July Club Sail

Departure: 1:00pm
Return: 5:00pm
Weather conditions: Partly Cloudy and breezy
Tide: Slack tide??
Boat: Club Boat
Crew: 3 (Woody, Tom & Paul)

This was nice club sail thought it felt a little short. The winds were light, and we were all looking for something a little new, so we decided to motor up Colvos Passage a bit before we started sailing.

I don't remember exactly what the tides were doing, but we saw the most amazing rip tides I've seen so far. Lots of clearly defined whirlpools and up swells tried to spin us round and about. I think a high tide was coming in and that northward currents were hitting southward currents. I remember how alarming it was when I first encountered rip tides. To feel the tiller go slack in your hand, and the boat turn of it's own volition is similar to the dropping feeling you get in a small aircraft or a swing.

There isn't much to see up colvos passage, but I did my best to look for something new. I discovered a beautiful home tucked away in it's own valley.
In style, it reminded me of a roman villa, two story with a broad facade, arches and ballistrades. Large potted plants (many flowering) lined the walkways and terraces. The picture doesn't really do it justice. They have a nice situation.

After motoring to Richmond Pt, we killed the motor and practiced our light sailing techniques. It was relaxing and time slipped by faster than the water. A couple of boats motored by included a large transport with dump truck beds fastened to it - very curious. Eventually time got short and we had to start motoring back. A couple of times we killed the motor when we thought the wind was picking up, but for the most part there wasn't much.