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Fort Bragg to San Francisco Bay

We got up early and I started up early as I wanted to make sure we weren't going to have to jump the engines. No DC charger (and being too lazy to rig the one we bought) meant there was some risk that we would have to start the genny and use its battery to start the Hinos. Everything started just fine and we motored over to the fuel dock.

When we got there it turned out that it didn't open till 7:30. We waited and once it opened fueled right up. It turns out we probably could have made it to Bodega on what we had in the tanks, but there wouldn't have been much of a reserve. The fuel dock guy commented on the fact that we had tried to reach him and was sorry that we hadn't as he would have gladly gotten us going Sunday late afternoon. Darn it!

We headed out and the sea was up. The bar crossing was easy, but the swell was 4 to 6' and there were wind waves too. The period wasn't too bad. We got out and once turned south, calmed into a decent watch rotation and had the autopilot on. Forecasts were for combined seas to 9' at 6 seconds and we started to see them. Things picked up as we rounded Point Reyes, and I stayed at the helm from there all the way to the Golden Gate.

What an amazing and relieving sight that was. We crossed under at about 4PM with 25kts of wind gusting to 30 and a howling sea in a small craft advisory. It was spectacular. We dropped Spencer at South Beach Harbor and headed into Coyote Point. After hosing her down, collecting our stuff, and installing the car charger, we closed her up and headed home. That was about 6PM Monday May 5.

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