You have to like wind if you are berthed at Berkeley Marina, and Saturday afternoon's 25 knot gusts exceeded our fun quotient. WILDFLOWER remained secure in her slip as the water world circled around us.
Nearby, a 20 foot skiff with three fishermen aboard cast off. Despite nothing to hit in their vicinity, and our location two slips away, they charged us, out of control, their 300 horsepower outboard grumbling. Luckily, contact was only a glancing blow, and the fishing crew commented as they swept by "very windy!"
I moseyed over to DURA MATER to see what Jackie was up to. Her refurbished windvane, shiny as new, lay nearby, and Jackie was tucked inside DM's lazarette, fiberglasing transom backing plates in an almost impossible location, occasionally popping up for air. For Jackie, nothing is impossible. It just takes a little longer. You'll see her lovely DURA MATER on the start line three weeks hence, outbound for the Farallones in the 38th running of the Singlehanded Farallones Race.
Buttoned up with double layers of fleece, we walked the perimeter of Berkeley Marina, venturing down on the docks when something of interest beckoned. Near the Berkeley Marine Center was the lovely old schooner, SCORPIO. This beauty of a staysail schooner was built in 1927. She is 42' on deck, and about 50' sparred length. Over the last 20 years SCORPIO has been rebuilt by her dedicated owner, and now graces SF Bay. She had a recent encounter with Colorado Reef down at Half Moon Bay and hit Flat Rock in the fog...luckily she did not sink and was towed to safety by a jetski.
Alongside SCORPIO was a vessel of a different stripe, a thirty year old, 29 foot Warrior catamaran. I got talking with Matt, the young crew member, and discovered his boat, TEAM KOHARA will shortly be disassembled and trailered north to Port Townsend for the Race2Alaska. With a crew of three, shiny yellow KOHARA looks fast. But they are almost out of time, having not yet taken delivery of their race sails. If enthusiasm counts, which it does, this team has already won the R2AK. Matt, Nico, and Josh have not only rebuilt KOHARA, but invented and installed a peddle drive for light winds, and a retractable "franken pole" for their giant spinnaker. I wish them the very best! http://koharasailing.com/
From the waterfront, we detoured through nearby Cesar Chavez park, the site of Sunday's concert by Sopwith Camel. This Loving Spoonful clone, SF Rock group, had a one hit wonder back in 1967 many of us remember called "Hello, Hello" ("would you like some of my tangerine..") https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjYsl__loTw
Finally, arriving back at Cal Sailing Center, we watched my dear sister windsurf with her new board and 4.4 sq. meter sail, just bought for peanuts at a windsurf flea market. You never know what you'll find in the neighborhood. All good.
Onward.