Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 17

Thread: Sailing plans for New Year's Day

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default Sailing plans for New Year's Day

    I've sailed on NYD for (I think) four out of the last five years.

    There's the annual circumnavigation and progressive party around Alameda, and there's usually a small gathering in Clipper Cove. I'd be more interested in the latter.

    The forecast says clear weather and maybe a 10-knot northerly.

    What are others doing? It would be fun to see some of you out there.
    .
    Last edited by BobJ; 12-29-2019 at 01:35 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

    Default

    After breakfast at IYC I’m cruising around Alameda w Brad Belleville (Intermission) and his wife, Cheryl on their boat Encore. I learned to love the bridge operators up in the Delta. Looking forward to how it works here (“Hi, Darcie! How ya doin?”).

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    224

    Default

    Stink Eye plans on going to the Clipper Cove raft up.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    44

    Default

    The raft-up looked good! (I was cruising with my family at TIYC on the Boston Whaler- we circumnavigated TI and had Clam Chowder after)

    Sunny when we got there around 11. Breezy when we left around 2:30, everyone standing by their anchors.
    Attached Images Attached Images   

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    Thanks, Mike and family! It took a while for it to register that you were in the Whaler, otherwise we would have encouraged you to join the raft-up when you first arrived.

    The raft-up was "anchored" by two Farallone Clippers and organized by Richard VE of "The Can" fame, who was aboard the FC Mistress II. (Who was the other FC?)
    Joining the group was Green Buffalo, Kynntana, Surprise!, Bonaparte, Stink Eye and Wetsu.

    Good food was passed around and boats were visited. Then as Mike wrote above, the clouds came over, the breeze picked up and the anchors started to drag. So we peeled off one-by-one and headed back to our respective ports.

    We had a great sail over from RYC in 8-10 knots and back in 12-16. Joining me, Connie and Matt on Surprise! were Rob and LaDonna from Gazelle, who are currently staying aboard at RYC. We had co-chaired the 2010 Singlehanded Transpac and we all wore our red R/C jackets!

    Name:  Rob and LD NYD.JPG
Views: 1154
Size:  516.0 KB

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

    Default

    Yesterday, New Years Day, I was invited to cruise around Alameda Island with Cheryl and Brad Belleville s/v Encore. Encore is a 1984 Beneteau First 32, a beautiful racing boat. Cheryl and Brad have set it up for cruising, and they sailed it down to the Channel Islands and back in September (what a good idea! I want to do that!).

    It’s awfully comfortable below, not that we spent much time down there. Also aboard were a sailing friend, Pete, Cheryl’s sister, Shannon, and two really nice lawyers. I know their occupations because Brad started telling lawyer jokes over lunch and they laughed a lot. Their teenaged daughter Mattie joined us, and she was an incredibly good sport given the number of goofy adults.

    Name:  On Encore.JPG
Views: 975
Size:  276.1 KB

    Cheryl told me that the cruise around Alameda began years ago when the bridge operators’ jobs were threatened by the presumption that they were no longer needed. Seems the number of bridge openings didn’t warrant the expense according to a cost analysis by someone who held the purse strings. According to Cheryl, all the yacht clubs around and on Alameda Island agreed to motor sail through every bridge every January 1. That way the bridge operators would reach their quota of bridge openings and closings on the very first day of the year, so there would be no question regarding the need for their services.

    Yesterday we met at Island Yacht Club for breakfast @ 9 am. Eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes and sour dough toast, cooked by Jamie. The potatoes included his special ingredient, which he would not divulge. Coffee, orange juice, fruit and granola bars were downstairs. A feast for $5. Thank you, Island Yacht Club.

    Then we drove to Aeolian Yacht Club, over in Fernside, and parked our cars. Encore is berthed there, and she is the zippiest looking boat in the harbor, which is owned by the Club. Smart move, owning their own harbor. The Club was started in 1902 and it’s tucked away just a bridge away from the San Leandro Channel.
    Very nice clubhouse, with a pool table, bars upstairs and down, a library, big kitchen, laundry and a big deck overlooking the boats.

    Another huge plus included with membership? The workshop. Oh My. What a nice space. With a member who does wordworking. Need a new tiller? He’s your man. What’s not to like? And what to my wondering eyes should appear? Gin Fizzes or Bloody Marys everywhere, for $5 each! Plus very good chili and cornbread: $5. I began to see a pattern, and was prepared with $5 bills. The deck was packed when we left to continue around Alameda the back way, with the airport and the coliseum off in the distance to starboard. Encore draws 5’10” and yes, we did bump over a sandbar in the channel, but only once.

    Going under another bridge, we continued on our mission, which was to reach Ballena Bay, known to the SSS as “that place reached by dense fog”. It was really cold by that point, so we were happy to tie up at the Ballena Bay Yacht Club where we were asked to check in via the computer, which didn’t work. So we signed in the old fashioned way, in a guest book with a pen. Then it was onward to the bar and thence into the dining room where we were offered hamburgers and hot dogs for (yes) $5. We ate our food, Brad told lawyer jokes and then we were on our way again, back to the Aeolian Yacht Club via the San Leandro Channel. Before we arrived we admired the south bay, which looked like this:

    Name:  South Bay 010120.JPG
Views: 1814
Size:  246.8 KB

    It was a really nice way to spend the day. Thanks, Brad and Cheryl. Oh, BTW (that's a tech acronym for "by the way"), Brad is interested in delivering someone's boat back from Hawaii after the SHTP. Seems he likes being on the ocean. Crazy, man, crazy.
    Last edited by Philpott; 01-02-2020 at 02:06 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    San Francisco Bay Area
    Posts
    2,095

    Default

    Looks like y'all had fun. I had fun too, because I LIKE making boat stuff, but your fun looks funner.
    1968 Selmer Series 9 B-flat and A clarinets
    1962 Buesher "Aristocrat" tenor saxophone
    Piper One Design 24, Hull #35; "Alpha"

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Saratoga
    Posts
    336

    Default

    In spite of dear sweet Jackie being a teetotaler, a few small details got slightly skewed.
    I think she was caught up in the New Years Day festival atmosphere.
    Only a few small fact corrections are needed here.
    encore! only went to Monterey Bay last September, and plans to go down to the Northern Channel islands next Fall.
    Aeolian was founded in 1906, not 02.
    I only told one lawyer joke. I have more lawyer jokes, but I got a laugh from the lawyers on the first one, and decided to quit while I was ahead.
    Lastly, I don't want to deliver anyone's boat back for them, but I would like to crew for an owner on the return trip.
    The Sea is my Church; the Boat is my Pew.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    Today on Faceplant, I saw that folks plan to again cruise around Alameda (Island) on NYD:

    IYC 'Round the Island

    Despite hanging around Alameda with a boat for most of my life, I've never done this cruise. I'm interested. In this thread is a report from last year's event. The big difference is (no surprise) there will be no progressive party at the Alameda yacht clubs - you have to bring your own food and drink.

    The tide level looks good for the trip through the skinny water on the south end: High tide is at about 12:30 and is a plus 6.5 feet!

    Is anyone else planning to do this?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    3,485

    Default

    My goodness! If you didn't look at Facebook I wouldn't know what was happening in the world, Bob! It's a good thing you aren't a troglodyte, too. About the around Alameda outing: Will it be raining? Will it be cold? It was cold last year. Will there be more wind than last year? I'll need to know more about it. It does look like boats will be going around clockwise this year. I think it was counterclockwise last year. Brad? Are you and Cheryl doing it again?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •