2017-09 Big Boat Regatta, The Gate, to Half Moon Bay

Friday, September  15, 2017: Big Boat Regatta, the Gate, to Half Moon Bay

This is the first leg in a multi-leg cruise that eventually gets the boat to La Paz, Mexico.  The CostaBaja.com Resort, will be Wild Blue's 2017-2018 winter home.  During our journey, you can follow us live at MarineTraffic.com via the boat's AIS transponder.  As long as we have cell service, our plan is to post text, photo and video updates along the way.

Today's NOAA Marine Weather forecast for the waters we will navigate is:

FRI...NW winds 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. NW swell 6 ft at 8 seconds. 

SAN FRANCISCO BAR FORECAST:

IN THE DEEP WATER CHANNEL...Combined seas 6 to 8 ft with a 
dominant swell period of 9 seconds.

ACROSS THE BAR...Combined seas 7 to 9 ft with a dominant swell 

period of 9 seconds. Maximum ebb current of 0.9 knots at 12:12 PM

8:00AM: This morning we left beautiful Westpoint Harbor behind as Wild Blue begins her cruise southward.  Today, our crewman Dick Squire's son is competing in the Rolex Big Boat Series regatta.  We hope to see his race start at 11:15 then follow the fleet up the Bay.  We will continue under the bridge and out to sea.  This should be fun and we hope we can stay out of the racers' wind.

1:35PM:  We watched the start of the Regatta.  The racing was postponed over an hour until the wind increased and stabilized. Dick's son Alan Field on Phantom, a J-44, was last boat to start but first at the weather mark.

The weather never reached the forecast.  We cleared the bridge before 1PM.  The Bar was bumpy but nowhere near 9 foot seas!  At 1:35 off Daily City we have 3-4 foot seas and less than 10 knots  wind from the northwest.  Will post photos and video this evening.

3:40PM:  Had a nice run down the coast to Half Moon Bay.  Ocean cooperated with our desires and we tossed around just a dozen times or so.  The harbormaster placed us behind the fish buyers building. We are secure and headed for dining out.

Tomorrow the plan is to be on the ocean early, say 6:30.  Monterrey is our destination and some of Ed Ricketts hangouts.  The marine weather looks pretty nice for tomorrow.

Wild Blue next to the Fish Processor.  "All the fish you can eat"

Matt Jenkins and Dick Squire crew for the trip to Morro Bay. Matt is a
retired fire chief and this is is first cruise on the boat.  Dick has seven
 decades of boating experience and this is his 20+ ride on the boat