Weekend Stories: Joy Ride on ‘Joyicity’
When you ask sailors how their weekend was, you’re likely to hear some interesting stories. Thanks to everyone who answered the call last week (it seems like this most recent weekend was a near-identical repeat of the last, with a warm, calm-ish Saturday, followed by a cold, windy Sunday). Here’s the first of a few excerpts we’re going to publish, starting with a story from Patrick Kohlman. "Sorry no photos," he wrote. "Too busy trying not to round up."
"I hadn’t been out sailing on Joyicity, my Davidson quarter ton, for some time. I notified a few crew and friends that I thought it would be nice to go out for a ‘joyride’, maybe to Angel Island for a picnic. My crew Justin and his girlfriend Finn showed up just as I was launching the boat at Brickyard Cove. It was cold and overcast , but hey, sometimes, those are the best sailing days. We bent on a number 2 and the full main. Because the wind was a little brisk and out of the SSW I decided to motorsail out of the harbor. The crew showed up in street clothes, but I didn’t think it a problem as the wind had been little to none for the past month.
"Reaching out of the channel, the breeze started to pick up. The seas were confused as there was a leftover wave train from the south and wind-driven waves from the southwest on an outgoing ebb. Turning south, we headed for the Slot, then the Bay Bridge. The breeze picked up a little more — in the 15- to 18-knot range. I was glad I had chosen the ‘Big Gun,’ my big rudder, because if the wind got up any higher, the winter rudder wouldn’t handle the conditions. Once in the Slot, the party really got started. The waves were building and slapping the starboard forward quarter and spray was flying across the boat. Yahoo! What a ride.
"We opted for the leeward side of Treasure Island for some relief. That’s when I should have put in the deep reef. In winter it never blows hard. Well, almost never. Once we rounded Yerba Buena, the breeze got up a little more. Once in the Slot again it really started to rock ‘n’ roll — wind out of the west with a wash and rinse cycle and gusts in the high 20s. Finally we were able to surf the waves a little instead of bashing into them, the speedo a steady 7.5 then 8 then 8.5, 8.9, water spraying out either side as we got up on a plane and rode the wave, baby!
"Meanwhile, my crew, remember my crew, was huddled on the windward rail thoroughly soaked to the bone. ‘Are you having a good time?’ Rounding up and pirouetting on the keel was the order of the day. So much for light winds in the winter. This was full-on summer conditions. Glad we didn’t try to fly the kite! We made it back to Richmond in record time, the boat completely soaked from stem to stern. I only found out the next day that there were gale warnings out with predicted winds of 18 to 20 knots with gusts into the 30s. Anyone want go out for a ‘joyride’ and a picnic to Angel Island? Ping me."