3BF preparations: no wind big current

Paul and I decided to get some boat time in to prepare for the 3BF last weekend. We figured it would be a good time to get back into the sailing swing of things and a great excuse to sail. So on Sunday, we left the comfy confines of the slip and headed to open water. Or, rather, we headed out into the Bay.

Being experienced sailors we put on our foul weather gear before it started raining but decided to go with a hazy, "I think it's ebbing", as our sole source of tidal current info. Well, we soon found out that, yes, it was ebbing. And in true 3BF fashion, there was no wind.

So, how about some quick math? If the water is moving at 3-4 knots East and there is none to zero knots of wind, how long until you're on the rocks at the Farallones? Luckily we didn't find out because Paul and I are manly ocean-going sailors and know how to sail. Yep, we're bad-asses. We managed to coax almost equal boatspeed to the current and basically stayed in place within a couple of hundred yards of the bridge. Honestly, if there is a better way to practice for the 3BF I'd like to hear it.

After breaking free from the clutches of the current, we proceeded to drift slowly down Raccoon Strait around Angel Island into a nice fresh breeze to speed our way home to Sausalito. All told, the exact conditions we had on Sunday would get us to the finish line on time for the 3BF but not without its boring moments. Thank Neptune for cockpit speakers.