Coyote Point  by Bill Lewis

The June cruise, originally set for South Beach took a turn even further South. Groups wishing to cruise to South Beach must request minimum 60 days in advance and up to a year. Needless to say, we had not met that deadline. As I also knew the only people who were planning to sail were South of the Bay Bridge. I decided on Coyote Point.
The CP Harbormaster said no reservations were required-just come ahead. Ericka left Ballena Bay around 1200 and headed Southwest. There was a fresh breeze off the mainland, so we were moving right along on a close reach. There was a fair amount of chop-enough to warrant closing the hatch. We wandered into a wind hole and sat for about 10 minutes, barely making bubbles in our wake. The bobbing about was not very pleasant and the outboard was deployed. Soon, however, the breeze was back - with a vengeance! More chop-more spray as we barreled across the South Bay.

It's a bit challenging to locate the Coyote Point channel inlet markers, but there they were. We furled the jib to give us more control and started the engine to maintain course. The flailing about of the boat and the spray seemed to intensify on main and engine. As we approached the breakwater, I went up on deck to drop the main, holding on tenaciously. A good-sized wave broke over the bow and I was drenched from the waist down. We headed for the guest docks by the harbormaster's office and glided in effortlessly.

The sun was warm and we were out of the ferocious breeze, so I dried off fairly rapidly. We paid our $.30 a foot berthing fee and waited for the next to arrive. Josephine II was coming across the channel and arrived soon after with crew Eric and Ann Quamen and dog Joey. And...shortly after that, Sail Mates with Tim and Brenda McGinty arrived. We were all located together which made the logistics very convenient. Snacks were served on Tim's spacious catamaran and we enjoyed hearing about the Gemini's and their uniqueness, speed and comfort. We were all jealous.

After an hour of snacking we hiked over to the CP Yacht Club to see if they were serving dinner. They serve lunch and dinner on Fridays, but not Saturdays unkess it's a special event. The alternate to dinner at the club is dinner at Dominic's on the Golf Course. It's a pleasant 15 minute hike from the harbor and dinners are great. You can get a Calimari Steak for $12.95 or a Filet Mignon for $22.95 or many other dishes. The decor is classy Sports Bar, but our sailing togs were not out of place. Conversation was lively and intimate with the six of us. After dinner-a nice hike back to the harbor and a walk for Joey. The wind was still blowing, but the boats were secured nicely and we did not move noticeably during the night.

In the morning, we did not have community breakfast, but prepared on our individual vessels. The wind was already up and working. Everyone had different agendas and Ericka made ready to depart around 0900. A close-to-beam reach going back to Ballena Bay and no motor was required. The chop had not really developed, so it was not a wet sail either.

Good company and good weather made this a worthwhile time investment and, of course, sailing is THE ultimate therapy. So, even though we had a small group, we had fun and it forced us to get out and use our great boats.

Hopefully, a few more of you will join us on the subsequent cruises this season.

Tides and Currents

No new members this month. In spite of my ramblings about not collecting dues for 2007, I did receive some checks in the mail. Thanks to those who sent them. I still feel we need more participation from the members. We have 19 members in the Fleet and I would hope we could have 5 boats at each event. I am not sure what the problem is and I could use some feedback as to how we could gain more participation. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

In the meantime, it was suggested we start 2008 by assigning each month's cruise to a different member who would scope it out and make the arrangements, do the write-up and coordinate with the membership. I think this is a great suggestion. Hope you do also. I will continue to edit the newsletter. Again, let me know what you think. If you volunteer, then you won't get assigned.

We still have opportunities for cruises late in the season. Looks like Angel Island will be in September - the date has not been set. Any ideas for an indian summer cruise in October?
In the past, we have had a planning meeting/dinner in January to set up the cruise calendar. Perhaps we can combine it with a post-holiday party. I believe our successes in the past were directly linked to an active Fleet officer committee and I believe this is key to future successes. Any and all volunteers are appreciated.

July Is Racing

For the past (I don't know how many) years, July has been regatta month. We have raced Olymic circle and from Point Richmond. But, in recent years, we have infused our group into the Ballena Bay Yacht Club's "whale's chase" race series. This gets us an excellent race committee. We still compete among ourselves, but as part of a larger group. In the past we have raced around Alcatraz, however, the July 14 race will be around a BBYC course in the South Bay. In the past, we have done quite well.-always in the top 3.

August - Cornithian YC

August 18-19 will be the cruise-in to Corinthian YC in Tiburon. This is a special cruise and space is limited. The first 4 boats are guaranteed a berth. Dinner will be at 1830 in the CYC dining room. The YC only accepts cash.

Let Amy Blackburn know if you are coming via email: amyblack2000@earthlink.net Please provide Amy with your boat size, beam, etc. Also, let her know how many for dinner. If you decide to drive in, you can still join us.

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