and anchor out the first night, but checking batteries, anchor rode, getting provisions, and such ate up the day. After a nice meal of sushi at Kamakura’s, I spent the first night of my great adventure in the slip. Still, it sort of felt like an anchorage when a neighboring boater decided to trouble shoot his Atomic Four engine at 22:00 hours. He realized he wasn’t alone, when I stuck my head out of the hatchway to complain.
5/16 – Up bright and early to make coffee – oops, no alcohol for the stove! So, breakfast at Tilley’s, and then to Pagano’s hardware for alcohol and a couple of other remembered items. Out of the slip and over to the pump out station at 10:00, and then to the Jack London fuel dock to top off the diesel, and I was off. (Click here for photos of the trip.)
This was a test for Pup. Would she behave well under tow? Her builder John Tuma and I agreed that some ballast under the seat might be a good idea, so I put two cases of 12 oz. water bottles in her. As I motored out the Estuary, she followed beautifully, but the test would be crossing the Bay to Angel Island – through the Slot.
I’d hoped to make the crossing before the afternoon winds came up (I was told by someone that it had reached 30 knots with 40 knot gusts the day before), and I started across at 12:30, but the wind beat me. I’d estimate the wind at 20-25 knots, but Dog Days did well with one-reef in the main, hitting 6.4 knots over ground, and Pup bobbed along behind as though the crossing was meant just for her to show her stuff. When we lost the wind behind Angel Island and I pulled in Pup’s painter to see how much water she’d taken on, I was surprised to see no more than an inch in the bottom (barely up to the floor board).
Dog Days drifted into wind and I tacked her over to the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon, arriving at 14:30. After landing easily on the guest dock and checking in, I rowed Pup over to Sam’s for a late lunch, walked around in Tiburon for a bit, and then rowed back. Pup got some very nice compliments from a couple of Corinthian members, and I stretched out for some reading and napping. The day ended with a nice barbecued a steak and some vegetables.
A very nice first day! Total miles: 12.9 nm.
5/17 – Deborah gave me a wake-up call at 07:15, which got me up and making coffee on the alcohol stove. Went into Tiburon for breakfast, took a short walk, and then made things ready to depart at 10:00. Putting up the sails in Belvedere Cove, I found the shallow spot in the middle of the cove; thankfully it wasn’t low tide, and I pushed through with the engine. Motor-sailed over to the Sausalito water front, went wing-on-wing back through Raccoon Strait, and then up toward Red Rock.
Half way up the wind shifted to a broad reach and I went forward to remove the whisker pole. Oops – the back-winded headsail acted like a bow and nicely shot the pole right across the starboard rail. It took two passes to retrieve it, one under sail, the second with the motor running. It turned out to be a nice man overboard drill.
A nice broad reach took me up past Red Rock and under the Richmond-San Rafael Richmond Bridge, following a course that took me to the starboard side of the San Pablo Bay. Had to go wing-on-wing again to head up the bay, and sailed past The Brothers Islands and lighthouse and then past the entrance to the funky little Pt. San Pablo Yacht Harbor. About even with the Sisters Islands on the other side of the bay, I turned toward China Camp and had a nice 6 knot beam reach across the bay, getting the anchor out and flaking out sufficient rode along the way.
Arrived at China Camp at 15:00 under about 10 knots of wind and got the sails down well enough. Motored about the anchorage, and finally picked a spot to the south and even with the end of the old wharf. Anchored and let the winds gradually pull back Dog Days and set the anchor.
I was going to row ashore, but the wind and river currents seemed a bit strong, so I decided to take a nap, read, and finally cook dinner aboard.
Overall, I made 14.4 nm, and got a lot of sun.
5/18 – One way that sailing San Pablo Bay is different than the main bay is that the tidal currents are combined with the downstream river current. At China Camp, these two factors tend to move you around a bit at anchor. It’s one of those places where you wish you had chain anchor line instead of rope. I awoke around 04:30 and noticed that Dog Days had dragged anchor perhaps 100 meters. Since I was alone in the anchorage, there was no threat of hitting another boat, but I watched off and on for an hour, made sure the anchor was finally holding and then slept until 07:30.
I also thought that I had accounted for the low tide when I anchored, but alas I discovered on waking that I had not judged correctly, or at least had not taken into account that the heavy rainfall this season had brought a lot more silt into the bay. In any case, Dog Dayskeel was in the mud, and there was nothing to do but wait for the tide to rise. Since my destination was Vallejo, only a few miles up the bay, time really didn’t matter, so I had a leisurely breakfast and watched the marine layer gradually lift and the tide continue to go out.
Low tide was not until shortly before noon. Wind waves and current seemed threaten pushing me toward shore, and something I considered might be a reality when the tide started to rise. So, I decided to pull in the anchor, which was actually toward the shore, take Pup, and row out from shore and reposition the anchor. Pulling up the anchor revealed that the chain had gotten wrapped around the Danforth anchor’s prongs – no wonder it dragged – and now was encrusted with mud. I pulled it up to just below the bow, then got Pup and, after washing off as much mud as possible, pulled it aboard Pup and rowed off shore. This maneuver accomplished, I climbed back aboard Dog Days, went forward and set the anchor. Unfortunately, lots of mud needed to be washed off Pup as well as here and there on Dog Days, which I finally did later in the afternoon.
Low tide (about -.8) came at about 11:45. Shortly afterwards, I called my friend Bruce Sinclair in Vallejo and told him my predicament. Long-time sailor that he is, Bruce empathized, suggested I try to kedge off the mud with the anchor, but, alas, I knew I was in too deep for that. Patience was the order of the day, and he promised to get me a spot on the Vallejo Yacht Club guest dock for the evening.
I spent the afternoon polishing the stainless steel on Dog Days, had some lunch midway through the task, and then washed the mud off Pup and stowed the oars. Watching the tide come in when you’re stuck in the mud teaches patience. Every thirty minutes or so, I pulled in the anchor line a little, gradually kedging a bit off the mud as the tide rose, but the movement was ever so slight; I aimed at just not letting Dog Days be pushed in further toward the shore. (Mind you, China Camp is not considered a lee shore, but when the currents are right, it can become one.)
At 16:00, with the depth meter reading between 4.2 and 4.4 feet, I decided to try and break free with the auxiliary diesel. Several tries combined with kedging in the anchor were not successful. Since the wind, although light, was coming off the starboard beam, I considered that raising the sails might lean Dog Days over enough to float her. Just as I was thinking about this, Bruce called to check in on me, and he encouraged me to try the sails. So, up went the headsail, but even with the engine, this wasn’t sufficient. Up next went the mainsail, and this combined the engine managed to free Dog Days from the mud. With the tiller tamer holding the tiller in position, I went forward and tried to raise the anchor. Alas, I had done so well setting it offshore, that I couldn’t budge it out of the mud. After motoring backwards, then forwards, then backwards, and again forward, the anchor finally dislodged, and as Dog Days motored slowly away from shore, I managed to pull the anchor aboard and stow it. (Pulling it through the water washed almost all the mud off of the anchor, which made stowing it more pleasant.)
I departed China Camp at 16:30, and sailed a lovely beam reach across San Pablo Bay all the way to the entrance of the Napa River. Turning up the river, briefly wing-on-wing, and then back on to a beam reach. As I passed the condos along the river just before the public marina, I watched for Bruce, who came out on his balcony and whistled (later he complimented me, saying Dog Days looked wonderful with Pup tagging along behind).
Bruce drove up to the Vallejo Yacht Club and met me on the docks at 18:45, making tying up a breeze. We were both impressed at my time across – 13.5 nm in just over two-and-a-half-hours, for an average speed of about six knots. Top speed 7.2 knots.
The treat at the end of the trip: dinner at Bruce and Gail’s, meeting Bruce’s fraternal twin brother, Jerry, and his wife. What a fun evening, swapping stories, sailing and otherwise.
5/19 – After cooking up a couple of eggs and a cup of coffee, today began with Bruce coming down to the marina to show me his newly fixed Gary Mull Custom 30, Pretty Penny. One of four built, she was plainly meant for racing. The small Yanmar engine is mounted dead center in the salon, and presently awaits the building of a motor box. The interior is sparse but well balanced, presenting Bruce and Gail with innumerable projects. She’ll be a great day sailor and good for over nights once the interior’s finished off.
Bruce and Gail soon return to the East Coast, where they’ll take their Bristol 35.5 out of storage and sail the Maine coast for one last summer before they sell the boat. They invited Deborah and I to join them for a while, which is an intriguing prospect. We’ve talked about chartering a boat there for a week, so perhaps we can find a way to make this happen this year. It would be great fun to sail a week there with good friends.
No sun this day, as a low-pressure system moved in over night, but nevertheless I embarked from Vallejo at 09:30 for the long sail back to Alameda. Bruce and Gail waved me off from their balcony as I reached down the Napa River. On San Pablo Bay, with the wind out of the Southwest and the ebb with me, I made six long tacks on a close haul to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. At marker #10, I hit 9.0 knots for about a quarter mile, and probably averaged around 7.0 knots to the bridge. The wind seemed around 20 knots, maybe a bit more, and although it got a bit sloppy in the middle of San Pablo Bay – no worse than the Slot on a windy day – Dog Days never rounded up, so I kept up a full mainsail. And, again, Pup handled every wave and swell thrown at her with no problems.
Arrived off China Camp in just over two hours (a half hour faster than going up to Vallejo), and got to the bridge in exactly 3.0 hours. Below the bridge, the wind shifted so that I made a beeline to the lee side of Treasure Island, on a close reach to Angel Island, and then on a beam across the Slot and under the Bay Bridge. Coming into the Estuary, the wind died, and I dropped the headsail just as Klaus Kutz, a fellow yacht club member and yacht broker, drifted by on the way out with a couple of customers on a C&C. I saw him again, when he came back in and I was taking down the mainsail.
On the way in the Coast Guard Cutter Munro passed slowly by, and launched a skiff while underway. Quite a sight and watching took my mind off the intermittent showers that were starting up. But right after I lowered the mainsail and literally as I turned into the slip, the showers turned to real rain, and I tied up as quickly as I could to duck in the cabin and dry out.
This day’s journey was 32.3 nm, completed in 5.5 hours, for an average speed of about 6.0 knots. Overall during the four-days, I covered 73.1 nm, learned a whole lot more about sailing, read two novels, and had a lovely time. I liked the experience a lot, enough to do it again sometime, but even more fun will be doing this sort of local cruising with my Princess.
June 21 – Today was the longest day of the year, and what a nice day for a sail. My old friend Bob Miller joined me, and we took Dog Days out along the city front, tacked 100 feet off Pier 39, and sailed circles in Aquatic Park. The National Park Service has mooring balls in Aquatic Park, but each one says for "NPS use only." Hmmmm. Maybe their building up an NPS "home security" force of small sailboats to moor there.
We exited Aquatic Park via the channel behind the breakwater that takes you by the restored scow schooner Alma and the real Fisherman's Wharf. We passed Pier 39 again, this time wing-on-wing, and then down along the city front until we reached McCovey Cove, where we lingered a bit to hear the cheers from the SF Giants game. Then we had a nice beam reach back across the bay to Alameda.
But it was hot! I mean heat-stroke hot! "Real men collapse from too much beer!" Not the headline we wanted to see, so we switched from beer to water for the lazy trip down the Estuary.
August 19 – After traveling for three weeks and recovering at home, I took Deborah and Sandi out on Dog Days for a long day sail to Angel Island. Our club was doing a "family cruise-out" there, and as cruise captains, we wanted to at least check in and spend a little time with them. Our sail over was comfortable and fast, with a single reef in the main, even though we fought a flood tide half the way. We found a slip easily at Ayala Cove, and lo-and-behold were met at the dock by our club's Rear Commodore Charles Hodgkins. We had lunch with some of the cruisers, watched our club's Vice Commodore Tony Shaffer mooring late-coming boats, and then we had a good cruise back and enjoyed dinner at the club.
Photos of the day are posted in my album.
September 24 – The skipper's birthday! For the second year in a row, I sailed Dog Days in the Encinal Yacht Club Commodore's Challenge Cup. Even thought winds weren't as light as last year, we still used the mylar 130 genoa. The course is from the starting line near the mouth of the Oakland Estuary around Treasure Island (either direction), and back down the estuary to the EYC club docks. As usual for us amateurs, we had a poor start and then made a fatal error – we went the "wrong" way around the island and got slammed by current and an unexpected headwind at the top. So, once again dead last but only a few minutes behind the only other non-spinnaker boat in the race, Perfect, a Beneteau 46. Had we gone the right way we might even have beat them on corrected time. But fun is fun, and I'm happy we celebrated my birthday by racing.
2007
Winter 2007 – Deborah and I returned from a charter in the Caribbean in January, and by the time we recovered and got up to the marina, Dog Days truly needed a wash and some attention. She got washed, but no more.
On February 3rd, I washed her again, and spent the night aboard her after stuffing myself at our yacht club’s annual crab feed.
Another two weeks passed by before I got up to the docks again. On February 17th, Deb joined me to go sailing and we sailing, bringing along our dearest Long Island friends – Neil, Ruth, & Sarah Cowan, and Sarah’s boyfriend Andy. We had a great day on the bay, although one without a lot of wind, and then brought Dog Days into the Encinal Yacht Club dock to join the other EYC cruisers for an overnight affair. It was a big event at the club – the EYC musicians put on a blues and country show with a down-home fried chicken dinner. Everyone had a great time, and our friends Bruce and Gail joined all of us at the evening festivities. It was the first time, I’m quite sure, that four historians of technology had been in the club house at the same time. Sunday we returned Dog Days to her slip.
I spent the weekend of March 2-4 aboard ship. I washed, dried, and treated all the canvas covers with 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. On Saturday I sailed out to just east of Alcatraz, then back to the north end of Treasure Island, and then back into the marina. The wind died behind Treasure Island, where I brought down the sails. Coming out the estuary, Dog Days' first owner, Pete, came along side in his Cal 34 Dog Star, to say how nicely I was keeping her up. Later we sailed along side of each other in the bay for ten minutes or so.
On Sunday, I wasn’t going to go out, but Tony and Mary Oliver on the Cal 39-2 Chance in our Marina said I really should buddy boat with them. So, I went out again, and decided just to sail out to the end of the estuary and back in. Along the way I took some good pics of Chance, and they went on out into the bay (where there was zero wind). It was a great weekend, and the next Friday, Deb came up and joined me for the night aboard before driving over to Sausalito to meet old friends for a weekend birthday celebration.
March 14, Wednesday, took out Viktor Pal, a
historian of technology and the environment from
Hungary, who’s getting his Ph.D. at the University
of Tampere in Finland. Our mutual friend, Timo
Myllyntaus at the University of Turku in Finland
connected us. It was Viktor’s first time on a
sailboat, and he took to it (pardon the pun) like a
duck to water. After we got fuel and motored
most of the way out the estuary, we had a great
sail across to Sausalito, down Raccoon Strait,
and back to Alameda.
I Spent the weekend aboard on March 16-17, but the marine layer flowed in and dissuaded me from sailing. I'd joined Deb in the British Virgins for two weeks to escape the colder northern California weather, and got up to spend another two nights aboard Dog Days April 13-14.
Spring – The annual "Strictly Sail" boat show at Jack London Square in Oakland is usually the last weekend of rains and the beginning of Spring. It was again this year, and we spent Friday at the show and then two nights on Dog Days (April 20-21). The next week I began working on Dog Days varnish, and on Saturday the 28th, went for a lovely sail out the estuary and across to South Beach Harbor in San Francisco.
For the last three years in May, our Encinal Yacht Club has had a cruise-out from Alameda across the bay to the Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon. This year Deb and I volunteered to lead the cruise, and I took Dog Days, still with blue tape on her since I hadn't yet finished my varnish work. We left on Friday, May 4, and had a nice brisk sail across the back side of the Slot. Once settled in on the guest dock, we awaited the other two boats that were to arrive that evening, but they didn't show. So, we drank at the Corinthian bar, dined and listen to some good live blues at Servino's Italian restaurant in Tiburon. Next day we brought in 13 more boats, as I played "dock master" for the day. Dinner that night at the Corinthian, after the obligatory cocktail and hors d'oeuvres party on the docks, and then I played some jazz with my friend Tony Oliver on guitar in the club's bar. Sunday opened with the traditional fizz and breakfast party on the docks, and then boats started departing for home. Deb and I left about 14:00 and caught the wind half way into the bay for a nice sail home. It was a really fun weekend, and being on Dog Days was a joy!
Summer – Seen a lot of Dog Days this summer. Slept aboard several times in the marina and had some day sails. Deb opted out of the Petaluma Cruise over the weekend before July 4th, so I single-handed Dog Days. Left on Friday and went to the Richmond Yacht Club, where I linked up with two other club boats. On Saturday morning sailed up to China Camp to fall in line with the rest of the club fleet for the trip up the Petaluma River. Sailed almost the whole way up the river at 6-7 knots on a nice beam (adjusting for the bends in the river, of course). Had I not gotten behind a barge, I might have motor-sailed all the way to the Petaluma Marina. The cruise story is posted elsewhere but essentially we spent Sunday on a wine tasting trip and Monday lolling about the docks and wandering Petaluma's town. We returned Tuesday, but had to wait for the low tide to pass at 11:30 and then for the bridge to open at 14:00. It was a long, ten-hour trip back to Alameda, motor sailing, sailing, and some bashing out the Petaluma River channel. I got back to the Encinal Yacht Club docks at 22:10, and the next morning took Dog Days back to her slip.
Delta Trip – August 3-8 fellow yacht club member Paul Poirier joined me in taking Dog Days up to Three River Reach on the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta for our Encinal Yacht Club's annual "Delta Daze." We stopped the first night at the Vallejo Yacht Club, where we joined my friend Bruce Sinclair for dinner. Next day we had a good sail almost the entire way up to Three River Reach, where we anchored with the club's cruising fleet, most of whom got there before us. What a relaxing time. We spent two days doing little but lying about, supping occasional beers, and visiting other cruisers on their boats. Because I was leaving the next weekend for a trip to Europe, we left a couple of days earlier than the rest of the fleet. We motor sailed to the Benecia Yacht Club, getting stuck in the mud once along the way (we were saved by a passing power boater who pulled us out). Then the next day we had a good sail (sometimes motor sail) back to Alameda. A great trip during which Paul and I became real buds.
Paul at the helm.
With Bruce at the Vallejo YC
Islander Rendezvous – The weekend of September 21-23, the San Francisco Bay Area Islander 36 Association hosted an all Islander boat rendezvous at the Encinal and Oakland Yacht Clubs. I had just been to the Cal boat rendezvous - Caltopia - which I organized at our Encinal YC, and here I was again with Dog Days. I barely got her over to the rendezvous on Friday, having to pick her up from Svendsen's Boat Works, where she'd just had her bottom peeled and painted. But I made it, and it was great fun. Nice to meet other Islander owners, and Dog Days got a good share of attention. I'm pretty sure whe was the prettiest boat at the rendezvous.
Fall – Sadly, I got little sailing in during the fall. A couple of day sails but otherwise Dog Days sat in her slip.
2008
Winter – Over the last couple of years, Deborah's and my relationship has morphed into one of friends and sailing partners - "better friends than lovers" as the old saying goes. Almost a year ago, we had planned a long trip to the Caribbean, some fourteen weeks and multiple charters. Then at the end of last summer as we accepted the change in our relationship, we decided we still really wanted to do the cruise but agreed that we'd shorten it to nine weeks and two charters. As a result, I was away from Dog Days for virtually the entire winter. On my return in early March, I managed to get up and her down, check the bilge and thru-hulls, and whisper sweet nothings to her. But, since I'm having surgery on my ankle and will not be able to sail for another three months, she's again on her own at the slip.
June 28-29 – At last, Dog Days got to leave the slip. I've been up once or twice to spend the night since I got out of a cast, but this weekend was the first time I've dared a sail. Clambering around on deck with a weak ankle seemed allowable if I moved slowly and purposefully ... something you should always do on a boat anyway. So, I called the Corinthian Yacht Club ahead of time, got a Saturday night slip, and sailed across the bay with two reefs. What a joy to breathe in that sea breeze and feel the wind on my face. Had a good time at the Corinthian, played the piano a bit in the bar, had a gourmet dinner, and a relaxing morning. When I set out on my return trip, I had a brief electrical failure ... have to clean all the contacts around the battery switch ... but the sail home was wonderful as well.
July 3-6 – Encinal had a club cruise-in for the holiday weekend, so I brought Dog Days over to the club docks on the third. Steve Katzaroff rafted his Ranger 33, Vroom, along side me on the 4th ... a big crowd of well over 120 people, I'd say, enjoyed the club pool, the barbecue, and generally overbeveraged. On the 5th, I wanted to go for a sail, so after lunch I was joined by Karl Lichty (my new neighbor in Oriental, North Carolina, where my east coast boat Alizée soon will have its berth), Mike Pernitzke, and Jay Bryan. None of them had sailed on a small boat (under 40 feet) for a long time, and we had a blast tacking up the estuary until a container ship coming in persuaded us to turn back and run down to the club.
The evening of the 5th, Bruce Sinclair came down from Vallejo to spend a night aboard Dog Days with me (Bruce will be joining me in Norfolk, Virginia the end of August to bring Alizée through the Dismal Swamp on the Intracoastal Waterway or ICW to Oriental). On the 6th we were joined by my friend Cecile for a sail. It was Ceci's first time on a sail boat and she truly loved it, and she wrote later:
"I was struck by the quiet...and the power of being propelled by wind.... The wind wore many faces today, sometimes non existent, and yet it was powerful and playful at
other times. I loved the sensation of gliding and slipping over the water and rolling with
the swells and feeling whisps of spray, and racing at top speed on the way home. I
adored the profound sense of peace and serenity after we came under the bridge when
we were barely moving."
We sailed across the bay to the Sausalito Yacht Club, had a lovely lunch on the deck there, and then caught the tide and reached 7.3 knots over ground as we sailed across the bay and past Pier 39 to Alameda and back to Dog Days' permanent slip in Marina Village Yacht Harbor.
As an update, Ceci went on to take sailing lessons in Berkeley, did some bay racing, met a new love, and is her second year in the Sea of Cortez on his 43 catamaran with destinations in the South Pacific on the agenda. Hooray for her!
July 12 – My friend Rob Bastress gave me a hand building a platform for Pup at Dog Days' slip, and we moved Pup over from her past resting place adjacent to Deborah's Spindrift.
Changes in Latitude 2009
Another boat – Shhhh!!! Dog Days still doesn't know about Alizee. The end of 2008 saw Dog Days largely sitting at the dock. I managed to get her out once or twice and spend some weekends on her, but I was pretty busy ending up my last term ever of teaching and meeting and falling in love with Penelope Mayer of Florida. Penelope did come out in December and we spent the weekend on Dog Days for the New Year's Eve party at the yacht club, but it was pretty chilly to sail her.
But, I did make a deal with my EYC friends Mark and Karen Brunelle, and they have leased Dog Days for 2009. I can report that they are doing very, very well, love the boat as much as I do, and have even let Pen and I have her for a couple of weekends in July.
July 3-5 - On Friday the 3rd, we sailed Dog Days in the estuary just for an hour or so before heading down to the Encinal Yacht Club for the holiday weekend cruise-in. Many more boats had arrived before us, and we ended rafting up fourth from the dock. We had a wonderful time visiting old friends, joined in a great barbecue, played some good jazz with Tony Oliver, saw fireworks and generally had a wonderful time. The next Friday we sailed across the bay to Sausalito and back, which was stunningly nice and the first time on the bay for Pen. Don't get me wrong, Pen's a sailor, just with her experience to date in Florida, the Chesapeake, and the Bahamas. Sailing the "slot" is a different experience.
Anyhow, Dog Days sails as beautifully as ever, and Mark and Karen told me she will be in their capable hands for the next year or so, which is really nice news.
September - Here she is participating in the Encinal Yacht Clubs first circle raft-up. Look to the upper left - her jib is in a blue sail cover.
Decision Time 2010
June - For the past year, my friends Mark and Karen have cared for Dog Days for me, but it's finally time for this arrangement to close. They had a great sail to Sausalito and Tiburon over the Memorial Day weekend, after which they topped off the tanks, took their stuff ashore, put my things back aboard and went off to their new "good old boat," an Islander 36..
I spent a couple of days with Dog Days, taking a lot of stuff off her with the idea of selling her. Got some repairs done to her canvas jib bag and cockpit hatch cover, put new batteries in her and got her cleaned, waxed and polished. I even listed her with my broker friend, Klaus Kutz, but when I got back to Florida things changed. Penelope's bout with basal cell skin cancer made us both think that maybe we should hang on to Dog Days until we figure out just what sort of sailing is in our future. So, I pulled her off the market and have hired my friend Tony Oliver to do some bi-monthly wash-downs and keep the batteries from overcharging.
Now I have to figure a way to come out and go sailing, but it looks like we won't be able to get out until Thanksgiving. I only hope the Bay Area is experiencing a late "Indian Summer" in November.
November - Well, here it is November and Indian Summer has long passed by in the Bay Area. Penelope and I have figured out our future sailing, and Dog Days just does not fit in our plans. I got the engine serviced in October, and I have decided that maintaining two boats now is just not what I want to continue doing. So, Dog Days is on the market again. Hope a good buyer comes along who wants a sterling boat!
New Owner 2011
15 February - Sealed the deal with Rochelle Dicker, Dog Days new owner. She'll be taking her from Marina Village in Alameda to Clipper Yacht Harbor in Sausalito, and I'm sure you'll be seeing lots of Dog Days out on the bay this year. I hope Rochelle has as much fun with her as I have had over the last decade!
